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Chapter 1
Cooper
I’m not usually a guy who gets really nervous before a game. But sitting in the locker room, about to put my pads on, I have to close my eyes to get my bearings. Sweat beads along my hairline, and nausea grows in my stomach. All the commentators’ remarks and predictions for this season cycle through my brain.
I’ve won back-to-back championships, and that’s an amazing feat. Not many players before me have done it, but if I win this year, it would be my third, which is unheard of, never been done before. Everyone is watching us, especially me as the quarterback and team captain, to see if I can make it happen.
“Rice!” Coach Stone calls from his office.
Damon and Miles look in my direction. They know that, yeah, there’s pressure on them to win this year, but most of the responsibility rests in the quarterback’s hands. I clench and unclench my hands, staring down at them.
As I stand at the threshold of Coach’s office, I say, “Hey, Coach.”
“Come in.” He waves me in and circles his finger for me to shut the door.
I’ve grown used to him since I was traded here, and I’ve held my spot for all these years. I don’t sit because there isn’t a lot of time before we need to be on the field.
“Listen, I know you’re feeling the pressure. Anyone would. There’ve been players before you who felt it and failed to accomplish their goals. So, I just wanted to give you a piece of advice before you go out there today. Everyone is looking at us. But I don’t have to tell you that because you’re my most dedicated player. Never had distractions like the others.” He shakes his head, and I’m pretty sure he’s talking about Damon—who was in the midst of having a baby with a one-night stand last year. Coach pokes me in the chest. “You make sure nothing distracts you this year and you’ll be golden. And after three championship wins, you’ll have paved your path to the Hall of Fame. A fourth would be a jar of cherries.”
“I’ll do my best.” I run my fingers through my dark hair.
“You’ll do your best.” An eruption of laughter spills out of him. The man has to see how stressed I am. “Sacrifice this year, and you’re football royalty. Imagine how proud you’d have made your dad.”
He pats me on the back. He lets me leave after that, but he follows me out into the locker room.
“Now, Grizzlies, let’s start this season with a win.” Coach Stone raises his fist in the air. Most of the guys cheer and shout. “Huddle in.”
He gives his speech about how everyone is watching us and how we have the opportunity to put all our names on the map. Then he slaps my back because I’m the captain and need to say something encouraging. This is usually easy for me, but today I have to clear my throat to buy myself some time.
“There’s a lot of pressure out there, people are waiting to see how we look this year. Do they really need to fear us? Are we the sure bet to win again this year? We’ve all played a lot of football—most of us, our entire lives until now. We’ve won games we were supposed to lose, and we’ve lost games we were supposed to win. All I ask as your captain is that you leave everything you have out on that field, and I’ll do the same. Now let’s go!”
Damon shouts after me and gets them all going as we file out of the locker room. He’s always good at riling up the team.
In the tunnel on the way out to the field, I hear my teammate Bradley talking to another player.
“She’s busy a lot, but we’ve been able to go out a couple of times. Tomorrow night, she finally has a night off, so I’m taking her to dinner and a play.”
By she, he’s talking about my best friend, Ellery Wallace.
“And Coop?” the other player whispers, probably thinking that I can’t hear him. I don’t even have my helmet on.
“Completely fine with it.” Bradley’s smugness comes through in his tone.
I’m not completely fine with it. I’m not even remotely fine with it, but I don’t tell Elle who she can date. We’ve been best friends since our junior year in college, and though I don’t like the fact she’s dating one of my teammates, it’s not my place to stop her from living her life.
“Really. I always thought…” the other teammate whose voice I don’t recognize says.
“Concentrate on the fucking game!” Damon shouts at them and walks alongside me. “Like you need to hear that shit right before a game.”
I shake my head. “I’m fine. It’s not like I don’t know they’re dating.”
Damon chews on the inside of his cheek. “Of course you do.” He points at the stands. “There’s our number one fans.”
He jogs over to three seats at the fifty-yard line. The ones where Ellery, Bryce, and Adeline all sit, except today Adeline has her and Damon’s baby, Clover, with her. Clover’s wearing her pink headphones and Damon’s jersey. Damon lifts himself onto the ledge to kiss his daughter’s cheek, and all the people around them react with awws.
“Siska! Warm the fuck up!” Coach Stone yells as if Damon is in junior high school and messing around with his friends.
My eyes catch Elle’s, and my heart calms seeing her decked out in my jersey with my number written on her face with glitter. She smiles and presses her hands down in the air, telling me to calm down.
