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But now, my heart breaks by the second. It's a heart that no longer beats like it had before, and it’s a heart I know will never beat the same way again.
I escape from Wilks’ grasp, knowing that this is no longer the place it used to be.
“I’m sorry I let you guys down,” I whisper through my tears. “It's time for me to go home.”
TWENTY-FOUR
W A R R E N
“Where the fuck is my pen?!”I shout belligerently, tossing some stray papers off my desk. “I swear to fucking God, if someone took my pen, start digging your grave now.”
“What the fuck are you going on about over there?” Alf quickly matches my irate tone as he yells at me from his office, making me release a huff of frustration.
“Where. Is. My. Pen?!” I shout, watching as he stands up from his desk chair across the hallway and snatches a pen from his own desk.
“Maybe it’s where you left your manners,” he grumbles, marching into my office and slapping it down onto my desk. “Here!”
“Oi, watch it.” I shoot him a glare as he turns on his heel and leaves my office. “You didn’t need to be such a prick about it.”
Alf stops dead in his tracks. “I’mthe prick? You’re hilarious, Parker. An absolute comedian, you know that? Maybe you should stop being so worried about a pen and focus on the fact that Delaney’s gone. Have you gotten that through your thick skull yet? She’s gone.”
His words stop me in place, my pen hovering above the paper as I clench my jaw tightly at the sound of her name.
“Good,” I mumble in response, although the word feels like it doesn’t belong on my tongue at all. “She never belonged here.”
Alf rolls his eyes at my attempt to brush her off. “How can you sit there and say that?” he protests. I heave out a sigh before leaning back in my chair and looking at him. The gray is creeping through his hair, and given the hell I’ve put this team through these past few days, I’m not surprised. “She was a part of our team, Warren. Shehelpedus. How can’t you see that?”
That’s it.
I slam my hands down on my desk and stand up, Alf now looking up at me.
“Holy fuck. How about we just focus back on what this is all about—playing football! Have we all just forgotten that?” My voice is full of annoyance.
Alf is silent, yet he shakes his head. He’s tried to get through to me for days, but each time has proved to be more unsuccessful than the last.
“The lads are waiting for you,” he finally says, peering down at the watch on his wrist. “Go focus on what this is ‘all about’ Park. I’ll be in my office.”
I brush past him without another word, my shoulder pushing into him as I walk onto the field.
To my surprise, the lads aren’t out on the pitch kicking the ball around in their usual pre-practice warm-up. The grass is empty, and as I scan the area, I catch a glimpse of all of them sitting on the bench together.
“What the hell is going on?” is the first thing I say as I take them all in. “Get your asses on the field, now.”
They remain un-wavered by my sharp tone. Hell, some of them don’t even have their cleats on. They’re just sitting there barefoot as if they’re lying on the beach on holiday. They’ve chosen the wrong day to piss me off. As the saying goes, I’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I have beenever since I’ve been forced to wake up without Delaney lying by my side.
“We need to talk, Coach.” It’s Wilks who speaks on behalf of the group, standing up. I shoot him a look to tell him he’s treading on thin ice. The last thing I need right now is to play his childish little games.
“Talking isn’t what we need to be doing!” I snap in response. “Get on the field. This is your last warning.”
“Not until you make up with Delaney.”
His words hit me like a slap across the face. Sure, Alf has been on my case, given that Delaney left the keys to her office and all of her things on his desk, but the lads—they’ve remained radio silent until now.
I hold Wilks’ gaze, both of us refusing to back away from the other’s glare.
“I’m telling you all right now. Stay out of it. You have no idea what you’re talking about,” I speak through clenched teeth.
“And maybe you’re right.” Wilks strides his way in my direction, hands in either pocket as he shrugs nonchalantly. “But what we do know is that that girl completely changed our team. She made us better. She madeyoubetter, Coach.”
