Page 9 of Broken
Jet glanced over his shoulder and gave me a funny look, raising an eyebrow. I shook my head. Lisa wasn’t even worth the drama of bringing her up.
JET
When lunch was over, Tucker and I grabbed Annie and Izzy’s trash and then kissed our girls goodbye before heading to athletics. It had been a pretty good day so far. I’d had both a welding and a mechanics class this morning. Football was next, my life and breath within school, aside from Annie, and I’d have her in my last class this afternoon. It was shaping up to be a good year.
I’d been starting quarterback since I was a sophomore. It was whether I wanted to take it further with college that was my real issue—especially this year. I’d had some colleges show interest before, but I just wasn’t in the right headspace to commit last year, not with Patrick literally on a steep decline and then dying during football season. Annie had been my priority. Izzy, too, but thankfully, Tucker had stepped up big time with her.
I laughed to myself at how that had turned out. Losing Patrick sucked, but everything happened for a reason.
Which was what I kept telling myself going into this season. I was really hoping to catch some interest again. At least keep my options open. Hopefully, with one of the schools Tucker had an offer from. Coach had advised me to take it more seriously last year when they’d started coming in, but hindsight and all that…
I was just stepping out of the showers at the end of practice when Coach Riojas called me into his office.
Throwing on my clothes, I closed the door behind me when he motioned and took a seat. “Yes, sir?”
“I need your thoughts, Thanos. I know last year was rough, but where are you now? Are you serious about looking to play in college next year?” He steepled his fingers, leaning over his desk.
I drummed my fingertips on the smooth metal arms of the chair, the sound tinkling and echoing in the room as I debated what to say. Coach had my back last year, helping to fill recruiters in when my interest was down, encouraging them not to lose faith in me. And in all honesty, my family wasn’t loaded like Tucker’s or like my uncle and cousin over in London. We did well enough, but a scholarship would make things a lot easier if I decided to go to school. Being a certified mechanic was always still an option. I’d set that career path the second I saw it on the school list freshman year. I was born for it. But I loved football, too, and it was the surefire path to not being left behind when my friends all went off to school.
“Dead serious.” The words left my mouth before I even knew my brain thought them.
Coach smiled, his grin spreading across the bottom half of his face. “Perfect. We need to update your scholarship highlight film, really make it shine, and I’ll call up some of my contacts, see if we can get any of last year’s schools down here again. You’ve got what it takes, Thanos. Whether you know it or not, you do.”
“Thanks.” I cleared my throat, not sure how to respond. “I’ll work on that highlight reel.”
“Yes, definitely. I’ve got a few clips in mind I can recommend to you, too. You’re a great player. Don’t let life hold you back this time.”
I nodded and stood. “I won’t.”
Coach’s words still echoed through my head as I came out of the office. I headed back to my locker to grab my bag when I heard voices rising around the corner.Fuck.
I sprinted down the aisles, one voice in particular resonating.
“The fuck is your problem?!”
Tucker shoved Zane in the chest just as I rounded the corner, and Zane barreled forward, shoving his chest into Tucker’s ribs.
“Your fucking cousins. How the fuck did Izzy choose you when you’ve got family that fucking does shit like that to her?! Again!”
“Shit like what again?!”
I threw myself in between them before Tucker could shove back, pushing them apart, and Zane spun around, storming a few feet the other way before whipping back around.
“Fucking throwing a bag over her head and shoving her in the backseat of their car!” Zane yelled, throwing an arm out.
Tucker staggered while my jaw dropped.Um, what?My brain couldn’t seem to catch up. Neither could Tucker’s.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Saturday. At the races. I’d just walked off after talking to her when I sawyourcousins pull up and grab her. Thank God David was parked nearby, and we went after her. No telling what Ryder fucking had planned for her!”
Tucker shook his head. “You’re fucking lying.”
“What? She didn’t tell you?” Zane laughed, the sound hollow and deep. “What a great start. She doesn’t even trust you enough to tell you.”
“All she told me about wasyouthreatening to get her back. Wanting toforceher back to you. Over my dead body, by the way.”
Zane just smirked and shook his head. “That can be arranged if you want it, Pierce. Because I mean it, Iwillget her back.” He shoved the last of his football gear in his locker and stormed off, and I pushed Tucker back against the lockers when he moved to follow, the sound of the metal door being shoved open echoing in the distance just as Coach came around the corner.