Page 109 of The Pass Protection
“EAGLES!” The roar echoes off the walls, vibrating the air around us. Gripping my helmet in my hand, I turn and am met with Harris standing in my face. He reaches a hand out to stop Grant from moving past us.
“You two work out your shit, or don’t bother coming back out. I’m done with your bullshit affecting my team.”
Grant’s shoulders stiffen as he stares at Harris’s hand pressing into his chest. The tension is palpable as Harris leaves the two of us, and everyone else funnels through the locker room. With one last glance, Coach Campbell leaves the locker room with a raised eyebrow and a shake of his head.
“Look, man,” I start while Grant flinches at my voice. “I love her.”
His molars grind together, and I’m surprised one doesn’t crack because of how tense he’s squeezing his jaw shut. As much as I love Bret, it’s time I put it all on the line. I should have fought harder from the beginning to give him a heads-up.
He deserved that as one of my closest friends and a person I look up to. I should have respected him more. As awkward as it is to have a conversation about my relationship with my difficulty with words,it’s the only way we can try to move on. It’s time for a discussion with Grant—a brother to a brother.
“You’re her brother, and you want what’s best for her. I get it. I have a little sister, too. I know she was supposed to be off-limits, but she’s never been a game to me. She’s been through hell, and I’m not here to cause her any more pain. In fact, if I could take it all away for her, I would. She’s it for me. Me, her, us, that’s all I want.”
I watch as he stares through me from where he stands opposite me. When I think the conversation will only be one-sided, he speaks up. “It’s been four days, and I can’t figure out why I’m so mad at you.”
His blatant honesty takes me aback—shocked by his admission and his unexplained anger.
“Watching over Bret has always been my job. Growing up, my dad taught me the importance of being a big brother and how it was my duty to protect my little sister. From a young age, we’ve always been close. We played together, we fought together, we enjoyed each other. She was my first friend, my best friend.
“The more we traveled, the more our bond grew. She was the one constant I could count on in a life full of uncertainty. She was always there for me, just like I was there for her. As she started getting older, the protectiveness only intensified, especially when we got to high school, and I was surrounded by horny classmates who only wanted to fuck their way through school. And when I started hearing my sister’s name come out of those douchebags’ mouths, the more I wanted to guard her from the fuckboys who would only use her, lose her, and destroy her. Bret’s always had a tough exterior, but her heart is too good to be hardened. She loves hard and is incredibly sensitive.”
He pauses, taking a few deep breaths, and runs his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair. “You’re exactly the type of guy who deserves my sister’s love. You’re loyal, care deeply, and protect the people you loveby always putting their needs before yours. I’ve watched it on the field, with your family, and how you interact with strangers.”
An onslaught of emotions comes over me as I feel a lump growing in my chest. With a fist, I rub circles over the spot near my heart.
“For the past three years, you have been a part of my life, a little brother I never had. I know I’m a grumpy fuck, but deep down, I’m just as sensitive as Bret.” He pauses, pointing a finger at me. “And if you tell anyone that, I’ll punch you again.”
I huff out a laugh as he continues. “I think it hurt that you didn’t respect me enough to come have this conversation man to man, friend to friend,brothertobrother.It made me question if you were the good person I’ve always held you to be, and then I questioned if you were good enough for my sister.”
“Fuck, Grant. I wanted to, but Bret was afraid. She begged me not to, and I don’t keep secrets and lie to my family. But I promise you, I’ll never hurt her. Hell, it has almost killed me this week seeing her so torn up over everything. Not to mention the fucker who’s been terrorizing her life. You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to track him down and end him.”
A sarcastic chortle leaves his lips. “Yeah, I haveno ideahow badly you want to end him. Of course I do. She’s the person I promised to protect, and I feel like I failed her. When she told me everything she’s been through in the past year, the guilt I have for not pressing the issue last year is eating me alive.”
I nod as I reach my hand out and wait for him to take it. “Are we good?”
“We’re good, Riggsby.” He grips my hand before pulling me in for a hug. As he claps my back, he whispers, “But if you hurt her, I’ll endyou.”
The two of us run out of the locker room, through the tiled hallway and tunnel, as we make it out on the field with twelve seconds remaining before the start of the second half. Harris finds us first, his face stoic as he takes in the two of us.
“You two dickheads finally work your shit out?”
Grant nudges my shoulder as he places his helmet on his head. “Yeah, we’re good.”
It’s like whiplash watching Grant’s moods. Long gone is the sensitive, vulnerable man from the locker room. Grumpy Grant is firmly in place.
“Thank fuck. Let’s go win back this game.”
And win back the conference championship game is what we do.
“Woo-hoo!” Harris screams as he jumps on my shoulders. “We’re back, baby!”
The spark that feeds the electricity between the team was ignited. The passion and excitement are back, and it feels damn good. For the last twenty-nine minutes and thirty-six seconds, we’ve worked our asses off as we fought tooth and nail to take control of the game.
With the touchdown throw Harris just threw me, we’ve taken a thirty-one to twenty-seven lead. With the momentum shift on offense, our defense has mirrored our enthusiasm. Now, all our defense has to do is keep the Jaguars from scoring in the last twenty-four seconds.
As the clock hits zero, multicolored confetti rains down from the ceiling as our marching band starts playing the fight song. After a rocky start, we persevered and came out on top. As wonderful as the high is from winning the game, a weight has been lifted after the conversation with Grant. We celebrate our win on the field for the next thirty minutes as the conference commissioner presents our team with the championship trophy.
Freshly showered, water droplets drip from my hair as I climb the steps to the charter bus waiting outside the stadium to take us to our hotel. Sliding out my phone, I’m met with several notifications.
