Page 155 of Call the Shots
“Yeah, Marrs fucked up,” I chuckled.
“It’s not like we didn’t tell them,” June remarked. “How many emails did we send about Vernon?”
“When are the checks coming in?” Denali said. “The guys are ready to celebrate.”
Cleo swallowed. “Marrs is…folding the hockey team.”
We fell silent and my muscles froze, my body cooling all over until the only thing I felt was cold. I searched for a hint that this was a joke. It was a joke—right? It had to be. Because the Gladiators couldn’t bedone. That wasn’t possible. My heart stopped in my chest as I struggled to understand.
“They’ll allow emergency transfers.” Cleo hesitated. “There’s already calls for Montoya. Bear, Boston colleges have expressed interest?—”
“No,” I blurted out. “We can’t leave. We’re a team.”
“We’re not playing together,” Denali mumbled.
“Why are you saying that like it’s set in stone?” I snapped at him. “Take your head out of your ass. We need someone new. Coaches get fired, it happens?—”
Cleo exhaled. “I’ve been advised not to talk to the team, but everyone should speak to a lawyer.”
“I don’t want to sue!” I interjected. “I want to play with my team!”
Cleo’s remark about Boston flew over my head. I didn’t give a shit that they decided I was worthwhile now. My eyes landed on June, devastation hitting me. How could I be half a country away from her? How could I leave her behind?
“We’ll call people,” Denali urged. “We’ll fill their voicemail boxes.”
“Sure…” Cleo pursed her lips. “We can try?”
It was quiet and Denali took a deep breath. “What am I supposed to say to them?”
Fuck.
“Can you give us ten minutes before we announce it?” June said softly. When Cleo and Denali left, she moved her chair closer to me, and I shook my head.
“I don’t understand,” I said. “We wouldn’t have won with Vernon. What else were we supposed to do?”
“Hey, hey…” June wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down for a hug. I buried my face in the crook of her neck, overwhelmed by the disappointment. Overwhelmed by the realization that I’d have to say goodbye to her.
“We did everything we could,” I kept repeating, my voice hollow. “I don’t understand.”
She ran her fingers through my hair. “I know, Bear. I know.”
Everyone filedinto the meeting room, still in good spirits until they caught our mood. I sat in my chair, chin in my hand, my eyes on June. I only had a limited amount of time to look at her.
Fuck. That hurt.
When the door closed, Denali broke the news, and the team was quiet. A couple of people started to talk but they were empty words before we lapsed into the same silence I’d settled into.
“So what’s next?” Sully pushed.
Denali rubbed the back of his neck. “We’ll look at transfer paperwork?—”
“No, what’s next for the Gladiators?”
“We won’t play together?” Montoya’s voice cracked. “Not one game?”
“Cleo’s printing a list of numbers to call,” Denali said slowly. “We’ll…make a petition, go to their offices, jam their phone lines…”
“This is fucking bullshit!” Sully shoved out of his chair. He was usually so calm, more of a jokester, and it took everyone by surprise. “We need to find a coach!”
