Chapter 46 Johnson
Johnson
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. Landon can’t ignore you in front of all his guys,” Carter replies.
Two hours ago, our medical team decided that I might be ready to play the game after next. I stuck around for a couple of other meetings, and the news of the target timeline has spread to the offensive starters, resulting in Carter dragging me away as the latest meeting ended.
He asked me if Landon and I had sorted things out yet, and when I explained that I’m not even getting responses to my messages, he grimaced.
“We have to get this resolved before you’re back to play.”
Leading us here, now, in front of the linebacker room. Honestly, I’m doubtful of Carter’s plan to march in and see if Landon will listen to what I have to say. But I’m willing to give it a try.
The one thing I have going for me is that apparently it still hasn’t leaked to the team that Grace and I are together, and Landon hasn’t told anyone either, or so Carter says. So maybe he wants to avoid a dramatic clash too and will actually listen.
“I feel like I should wear a bulletproof vest.”
“You got me, I’m all the protection you need,” Carter jokes. He probably isn’t wrong.
“Knock, knock,” he says as he opens the door to the room without waiting for a response.
I’m behind him, so I can’t see exactly who is in there, but from the noise, I can tell there are multiple guys.
As Carter steps inside, I follow suit. When we’re three steps into the room, the door closes on its own, and I hear a voice behind me.
“What do you think you’re doing here?” Landon. His voice is low, deep…and pissed.
I turn around to face him where he’s standing against the wall on the far side of the room, next to a table covered with bottled water. Out of my peripheral vision, I can see four of his fellow linebackers sitting at another table.
Maybe Carter wasn’t enough protection after all.
They don’t know what happened with Grace, I remind myself.
“Landon, I don’t want to fight. I just want to see if we can talk. If I can tell my side of the story.”
“Oh we can talk,” Landon growls. “My sister, J? My sister.”
“Oh hell no, Johnson messed with Landon’s sister?” I hear from one of the other guys in the room.
Carter takes a step closer to my side.
“It’s not—” I try to find the words that may make him understand. “We really liked each other, Landon, and things just…evolved.”
Landon takes a step forward, pointing his finger toward me. “You told me you’d keep an eye out for her. Keep her away from guys with bad intentions.”
“Landon—”
“YOU DIDN’T TELL ME THAT YOU WERE THE ONE WITH BAD INTENTIONS!”
Within the second it takes for them to digest Landon’s outburst, all the linebackers at the other table stand up and cross their arms.
“Landon, stop this,” Carter says. ”Hear him out.”
I hold my arms up, trying to ignore all the prying eyes. “Grace and I have been together for months, man. I’m not playing games here.”
“If you had come to me at the beginning, and been honest…” Landon huffs. “We wouldn’t have a problem. You lied. My best fucking friend.”
“We didn’t want to hurt you,” I spit out. “We just wanted to see where this could go, in peace, in private.”
“AKA you wanted to sneak around with my little sister.”
“No—“
“Have a good time, no obligations—"
“Landon, fucking listen to what I’m saying. I’m not with Grace just for a good time. I think she might be my forever.”
A collective gasp comes from the guys, followed by at least two “oh shits.”
I turn to Carter, and his eyebrows are raised so high they might be touching the ceiling. Oh shit, indeed.
Pivoting back to Landon, he appears stunned. Like Coach said, maybe after I said it enough times, loudly, he finally got the picture?
“Guys, can we take this down a notch?” Carter asks, keeping his tone low, trying to defuse the combative energy.
“Actually, I’m going to go home.” My head is starting to ache, but I try to make sure my voice sounds firm in its resolve. “Landon, I’d like to continue this conversation soon, ideally before we’re back on the field together.”
I turn my head back to the other men in the room. Yep, all four guys are giving me death stares. Nice.
“Bye everyone, great job so far this season. See you next week.” I keep my tone even and wave at them.
We walk out in silence, neither Carter nor I saying a word.
But when we get into the hallway, he rests his hand on my arm.
“That was rough. You okay?”
“I’m fine, it had to be done.”
He dips his head in agreement. “I think you may have finally gotten through to him at the end there. He’s never speechless.”
“I really hope so. For everyone’s sake.”
Grace comes home a couple of hours after me, and we basically pounce on each other. Not in the fun way.
“I need to talk to you,” she says in a rush.
“Me too.”
She bites her lip. “Okay, you first.”
I explain to her everything that happened, and she looks alarmed at first, but then her expression turns thoughtful.
“Carter is probably onto something. Maybe Landon really heard you this time.”
“We’ll see, I guess. Tell me what you wanted to talk about?”
She then explains what Shelley said in her office, and all her emotions leading her to call her mom.
There’s one dominant feeling rippling through me when she finishes.
“Goldie, I’m so proud of you right now.”
Her eyes look a little wet, and her mouth wobbles. “Me too.”
And as fast as the words are out of her mouth, I pull her into my arms. “It’s okay to cry, if you need to.”
“It’s not that I’m upset, it’s just a lot at once,” she says from within my embrace.
I rock her gently, our embrace warm. I feel her body start to relax after a few minutes.
“Thanks for that, honey,” she says as she pulls away to look at me.
“I’ve got more when and if you need it.”
“I have to tell Shelley something too. It’s so surreal that going pro could be an option again.”
I give her a squeeze. “It is a major new opportunity. I’m sure there’s many dynamics I don’t even understand.”
“Tons of variables, yes. Money for all the expenses, who I’d train with, am I really good enough, are the big ones to begin with.”
“You left out one thing—what do you want?”
She stops and considers the question. Slowly, a smile creeps up on her face.
“I want to try. Is that crazy?”
“Not crazy at all.”
“I don’t want to have any more regrets or missed chances, Johnson. What’s the worst thing that could happen? If I find I don’t enjoy it, I can always stop and focus on what I’m doing with Milo only.”
“Sounds right to me.”
“Before I chicken out, I’m writing Shelley.”
And then I watch my girl start her next adventure.