Page 68 of Go Deep (A Bad Boy Sports Romance)
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Slade
The SEC Championship Gamehad arrived and Slade “Slaughter” Clark was in the house, playing like a boss.
Damn, we were so close, and it felt sweet to be here, but it wasn’t as great, knowing I’d let Cassidy slip through my fingers. She didn’t so much as glance my way all afternoon. After her little tirade at practice yesterday, and after sending her a slew of text messages without getting one reply, I left well enough alone and focused on my date with destiny. I didn’t think we’d get to where emotions would get in the way. I’d managed to stay far from that girlfriend-boyfriend crap all through college. Feelings only complicated things and made people say and do stupid shit. Like right now, thinking about her when I had a game to win.
There were scouts in the audience, and all of them were watching me. They were here to make sure I was NFL-ready. Maybe Evan too, and one or two other players from the opposing team. We had all set our sights on making it big after graduation, and this game would help them decide how badly they wanted us, long before the NFL Draft come spring. It was obvious out here on the field that we were all hungry, so close we could taste success.
The game was close too. It was back and forth all afternoon. We would score. Then, they’d score. Then, we’d score again. They’d follow up with another. That didn’t mean we were playing a high scoring game. Both our defensive lines were badass today. My boy Chris ’Texas’ James was an asset as cornerback. He was shining like the Texas lone star that he was. Those boys we were fighting against were playing hard, too. Any scores up on the board were earned with sweat, pain and hard work.
I got sacked three times in the second half. It wasn’t pretty, and I sure didn’t feel pretty, getting knocked around by giants as big as I was, from the other side. Close to the end of the game on the last play, my team was down. We needed the touchdown and an extra point to win, mostly because both our teams were that good.
We had run my favorite play of the season, that good old run and gun that kept getting us out of trouble, but tonight, it wasn’t enough. We were predictable now, and our opponents would not dare give us an opening. I needed one, bad. I wasn’t a runner, and I didn’t like having to do it. Nobody liked watching the quarterback run unless absolutely necessary. But they were closing in on me and keeping my boys covered.
I wanted to be the star tonight, but if I had tried that sorry ass play we’d be done for. They were tight on Evan, but my boy could pull it off. I had to trust that he wanted this just as much as I did.
“Fuck it,” I said, and I turned to Chris to give him a fake signal so our opponents wouldn’t know what I was up to. Then I made the signal for Evan to go deep.
I threw the ball to Evan. He caught it and he was gone. He ran, ducked, weaved and even bounded over opponent shoulders. The man had eyes on the back of his head, grit in his eyes and was not going to let anyone stop him. He ran hard for the goal line, knowing this was the only chance we had to win this game. Everyone in the stadium, from the coaches and staff to the players and the cheerleaders, to the fans, scouts, and agents in the stands, they were all watching him.
And they watched him score the winning touchdown, setting us all up for the extra point and winning the SEC Championship. I couldn’t think of a better way to wrap it up, having only lost one game all season. He was good. He was damn good. Tonight Evan was the hero, but after the game a few guys in suits came up to me, handing me their cards and giving me the sign to call them. Hell I knew them all by name and could probably call their phone numbers from memory long before they’d shown up tonight.
“Good job.”
“Great season, Slaughter.”
“Give me a call. We’ll talk.”
“Looking good, son.”
There were people all around us. Cameras were flashing, reporters were asking questions, and our opponents were smacking my pads as they all went by. This was the stuff I’d remember years from now. Evan was a clown as usual. He pulled aRockyand yelled out, “Yo, Adrian!” for the cameras. When they got to me, I had to tone the shit down, opting for safe and typical lines that everyone expected of us.
“Both teams played a great game tonight.”
“I couldn’t do it without the rest of my team.”
“They gave us a run for our money.”
“It’s been a great season, and we owe our success to working and playing hard as a team, and to our wonderful coaches.”
“We couldn’t do it without Louisiana.”
They ate that shit it up.
After a few minutes I took a step back and let the Coach take over. I tried to keep an eye out for Cassidy while the crowd of gawkers followed me. Soon they headed back to their tailgate parties and bars to celebrate, while I looked for the one person I wanted beside me to share in our victory. She and all the cheerleaders had already gone back to change.
I hurried into the players’ locker room. Everyone was still cheering and yelling around Evan, who came up and smacked my pads. “Nice move, man. Thanks for having faith in me this time, dude.”
“Teamwork, brother. That’s what it’s about.”
I got out of my gear and took a shower. The rest of the night was already planned for the entire team. Even the coach would be at the street party organized by the campus. I would get there eventually, but right now I had somewhere else to be. Dammit, I was going to win her back. If I could take my team through an almost undefeated season, I could win back my girl. Not having her was as pitiful as not winning.
I got dressed and tried to leave but Tre and Mo saw me, then hollered out to Chad and Evan, and pretty soon the team was around us.
“This ain’t the night to try and sneak off,” Tre said.
“We’re not having it,” Mo added. “No, sir. We won as a team and we’re gonna party like a fucking team!”
