Page 48 of The Game

Damn, I was seconds away from telling her I loved her and now… Now. Nothing. Shit. I slam the metal door, and it rattles in the frame.

Several of the guys hear us and turn to stare. Great. This is why I don’t do this. Everyone’s going to be ass-deep in my business. I’m a fucking pansy-ass pussy who can’t keep a woman.

“If everything was great, what went wrong?”

“She kicked me out.” I lean against the locker with a thud.

“Kicked you out?” His eyes narrow, and he gawks like I said something that doesn’t compute. Reset. Malfunction.

Ain’t that the fucking truth. It doesn’t make any sense. How could she not feel the connection between us? “Yes, she kicked me out.”

“What the fuck, dude?” He claps me on the shoulder. “I didn’t see that coming. I thought she was a great girl. There was a real spark between the two of you.”

“More like a bomb detonating.”

“Are you going to be okay?” He drops his hand to his side and studies me with concern.

/> The other guys turn, and the din in the room returns to normal. The steady sounds of fifty to sixty dudes talking shit and radios blasting a cacophony of different types of music is comforting.

“Yeah, man.” I shrug. “I’ll be fine. I’ve spent years practicing. I can do this on autopilot.”

He snorts and rolls his eyes. “Not on the field. I know you’ve got that shit covered. I meant you as a person. Are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, sure. I’ll walk it off. She’s just another piece of ass.” I press my lips together. “Maybe when we’re out of town next week, I’ll have one of the guys hook me up with one of their sure things.”

“Hey, that’s a great idea.” Devin ambles up to us and punches me in the upper arm. “We’ll hit the bar and find a willing lady. Hell, you could probably pull off a couple in a night.”

“Sure. Why not?” I grimace.

“Now, you’re talking.” He laughs and smacks my chest.

“Gunner.” Tony glares at me.

“What?” I raise my eyebrows and give him a pointed look.

“Shouldn’t you at least find out what went wrong?”

“I know what went wrong. I thought with my heart and not my dick. I won’t make that same mistake again.” When my cellphone chirps, I glance down. “Gotta go. Veronica’s got my uniform.”

I spin on my heel and run into Dillon. “Sorry, man.” I keep going without waiting to see if he accepts my apology. The need to be alone is filling my entire body with anxiety. My skin is so tight, it’s like someone is scraping a fork over a dinner plate.

Don’t think about Dani. I need to forget everything and surround myself in football. Once the game is over, I can go home and drink until I pass out. I need annihilation.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Dani

For the tenth time since getting into my car, I regret not telling my parents I’m dying. Ashley has chatted non-stop about some dress she saw online the night before, and I don’t have the energy to respond.

The second Gunner’s phone rang, my entire future crashed and burned. How could I be irresponsible enough not to set the alarm? If he gets sidelined, I’ll never forgive myself.

My head pounds as if some little dude has crawled inside it and is pounding on a bass drum. I yank open the console and dig until my fingers knock into a plastic container. The welcome sound of rattling pills washes over me. Thank God. If I don’t quell this now, I’m going to explode like an overboiled egg.

“Shit.” Ashley’s eyes narrow into tiny slits. “What’s wrong with you? I figured you were being quiet due to being up all night getting boned. But you look like shit smashed on the bottom of someone’s shoe.”

I shudder and swallow. “Thank you for the visual.” Fuck. Don’t throw up. I’ve never had a migraine before, but I understand how it causes people to hole up in their room with a pillow over their head.

“What is wrong with you? Are you sick?” She cocks her head to the side.

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