Chapter 42
RAWLEY
“Too pretty not to take home.”
I look at the caption of Avery’s post from this morning again. She’s put up a photo of the bouquet I had the hotel give her, but now it’s on her nightstand in her room at Sarah’s.
Though most wouldn’t know that particular nightstand like I do. She probably took a charter flight home, which would make it easier to bring the arrangement from Brooklyn to Orlando.
But I’m confused. Aren’t we supposed to be “drifting apart” or something like that? Maybe Taylor wanted to tweak the timing? Granted, Avery didn’t tag me, but all of the comments are speculating it’s from me anyway.
Without clear answers, I play along, putting a heart reaction on the post.
We haven’t spoken since Thursday’s texts when she first got the bouquet, and now it’s Monday. Although my weekend wasn’t totally “Avery-less.” I tuned in for the three-point competition on Friday and the main game on Saturday. So, yeah, I got a little fix.
I still don’t understand the point of this post though.
It’s not time to be distracted by this, Rawls. Today kicks off the second week of training camp.
Week two comes with an uptick of intensity on all fronts. We start transitioning to full pads, getting ready for our first preseason game next week and dealing with harder cuts to the roster.
Our Monday practice is awesome though.
It takes some adjustment to have pads on, but otherwise it’s a great day. To help us get acclimated, Landon and some of the other vet defenders jokingly bang against us rookies once we’re suited up. Not at full tilt, but just to get us used to being hit.
“It’s been, what, six years since we lined up on opposite ends during a real scrimmage?” Landon says as he taps me on the head—gently this time.
“Yeah, since I was a sophomore in high school.”
“Wild.” We both grin at each other.
Unfortunately, the good times would not continue.
The next morning, Ty is called into the general manager’s office before we’ve made it onto the field.
After the meeting, he comes into the locker room obviously upset, but also resigned. Looking up at Chance and me, he shakes his head. We don’t need him to explain further.
“Sorry, man,” Chance says as Ty collects his personal items.
“It’s all right. I had a feeling it was coming.”
“Let’s stay in touch,” I offer.
He agrees, and with a quick slap of our hands, heads out the door. Heads out of the Waves, period.
Chance is the first one to break the gloomy silence. “Shit, that su—”
But he doesn’t get to finish his sentence, because Nate storms up to me from his side of the locker room.
“This is some bullshit. Guys like you get all the breaks, while guys like Ty—”
He’s pointing his index finger at me, and I swipe it away.
“Don’t start, Nate.”
“I’m not starting anything. I’m calling it like I see it.”
A few other guys begin to gather around us. Chance, who’s heard everything, looks like he’s ready to lose it on Nate.
“I’ve earned everything I’ve got.” My voice doesn’t waver.
“Yeah, right.”
Suddenly, Landon’s voice cuts through.
“What’s going on here?”
The last thing I want is Landon to interfere. It would only prove Nate’s point.
“Nothing worth discussing,” I say, a sternness flushed through my voice.
“Oh look, your big brother is coming to save the day again,” Nate taunts.
Now I’m starting to get really pissed off, but Landon beats me to it.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” he asks Nate in an absolutely lethal tone. All two hundred and sixty pounds of his linebacker physique primed to kill this asshole.
But I can’t let that happen. I don’t want him to help.
This is my fight.
“Landon, back off, let me handle this,” I say to him, in the most direct tone I’ve ever mustered toward my big brother.
He turns my way, studying me until I see him relax a fraction.
“Okay.”
I then turn back to Nate, trying to find a way to defuse the situation. Be the better man.
“Look, we’re teammates. We don’t have to like each other, but we do have to work together. Respect our places on the team.”
“I don’t know how to respect someone who gets a cheat code in life, while—”
“Nate, in my office. Now.”
We all flip around and there’s our offensive coordinator, Marshall, standing in the open door of the locker room, obviously listening.
Nate slumps a small bit, but then looks defiant.
Everyone knows it doesn’t matter how good you are, you can’t be a poison on the team.
I’m just surprised Nate’s dumb enough to be caught.
He slowly follows behind Marshall, out into the hallway.
By the time he comes back to clear out his locker, having been cut for what he said, the rest of us are on the field.
Later that night, a knock comes on the door to my room.
“Hey, it’s Landon. Can I come in?”
Without bothering to respond, I open the door for him.
“Thanks.”
“Yeah, sure. I’m just watching a show.” I gesture that he should come inside.
“Cool.” He steps in, but stops in the middle of room.
“You can watch with me if you want.” I wouldn’t mind the company. Chance and I had opted to go our separate ways tonight. I’m sure we’ll be back to normal soon, but it felt weird to hang out without Ty.
“Nah. I mean, maybe, yes. But first—I was hoping we could talk?”
Is this about Nate? Avery? “Sure.”
He walks to one of the armchairs in my room and sits down. I mirror his action, slumping into the other one.
“I’ll get right to the point, Rawls. I’ve sensed some tension between us since you moved to Orlando.” Oh. “Well, really, we both know it’s been there for a long time, but now, it’s front and center.”
I don’t disagree with anything he’s saying, but I don’t know where he’s headed. “Okay?” My instinct to apologize rises up, but I shut it down and pick silence instead.
You haven’t done anything wrong.
“I feel like it’s on me,” Landon continues, his voice heavy. “Or at least it’s on me to start this conversation.”
On him? This is…unexpected. I nod, keeping quiet.
He locks eyes with me, admiration shining through. “You handled that situation today perfectly. Staying cool-headed, spitting facts, all while standing up for yourself. I’m not sure I would have done the same.” He chuckles lightly.
I let out a breath. His words, his emotions, sinking in.
“Thanks. I didn’t want to fight the guy, but what he said was fucking wrong. In more ways than one.”
“It was,” Landon responds. “You know you’ve earned this, right? No one else understands how hard it was for you to get to this point, except maybe Grace and Connor.”
His words land deeper than I would have expected. Maybe because he sounds so sincere? Maybe because it’s the first time he’s said something like this when it’s not part of a show for the cameras?
He sounds like he’s proud of me.
“I know that most of the time.” I give him a small smile. “I’m working on all of the time.”
He shifts in his chair. “I want to help you get there, but I also realize that my help might not actually be a good thing. Maybe hurting more than helping…”
“Not hurting, not that,” I interrupt. I don’t want him to feel bad about having my back. “It’s just—I’m twenty-one now. In the NFL. I need to be able to stand on my own two feet. And it’s felt… feels like you haven’t treated me like an adult.”
He twists his mouth. “Yeah, I’m sorry. It took me these last two months of you living here to see that. Maybe I’ve been frozen in time from when you were a teenager.”
I get what he’s saying because he had to step in so much then.
“But watching you today, it really sunk in. Rawley’s got this.”
I blink at those three words.
Hearing them come out of Landon’s mouth? It’s a game changer.
He wears an intent expression. “You’re a man who can handle situations like that on his own.”
“I can.”
We take a beat to just look at each other, the plane of our relationship resetting in real time. And then he breaks the silence.
“So I’ll back off. Give you space to figure shit out before I step in.”
This is everything. “Thanks. And I’ll try not to step into any shit.”
He grins. “I’m not worried about that.” He stands and opens his arms to prompt a hug. Getting out of my chair, I complete the embrace, and we both pat each other’s backs.
As we come out of the hug, Landon takes his seat again.
“This doesn’t mean I don’t get veto rights on shows though. What you watching?”
We spend the next couple hours hanging out in front of the TV.
And I do my best to ignore how much I wish I could share what just happened with Avery.