Surviving Us (33 page)

When we finally break from the morning practice, my body is drenched with sweat, my brain is full of Xs and Os, and my face hurts from smiling so damn much. The entire team has made me feel more than welcome, and I think I impressed both the coaching staff and the other players with the ease I pick up the offense.

“Great job, McKay,” one of the defensive guys says as we walk into the locker room, stripping our pads off and leaving them in the cage where they’re kept.

“Yeah, I’m feeling a shitload better about our season than I did last night,” another guy pipes up.

A chorus of ‘hell yeahs’ and ‘no doubts’ follows, only increasing my hopefulness that everything will work out with the admissions and that the coaches feel the same way.

“Thanks, man,” I tip my head in appreciation. “I hope it all works out, ‘cause this is exactly where I want to be.”

“Hey, you should go with all of us to the Labor Day BBQ this afternoon at one of the frat houses,” a voice says behind me as we step into the showers.

Turning around, I find Mo, one of the offensive linemen, walking up behind me with a friendly smile. “I imagine you’re going to be buried in a combination of playbooks and textbooks here soon,” he continues, “so you might as well enjoy one relaxing afternoon before the hell sets in. You’re more than welcome to ride with me and crash at my place.”

I had really hoped to contact Bristol and try to see her this afternoon, but seeing how I’m staying with the coach, it might be easier if I’m somewhere near campus to meet her.

“Yeah, that sounds great. I’ve gotta talk to Elsik and see what his plans are for me. I’m not really sure where I’m staying or for how long.”

“Sounds good,” he replies, “I’ll wait around for you to see what he says.”

After a quick shower, I stop by the coaching office to check in and see what happens next. A group of them are huddled together watching film from the morning’s practice when I knock on the open door and stick my head inside.

“McKay, just the person we were talking about,” Coach Elsik rises from behind his desk with a boastful smile spread across his face. “Come on in and take a seat.”

“Yes, sir.” I do as I’m told, a tad nervous, but trying to stay positive he’ll have good news for me.

“I think it goes without saying you did a phenomenal job out there today. To be quite honest, I’m still a little shocked you’ve maintained your skill set to the level you have after all this time without game simulation.” He moseys around to the front of his desk, leaning back on the wooden surface while tapping his fingertips on the edge, holding all of our undivided attention.

“Putting you on the team is a no-brainer for us at this point, but President Swaffer wants to meet with both of us first thing Tuesday morning, since Monday is a holiday, about the stipulations of your reinstatement to the university,” he explains with a slight scowl. “I’m one hundred percent confident it will happen, but we need to find out if there are placement exams or anything else that needs to be done. Also, we have used all of our allotted football scholarships for this year, so you will be responsible for your own tuition.” He stops and waits for me to acknowledge his last statement.

“That won’t be a problem at all, Coach,” I assure him.

“Excellent,” he exclaims, clapping his hands together. “Now, I heard the boys say something about a cookout today on campus, and I absolutely think you should go and build a relationship with your new teammates. I understand you probably don’t want to hang out with an old guy like myself, so as long as you’re staying with one of them, I have no problem with that; just make sure you’re studying the playbook and that you meet me here at eight o’clock sharp Tuesday morning so we can walk over together.”

“Absolutely. I appreciate everything you’re doing for me.” I stand up and shake his hand as well as the rest of the coaches in the room, thanking each one of them.

Before I leave the room, he adds one last comment. “You’re not an eighteen-year-old kid, McKay, so I don’t feel the need to babysit you, but be warned—once the media gets a whiff you’re here, it’s going to be a madhouse and they
will
bring up what happened a couple of years ago. We need you to be strong, physically and mentally. Don’t let them rattle you.”

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

“Now go have fun.”

I nod with a big grin then stride outside, where Mo is waiting for me.

“It looks like I’m free to go with you this afternoon, and if the offer still stands, I’d love to crash on your couch until next week when I can get a place. I just need to swing by Coach’s place later to pick up my suitcase,” I say, nearly bursting with joy over the events of the last twenty-four hours.

“No worries, man. You’re my quarterback now; it’s my job to keep you safe.”

As we walk across the parking lot to his truck, I’m afraid my insides are going to burst with pure excitement; not to mention, I’m still in disbelief over the events of the last twenty-four hours. The minute I’ve got my seatbelt on, I log in to my email on my phone and nervously type out a message to Bristol, hoping she gets it sooner than later.

“RISE AND SHINE,
Sleeping Beauty.” Alyvia bounces on her knees in my bed, jarring me awake. Her voice is way too chirpy for this early in the morning. “How was your date last night?”

Grumbling, I roll over and bury my head under the pillow, hoping she’ll go away if I ignore her.

“Come on, Bristol. Tell me you’re tired and irritable ‘cause you were up all night bumping uglies with city-boy stockbroker,” she urges, annoyingly poking me in the ribcage.

The pillow goes flying off my head as I shoot straight up, glaring at my soon-to-be strangled best friend. “It wasn’t a
date
,” I bite out harshly, “and there wasn’t bumping of anything, especially not
uglies
. Kayden is my friend, nothing more.”

“Calm your tits, woman. You don’t have to take your sexual frustration out on me.” She falls back flat on the bed, keeping her eyes locked on mine. “I understand you fell in love with some guy while you were on your trip,” her expression softens, “but you aren’t in St. Lucia anymore, hun. It’s time to live here, with the people who exist in your
real
life, not a memory of some douche who never even attempted to contact you again.”

I sigh with exasperation
. What is everyone’s deal with telling me what it’s time to do in my life and when? No one knows what I’m feeling, and I’m tired of it. Much like Kayden’s ‘talk’ last night, her points are valid, and I know she only wants to see me happy and fully enjoying life, but she doesn’t really understand. Neither of them do.

Davis wasn’t just
some
guy. He was a game-changer, and I’m not talking about in a football sense; he altered my life in a way I never thought was possible. He freed me from the invisible restraints of undeserved guilt I allowed to imprison me for way too long. And I can never forget him.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you, Lyv,” I say remorsefully, lying back down on the bed, facing her. “I’m tired and crabby, and I really don’t feel like having this conversation right now.”
Or ever.

She smiles and reaches out to tuck a stray hair behind my ear. “No worries, B, but please know I only want the best for you. Things have been different this year with me spending all my time with Lucky, and with you doing a shitty job of pretending you’re not moping around. I just don’t want us to drift apart as friends.”

“Never.” I smile back, thankful I have a friend like her in my life.

Although we’ve only been friends for a little over a year, Alyvia is as close as I’ve ever had to a sister. Inseparable from the day we met, she’s never made me feel like a pity case because of what I went through as a child, though she’s always been empathetic to my situation and tried to help me better myself. And in return, I do the same for her—having money and gifts thrown at you can cover up the loneliness and lack of affection for only so long. I offer her my time and attention, truly caring about what she has to say, which is what she so desperately lacks and needs.

“Good. So are you still going to the BBQ with us this afternoon?” she asks hopefully.

I lift my head from the mattress and glance over at the clock on my nightstand, noting it’s a little past eleven. “Yeah, I don’t have a choice,” I reply with a scowl. “I promised Kayden I’d take him to it last night, even though it’s kinda weird. I’m not sure why in the world he’d want to hang out a college get-together.”

She scoots up to a sitting position and shrugs her shoulders. “Who knows? Maybe he wants to prove to you he’s young enough to still have fun like you do, or maybe he’s tired of hanging out with a bunch of tight asses and just wants to let loose where no one knows who he is.”

“Well, either way, I don’t plan on staying long with him. I’m supposed to pick him up at his hotel at three, and hopefully, I’ll be dropping him back off no later than six or seven. I may come back alone after, if you guys are still there.” I watch, not moving as she slides off the bed and heads towards the door. “God, I’m such a bitch. Aren’t I?”

Giggling hard, she shakes her head. “No, you’re not, and that sounds like a plan. Lucky is picking me up around three, too. Do you know where Mo is or how he’s getting there?”

“They had an emergency team meeting and practice today that was closed to the media,” I answer, recalling what he’d told me late last night as I was falling asleep. “He said he’d head over when he got out and meet us there.”

“Cool. I’m gonna make some coffee and study a bit until it’s time to get ready,” she announces before slipping out of my room.