“By what?” Lavonte asked, peeling off one of his gloves. “A demon?”
“No,” Joshua chimed in dryly. “A woman.”
The locker room erupted in a chorus of ooohs and cackles, and I rolled my eyes, keeping my head down like that would somehow save me.
“Wow, I didn’t realize you were all dressing as Tweedle Dees and Dumbers for the holiday,” I muttered.
“Am I wrong?” Josh asked.
I shook my head, fighting a smile as I stuffed my tape in my locker.
“Man’s been playing like he’s got something to prove,” Gino said, pointing at me. “Or someone to impress.”
Kyle looked over at me then, a little too knowingly. “Could be both.”
I shot him a look that saidshut the fuck up, but he only grinned wider.
It was hard to fight my own grin with them going on like that. I felt what they’d been seeing — the way I’d been playing more loosely, more instinctively.
And it’d been paying off.
I wasn’t suddenly some untouchable version of myself, wasn’t walking on water or putting up cartoon numbers every game. But I’d been sharper and faster, not hesitating so muchbefore the snap. I wasn’t overthinking every route, every cut, every rep until I strangled the life out of it.
I’d always been disciplined. Careful. Controlled.
But lately, I’d been free.
And that led to me being explosive.
Sitting there in the middle of a loud locker room that smelled like detergent, sweat, and somebody’s disgusting protein shake, I found myself wondering if maybe it had less to do with football than I wanted it to.
Practice had been stable. Guidance from my coaches hadn’t shifted at all.
Whathadchanged was how I spent my off time.
Maybe Emily had gotten under my skin deeper than I’d realized.
Maybe sneaking around with her, laughing with her, touching her whenever I could get away with it, living in all that chaos and heat and recklessness — maybe it had cracked something open in me.
Maybe letting go in one part of my life had made me better in the other.
That thought should’ve made me uneasy.
Instead, it made my pulse kick, like I’d stumbled upon the fountain of youth and was desperate to steal another drink.
“Look at him,” Lavonte said, pointing at me like I was under investigation. “Bro’s not even listening. He’s thinking about her right now.”
“I’m thinking about the game,” I said flatly.
“Sure, you are,” Kyle said.
Gino folded his arms, narrowing his eyes at me. “What, specifically?”
“The defensive structure,” I deadpanned.
Joshua barked out a laugh. “The defensive structure?”
“Yeah.”
