Page 6 of Offensive Plays

"Look. I hate letting down my team. But all we can do is review the tapes. See what we can do better and hit them hard in the next game."

"We'll get them in Nashville," Ryker adds, patting me on the back.

With that, the heat on me seems to die down, and the attention goes back onto my team captain; where I would much rather it be.

"Landry, can you tell us about your first game back and what it's been like?"

Keelan fields the questions like a pro, and I zone out until some flashing lights from the cameras wake me up from my stupor.

Finally, it's over. And it wasn't too bad. Outside the press room, Keelan stops me.

"Hey, Fergie. Wait up." I turn to see him jogging down the hall toward me. Ryker is taking his time talking to Rina and his fiancee, Izzy, outside the room.

"I was a dick back there. It's like I forgot how to be a team player. Sorry about that, man."

Is my team captain actually apologizing to me? Being off the roster for a while has changed him.

"Thanks, Lando."

He shrugs and slaps a hand onto my shoulder. "We'll get 'em in Nashville. So what are you doing tonight?"

I know exactly what I'll be doing tonight. It's the same thing I've been doing every night for the last few months. But I'm not about to tell him that. Not until I'm ready.

"Rest," I guess.

"Yeah, we're going to need it," Keelan agrees.

Chapter 2

Libby

The action on the theater screen reaches a climax—the engines roar, the music thrums with urgency—but my attention strays.

My gaze flits between the gripping chase on screen and the bag of popcorn crushed in the tightening grip of my bestie, Kesley, as my brother Zane's hand ventures further up her thigh, his face nuzzling her neck on the other side of her.

I school my face into submission when it involuntarily scrunches up in disgust.

Don't get me wrong, they both deserve this.

For so long, I watched Kesley endure an endless parade of romantic misfires while raising the sweetest child as a single mother. I was always there with a shoulder to cry on and a plate full of chicken nuggets for us all to dive into when she inevitably announced that she had found yet another dud.

She had good reason to be picky. Her little boy, Liam, who had been my third roommate for the last six years, is the best human being in the world. So who better than the man who was always meant to be his daddy to be the one absently teasing her neck right now?

I shift in my seat, accidentally nudging her, and it's like a domino effect. She closes her mouth and straightens uncomfortably, and then Zane shifts in his seat, too, his hand slowly slipping off his wife's thigh.

I didn't mean to break up their little peck fest. I just need an excuse to leave so they can have their fun.

I grab my drink and swish it around—empty. My phone vibrates in my back pocket with the familiar feel of my app’s notifications. The app.

I should...probably go pee.

Yes. I'll go to the bathroom, check my phone, get a refill, and hopefully, that'll be enough time for Zane and Kesley to finally just go ham with each other without my presence interfering. Maybe I'll get another nephew out of it.

I lean over and whisper to Kesley. "I need to pee. Refill?"

She cinches her brow, "Now?" And motions toward the screen. It's the moment of the movie we've all been waiting for.

I shake my giant empty cup at her, and she nods her understanding. Zane leans over and grabs my wrist, "Grab me a cup of ice. Will you, Lib?"