Page 135 of Forever Relentless

Me: What do I wear to the spring game after-party?

Matthews: As little as possible

I don’t know why I thought he’d have an answer either.

But I was smiling as I put my phone on silent, turned off the light, and went to sleep.

Chapter 26

Noah

The locker room was buzzing.

Not all of it was due to the spring game. Mostly, it was because TruthHurts1 and 2 had been posting throughout the night.

The claims of sexual assault. Injury cover-ups. Payments under the table. The posts were brief. More suggestion than allegation.

Mason had been right. Float the suggestion and the comments did the hard work. People who weren’t hiding their identity were speaking up.

It was working.

I sat on the bench listening to Coach Holt run through the new plays with me. I’d missed two days, but you’d think I’d missed three months the way he was bending my ear.

“I got it, Coach.”

He sat back, watching the head coach stalk through the locker room like he was ready to tear the walls down with his bare hands.

“I hope you do. Today is your chance to shine.”

I looked down at my pants. “Well, in this color, let’s hope I don’t blind any fucker.”

Holt got to his feet, laughing. “Blind them anyway, kid.” He squeezed my shoulder and went to talk to Coach Sutherland.

I saw Dante look at me and then turn his attention back to his cleats. I hadn’t really spoken to him since the fight.

It was easier this way. For him.

I stood and stretched. For me too.

I heard Gray’s warning, so I turned away before he could see me thinking it over. He’d pick up on a weakness and use it.

“Matthews!” I turned to Coach Sutherland.

“Yes, Coach?”

“You sit on the sidelines until I tell you to get up.”

“Of course, Coach.” Asshole.

“Spence. Same.”

“The fuck? Why?” Dante stepped forward and met the hard look.

“What did you say?” Coach Sutherland asked him.

“I said ‘the fuck, why?’ Coach.”

Today was not the day for Dante to go rogue.