Chapter 41 Griffin
Griffin
The ease in Aria’s voice as she floats out of the coffee shop unbothered is only confirmation of Griffin’s suspicions that she’s far too confident to be bothered by his ask for space.
In fact, it’s also confirmation that she deserves him at his best and nothing else.
Sure, he saw the way her expression fell when he stumbled over his words, but it didn’t take hold.
As he looks around, now alone in a shop he’s only ever inhabited alongside her, Griffin hates the way the place feels. Cold and lonely despite the murmur of happy voices and the welcome scent of freshly brewed coffee. He dips out of the shop and directly into his car at the curb.
He wishes he was a stronger man, someone who could’ve not only avoided this injury, but someone who could stand to lose football and still be worthwhile. It’s in Aria’s best interest to be far, far away from him for now.
In his pocket, Griffin’s phone buzzes with calls from media contacts.
He has at least one hundred emails unanswered in his box, again from more people looking to break an article about his future.
If any one of those reporters could give him some idea as to what comes next for him, Griffin would take it gladly.
Griffin drops his head back onto the headrest, closes his eyes, and remembers all the pieces of his life that built his career.
The little boy he was scrambling onto the field for the first time, the college hopeful, the football camp summers from the moment school let out to the moment classes resumed.
Then the Wardens. Those are all the pieces of him, and he’s clueless as to what to do when they end.
Even if it hurt to turn her away, even if he could really use a friend like her to get through post-op and recovery, Griffin would rather suffer than let Aria see him defeated and weak.
He needs to figure out how to make this work before he lets Aria back in.
She deserves the best version of him, and he’s far from it.