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He didn't even see it coming when I reared back and cracked my fist against his jaw.
"What the…" Asher growled, grabbing his jaw.
"That was for Addy," I snarled, stepping forward back into his space. He didn't even defend himself when I threw another punch and the sound of bone meeting bone filled the silent room. "That's for Addison."
"They're the same fucking person," he gritted out.
"True." I smirked and slammed my fist into his nose. Blood splattered his shirt and my fist. "That's for fucking me over."
He dragged his fist across his bottom lip, smearing the blood. A menacing glare darkened in his eyes, and a sly smirk pulled at his lips. Anger twisted my insides as my chest heaved. I was ready to take out every ounce of fury I'd been holding back on him because, right now, everything was his fault. "You can be mad at me if you want, but I did what I had to do."
I shoved my hands into his chest, pushing him backwards. "Why didn't you just fucking tell me she was here at the same school as me?" My chest tightened with a mixture of rage and sadness. We'd been at this school for four years. She'd been right under my nose this whole time, and I couldn't pull my head out of my ass long enough to recognize her. It hurt thinking of all the time I'd wasted and all the missed opportunities. And now she was gone.
He shrugged. "I didn't know that you didn't know." Of course he didn't because Asher only cared about Asher, and since Addy being here had nothing to do with him, why would he care?
Stepping into his space, I bumped his chest with mine asserting dominance. "If I ever find out that those videos or pictures pop up again," I growled, "I will put you under the ground after I break your face."
He took a step back, and I let him. "We still have to play together for the rest of the season."
I huffed out a humorless laugh. "Yeah, the new coach heard all about you and Coach Brown's little blackmail stunt, and it turns out blackmail is a hard no for him. I think you'll find yourself off the team sometime today."
"You wouldn't…"
"I did…" I smirked. "Go to fucking hell, Asher, because if we ever cross paths again, I promise you'll regret living." I shoved past him and walked out of the gym.
Shoving through the gym door, I sucked in a harsh breath of the cool morning air. Asher and I had been friends since the summer before first grade. Our families were friends. I'd always thought of him more like a brother, but that part of my life was over now.
SIXTY
ADDISON
2 years later...
I'd finally made it; I sighed, sinking back in my chair and admiring my small office. After my sixteen-week internship, I was offered an entry-level position, and now, two years later, I'd slowly worked my way up to a brand new role created for me with a pay increase that meant I didn't have to work three jobs to survive here in New York City.
I'd worked my butt off the last two years, and even though this wasn't the position I'd hoped for, it was still a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, I sometimes had to take what I could get in this male-dominated industry, but I still considered this a huge win. I still had a long way to go before I met my end goal, but it was closer than ever. I only had to prove myself in this position first.
I was the new gossip girl of BBN Sports.
For the last three months, I'd built this new venture for the company. I'd worked hard blogging and building up their social media, covering anything that brought in more viewers. I knew that if I succeeded, I would earn the respect I needed to get my dream job.
"Addison." My gaze snapped up to see Jacob Frazier's large frame filling the doorway. Jacob was a retired baller; technically, he was my boss, even though he didn't call the shots around here. "I have a new assignment for you."
My eyes and face lit up. Jerking my desk drawer open, I pulled out a pen and pad of paper while trying to control my excitement.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Well, as you know," he smirked, sliding into the chair opposite me, "we are trying to connect more with the teams and each of their players on a personal level." I nodded. That was a nice way to put it. I already knew where this was going, even though I'd hoped it was something more than a gossip-girl assignment. I was there to attract more women to the show, but it didn't matter. This was my foot in the door. "There's a baller who's recently been of particular interest to the media, and we were hoping you could talk him into an interview."
"Who's the baller?" I asked, my gaze flicking down to my paper.
"Maddox Parker." He smiled. My head snapped up. My gaze locked on his. "You know him, right?"
Shit! I shouldn't be surprised. Maddox had been a hot topic for the last year in sports gossip, but I'd managed to keep his name and face off my page, and so far, I'd managed to run a highly successful page without him in it.
"Maddox doesn't do private interviews anymore." I groaned. I'd heard reports whining about him not doing interviews and even saw the clip where his manager explained to the media that Maddox would only do after-game prearranged interviews. "He hasn't for over a year."
"Your job is to convince him." He shrugged, pushing out of the chair.
