Page 12 of Linebacker
“36-10 to the Browns,” he remarks with a deep sigh, clearly not happy at how the game is going.
“No way,” I grumble as I climb up onto the other side of the bed so I can get a better view of the TV screen. “What the hell? The Steelers should be handing the Browns their arses.” His head snaps around to look at me, his eyebrows almost launching off the top of his head.
“What?” he bellows with amazement. “I thought you said you didn’t watch TV, so how…?”
“I stream it on my phone whenever I get the chance,” I reply. “Although sometimes the quality’s a bit crappy.” I pull the towel from my head and start to run my fingers through my hair to try to tame it without the use of a brush.
“I know you come and watch us practice, but I can’t believe you’re into the NFL.”
“You’ve seen me watching?” This time I’m the one with the amazed expression.
“Sure,” he admits, “don’t worry, the others haven’t seen you. Not yet anyway. So, who’s your team? Other than the Capa’s of course,” he brags giving me a cocky smile. He passes me a chilled bottle of coke from the bedside table.
“The Steelers of course,” I gesture to the TV with the bottle in my hand before I screw off the top and take a long swig.
“Jesus, me too,” he blurts out making me jump and almost spraying out the mouthful of pop. I swallow and cough a little before turning my gaze to him.
“Favourite player?” I ask keeping the conversation going. I like this surprisingly easy banter that’s going on between us and I don’t want it to stop.
“Bush, of course,” he exclaims with a snigger. That makes sense, seeing as Devin Bush is the inside Linebacker for the Steelers. “What about you?” he counters.
“Harris,” I lie because I will not admit that I’m in total agreement with him. Besides, Harris plays offense and not defence like Mars, I mean Bush.
“Yeah, he’s good if you’re into running backs that is,” he teases. “Defence is where it’s at though.”
“Well, you’re bound to say that… Come on ref, are you blind? That was clearly pass interference,” I yell at the screen. “Did you see that?” I turn to Mars asking for his opinion.
“Shit, do you know all the rules?” His expression is a mix of gobsmacked and impressed but for some reason, it gets my hackles up.
“Yep, pretty much, as well as rugby, football, hockey. I do draw the line at cricket though. So fucking boring. Why? Do you think because I’m female that I’ve not got the attributes to do so? Come on Mars, it’s 2021 and we have women commentators.”
“No, it’s just that…”
“It’s just what?” I interrupt him because his assumptions of me are pissing me off. “Being a bitchy cheerleader isn’t the only requirement you need as a woman to follow sport.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It just surprised me that’s all. I didn’t have you down as a sports geek.”
“No, just a geek and therefore the butt of you and your arsehole friends jokes.” I chide back.
“Yeah, about that. Bell is a dick and goes way too far,” he admits with a hint of sadness.
“If you think that, then why do you stand there and let him do it?” I growl back at him. “You never put a stop to it.”
“I did,” he argues. “And I admit, I shouldn’t have waited so long before I spoke up. I should have stood up to him and stopped all this shit months ago.” He seems genuinely regretful. Could he be telling me the truth?
“Jesus!” I pant out when it hits me. “It was you in the hallway when Bell was choking me.” I gasp as I think back to when Bell had lost it with me and had his hands around my throat. “You’re the one that stopped him?”
“God, I’m so sorry,” he says moving up and onto his knees to face me. “I’d already told him that the pranking was getting way out of hand, but Bell being Bell, he just laughed it off. The rest of the team were right behind him. I considered putting distance between me and the team, started hanging back, making excuses to be somewhere else other than when we had practice, but then I thought if I was around when he was doing his crazy shit, I could at least keep an eye on him.” He drops his head, but when he lifts it back up, his eyes pierce mine, all I see is shame and sincerity in them. “I can’t even bear to comprehend what could have happened, how far he would have gone if I hadn’t been there to stop him.”
I swallow deeply, the intensity of his stare makes me want to reach out to him. But I stop myself.
“I’m so sorry, Hope. It’s unforgiveable I know but believe me, I won’t ever forgive myself for being part of it.”
“I still don’t understand,” I shake my head at him. “First, despite Bell being your friend you go against him. Then at the school, you step up against my father, to protect me when it could have backfired and got you into so much trouble.”
“Still could I suppose if they track us down,” he grimaces while running his hand across the back of his neck.
“But why, you don’t owe me anything, unless it’s your guilt driving you.”
