Page 106 of Wildcat
He pulls into the driveway and stops. “Do you want me to stay until he gets here?”
“No.” I open the door, then remember I don’t have a key or the alarm code. “Except I can’t get in. I don’t have—”
“A key.” He nods, picks up his phone, and within a few seconds, Ash is coming across the street shirtless and shoeless.
“What the hell happened?” Ash looks from me to Declan for answers.
“Let’s get her inside, first,” Declan says. Ash lets me in and disables the alarm. I’ve never seen Ash so scared, and it makes me more anxious.
Declan fills him in, leaving out the worst of it. The things Antonio said were awful.
“Fuck.” Ash runs a hand through his hair. “First he lost his captain position, now this?”
“What?” I interrupt them. “He lost the A?”
A new kind of anguish settles in the pit of my stomach.
Declan’s expression tells me it’s true, and I couldn’t feel any lower. Being alternate captain meant so much to him. I think I’m going to be sick.
“When?” I look to them for an answer.
Ash answers quietly, “Today.”
I squeeze my eyes shut to force the pain and tears back. He lost his A, and now he’s in jail. Both because of me.
37
MY MASTERPIECE
LEO
I’ve never been sohappy to be home. Jack stops the car in the driveway and gives me that captain look that says I’m about to get a pep talk. I’m too tired to fight it.
“Did you hurt your hand?” he asks.
My right hand cradles the busted knuckles of my left. I extend my fingers and then make a fist. “No. I’m good.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m fucking sure,” I snap, then apologize. “Sorry. It’s been a long fucking night. I’m good. Thank you for being there, but I just want to go in and see my girl.”
He nods. I can tell he wants to say more, but he doesn’t.
I open the car door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Light from the TV streams into the living room. Ash is in the recliner, and Scarlett is curled up on the couch. He sees me first and stands.
“Finally.” He comes forward and hugs me, squeezing all the air out of my lungs. “All good? Did you get the charges dropped? Have you talked to Daria or Coach?”
“Everything is fine. Let’s talk in the morning, yeah?” I ask as he pulls back. Scarlett sits up but doesn’t move toward me.
“Of course.” He looks between my girl and me. “Call me when you get up.”
“I’ll meet you out front for our run at five,” I tell him.
“Oh. Okay. Yeah. See you then.” He gives me a two-finger salute.
Only when he’s out the door does Scarlett stand. I kick off my shoes and pull off my T-shirt. I feel dirty from spending the past two hours at the police station, stewing in disappointment and potential battery charges.
