[18+] ENEMIES TO LOVERS SPORTS ROMANCE.
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Hannah Walker doesn't trust anyone, especially men.
They're manipulative and toxic - her lousy ex taught her that lesson well.
Enter Tristan Beckett, the embodiment of everything she despises. He's arr...
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Closing my locker with a heavy sigh, I reached up to push my damp hair away from my face.
We'd won.
Not that I had contributed anything to that win. This time my teammates did all the heavy lifting. I'd been benched, and replaced by Owen, our backup quarterback. Sure, it was my call to make the switch, but it still left a foul taste in my mouth, like a bitter reminder of failure.
Coach Clark had stayed quiet as we watched the game unfold, giving no indication that he'd seen me beside him. When the final whistle blew and the team erupted into celebrations, he turned to me, and said, "No one can operate at a hundred percent all the time. We all go through rough patches, but it's about how you deal with those hard times that's the true test. You made the right call with Owen today."
And then he walked away, leaving me to consider what he meant by that. I was struck by his approval over my decision — I'd been certain he was gonna give me an ass chewing for my shitty playing during the first half of the game, and also for the past week.
Because this last week had been hell.
The lack of sleep was taking its toll and really affecting my game on the field. I had no choice but to step back and let my teammates take the lead. Tate, as my co-captain, took it upon himself to shoulder some of my responsibilities, and wouldn't accept any of my protests.
In the beginning, it pissed me off — this shift in dynamic — and I resisted as much as possible. But exhaustion had a way of draining the fight from you, and I begrudgingly relented, acknowledging the burden that had been lifted from my shoulders. Well, only to be replaced by the weight of my guilt over feeling like I was letting them down by not contributing my part to the team.
For the first time in a long time, I felt lost and unsure of myself.
As the locker room buzzed with post-game chatter, I gathered my belongings, mentally preparing myself for the impending encounter with my parents, particularly my dad. They had been watching from the VIP area, undoubtedly observing my performance with sharp eyes. I knew my dad would have a few things to say about my first-half struggles and subsequent absence in the second half. It was the last thing I wanted to deal with right now, but I couldn't avoid them, especially after they'd driven two hours to support me.
With another sigh, I shook off the thoughts and turned to leave. As I moved towards the exit, Alex, piped up.
"Hey, Captain, you coming to the after party? It's at Diego's." He waggled his eyebrows, a playful grin on his face.
Ryan, coming from behind me, added, "Yeah, we gotta celebrate the win properly, right?"
Before I could respond, Joey Flinnigan interjected, "Nah, he doesn't know why we're celebrating. He was too busy warming up the bench to even notice there was a game on."
The whole team turned their heads to glare at him, a couple of guys telling him to shut up or voicing their disapproval. Matthew, sitting on a bench as he did up his laces, shot him a glare. "Enough, Joey. Show some respect."
