Page 80 of Front Runner
“What the hell—”
He held up his hand for my silence. “I’m going to tell you what I told RJ out there, and I want you to think long and hard about your response before you make it.”
“I’m listening,” I ground out, even though I dreaded what he was about to tell me.
“It’s come to everyone’s attention that there might be fraternizing happening between you and RJ. Despite the rule I was very clear about at the beginning of the season. I’ve been informed she’s temporarily suspended pending investigation.”
“What about me?”
“You’ve been cleared.”
I reared back as if he’d slapped me. “They’re punishing Riley and not me? Why? How is that legal?”
“Because they used the words ‘pending investigation’.” He threw up finger quotes. “The decision isn’t final yet, but they’re very focused on the playoffs. They want to make sure you’re the one under center, not Williams. To make the whole situation worse, one of RJ’s professors has been making complaints all semester, which pushed the final blame onto her. As far as they’re concerned, RJ instigated any rule breaking that happened—”
“Don’t you get a say as the head coach?”
He sent a pointed look at my clenched fists, and I forced my hands to relax. “In this case, I was overruled. The athletic director is concerned about the negative impact RJ could have on the team.”
I fumed silently as I counted to ten. “She needs her scholarship to pay for her education, and no other school will touch her if TU disciplines her. Not to mention, she didn’t start things between us. I did. If they suspend anyone, it should be me.”
Coach scoffed. “It should be both of you idiots for not keeping it in your pants or at least not being better at hiding it. Any dumbass with eyeballs in his head could see you two were sparking off each other. I wasn’t going to say anything as long as you kept it under wraps and it didn’t affect your play. You couldn’t wait until the season was over?”
I scrubbed my hands down my face. This was worst case scenario, and Coach wasn’t wrong. “They shouldn’t be able to dictate who I’m in a relationship with.”
“Doesn’t matter what they should or shouldn’t do. They made a rule, you broke it, and now we all have to deal with the aftermath. RJ can’t play while she’s suspended. She can’t even practice. I’m not revoking her scholarship for this year, but I can’t hold her spot indefinitely.”
Fuck. The look on RJ’s face as she’d come out of the office made more sense now. I could be mad and rail at Coach, which wouldn’t get me anywhere, or I could ask for help. “What do we do?”
The pinched expression left his face, and he nodded like I’d said something right. “The good news is this is all temporary, and you two can plead your case, which I strongly recommend. RJ is a hell of a player, which is why I pushed for her with the athletic director. He saw a chance to repair the program’s reputation, and I wanted her catching for you. Just not…” He made a vague circling motion with his hands. “You know, euphemistically.”
I winced at the reference, but his other words caught my attention. “You pushed for her?”
Coach rubbed a hand through his wiry hair. “How the hell else did you think she got here? Fairy dust? I saw her play at SWU, and they were wasting her. Now,I’mwasting her because you couldn’t resist your urges for five months.”
I got his point, but I didn’t regret one second of the time I’d spent with Riley. She was outside right now, probably freaking out, and I needed to get back to her.
Coach seemed to have the same thought. He nodded at the door. “Don’t miss practice today. The last thing I need is something else to defend to the AD. He’s worried about our reputation. Fix it. Get her back on the field.”
“Yes, sir.” I stopped myself from saying the rest of what was on my mind.
Namely, why the fuck Riley should bear the brunt of the publicity fiasco. I wanted to march down to the athletic director’s office and demand equal treatment, but the sane part of my mind assured me the display wouldn’t have the effect I wanted.
I’d led the team back to the playoffs, but taking out the quarterback along with one of our top receivers would guarantee we’d lose—Williams wasn’t ready to take over. After last year, I’d promised myself I’d put the team first, and I’d failed.
My feelings for Riley threw everything into chaos, but looking back, I could see how my narrow focus on the championship, and my role in our loss, hadn’t exactly been healthy. In the end, football was a game, one I’d dedicated my life to, but it didn’t come close in importance to Riley.
Coach didn’t say anything else as I left, and it took a second to process what I was seeing in the hallway. Or rather, what I wasn’t seeing.
The chairs were empty.
“Riley?”
No one answered, and I felt like an ass yelling down the hallway. I’d driven us here, so she didn’t have a car. Normally, I’d assume she went down to the weight room, but suspended players couldn’t work out with the team.
I didn’t think the restriction would stop her, but she’d barely been holding herself together. Riley would never risk losing her shit in front of the team, especially not after the damn stories about us circling the internet.
She’d cling to her armor with everything she had—showing nothing but strength—until she was in a safe spot to let it go. Why wouldn’t she wait for me?