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“I guess so,” I honestly didn't know what he knew for sure. I just knew he saw my disgust and sadness then snapped and headed onto the field.
“The league will handle his punishment for charging a player on the field. But after the game, I need you to file a complaint form.”
“Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll do that.”
It wasn't the time to tell Martin about Levi and me, but I was tempted. I just wanted to leave the game and go find him. I wanted to make surehewas okay.
“Are you okay to continue?” Martin asked, sensing my discomfort.
I started to say I was, because that was what I should have said. I was strong enough to deal with the players and the coaches, so in any other circumstance, I shouldn't have been rattled. But knowing Levi was alone and dealing with a fire he had inside himself since halftime, I wanted to go to him.
Martin didn't let me answer, he just nodded toward the corridor indicating I should head off the field. He didn't have to tell me twice, I started running in a sprint, down the corridor and toward the player’s locker rooms where I knew Levi’s office was.
Levi wasn't in the office; he was pacing the hallway in front of his door like a caged lion. When I started making my way toward him, he looked up and paused, relief settling in his expression at seeing me.
Before I made it to him, the door on the other end of the hallway slammed and Levi spun around to see who it was.
Richard.
His smug expression was bouncing between Levi and I as he approached. He was foolishly alone, not realizing that Levi was a fighter. I was thankful he hadn't found out yet about Levi’s extracurricular activity because that made him easier to get to.
No one to protect him.
Levi was waiting for Richard to approach but I started running toward both of them, passing Levi so I could be the first to get to Richard. Levi had already taken care of one of my problems, now I wanted to help him with the other.
Richard wasn't expecting me to get aggressive. I was sure he saw me as nothing but a weak little girl. But I was also a fighter. I pulled my arm back right as I approached him and swung so hard he never saw it coming.
He fell to the ground and I got over the top of him, taking my left hand to the other side of his face. “You think you can control me?” I yelled. “You think I will just bow down to you because you wear fancy suits and have a lot of money?”
Levi was behind me, his hands in his pockets and looking down at us. Richard was blocking his face from my assault but looked to Levi for help. “Can you get her off of me?”
Richard was about to learn–quicker than we had planned–that Levi wasn’t working for him anymore.
“She deserves more, Richard. You’re lucky she's choosing violence.”
Their interaction, and Levi’s words made me pause and I backed away to let Richard get up. He shuffled until his back hit the wall of the hallway and then made his way to his feet.
“How am I lucky for that?” Richard squeaked, sounding like the pathetic man he was underneath the facade.
“Because if she didn’t, I would have, and I hit much harder.”
“You’re fired,” Richard yelled at Levi, then turned to me. “And you will never officiate in this league again.”
I nodded in agreement. I may never officiate in the league again. My lifelong dream would only ever be a short stint in reality. But if I was going to be treated the way Richard treated me, and the way sixty-seven treated me, then it was no longer my dream.
Richard backed away from us as Levi took an aggressive step forward. He was trying to get through the door and back to where other people were, so he felt safer. His fear made me feel a sense of satisfaction.
Now he knew how it felt.
Once he was out the door, it was only a matter of time before the cops came for us. We would probably both be arrested for assault, but it was a thousand percent worth it.
Levi grabbed my hand and led me into his office where he locked us in. We both had blood on our knuckles, and neither of us knew whose blood it was, but that didn't stop us from embracing.
“I’m sorry baby, I tried.” Levi was whispering into my ear, apologizing for not even lasting a day when it came to “fixing” our on the field issues.
“The truth feels better.”
He pulled back and looked into my eyes. “I’m sorry that falling for you meant ending your dreams so quickly.”
