AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Nobody is off-limits,” the owner replied definitively. “I’m not afraid to make difficult decisions, even if it means losing some of our high-profile names. Thank you.”
The reporter tried asking him another question, but the owner was already walking up the grand staircase, ending the interview.
I sighed. “This sucks.”
Logan grunted.
“It’s not the end of the world,” Braden said. “We might not get traded.”
“And it might not snow this season, but that’s pretty unlikely,” I replied. “Face it, Braden: this is a strategy plenty of teams have adopted. Trade away expensive players. Tank the team in order to get a good spot in the draft. Then rebuild the team with those new draft picks.”
“You have a no-trade clause in your contract, right?” he asked.
“Apartialno-trade clause,” I clarified. “I can veto a trade to the Patriots, Eagles, Giants, JETS, or Commanders. But that leaves twenty-six other teams I can be traded to.”
“The season is only half a year,” Braden continued arguing. He sounded desperate. “We can still spend the off-season here in St. Louis. It’s not the end of the world if we have to be long-distance from September to January.”
“No,” Logan snapped.
“What do you mean, no?” Braden asked. “If it’s our only option, then—”
“I fucking saidno,” he growled. His knuckles were white where he was gripping the countertop; he looked like he was going to rip it out of the wall. “No long-distance bullshit.”
I shared a look with Braden. “I don’t know why you’re upset. You just signed a contract with the Blues. You’re not going anywhere for at least two more years. No matter what happens to us…”
“Fuck that,” Logan spat. “We’re a unit. All four of us. I don’t know why it works so well, but it does, and I sure as fuck don’t want it to fall apart.”
He’s become good at sharing, I thought.Never would have guessed it.
“I love her,” I admitted.
“Me too,” Braden said without hesitation. “Have you told her yet?”
I shook my head. “No. You?”
“Not yet. I was afraid we were moving too fast.”
“If you love her,” Logan practically snarled, “then you’d better fucking fight for her.”
“How? If the Colts decide to trade us, there’s nothing we can do.”
“All I know,” Logan said, “is that if the Blues were going to trade me, I’d make all sorts of hell to try to stop them.”
Before we could discuss it any further, Beth started shouting outside.
Logan rushed out the door, with me and Braden close on his heels. The man who had arrived in a gold Ford Taurus was standing in front of Beth, arms crossed over his chest. Beth had a piece of paper in her hands.
“The fuck is your problem?” Logan demanded, immediately putting himself between them and getting in the man’s face.
“Hey, man!” the stranger protested. “I’m just doing my job! Don’t blame me!”
“Relax, Logan,” Beth said. “This guy is just the messenger.”
“Messenger for what?” Braden asked. “What message?”
Beth held up the piece of paper. “It’s from Trip, my ex-boyfriend. He’ssuing me.”
42
