Page 120 of Racing Heat

He sighs and shakes his head. “I can’t bring her back. I’m sorry. I wish we could. But my hands are tied.”

“Did your dad make the decision?” Hendrix folds her arms across her chest and glares at him.

“No, he didn’t. That was all me.”

“Legal?” she challenges.

“No. But I’m sure they would be in agreement with what I had to do.”

I sigh. “Come on. We don’t have another midfielder with her speed. It’s definitely something we’re missing during the games. She made a huge impact on the team in that short time she’s been with us. You have to look at this as an opportunity and not as bending on a decision that you made.”

I hope that helps him, because I’m not sure if this is more about his ego or looking weak to the organization.

“Has Nate talked to you at all about what’s lacking on the field?” I ask.

He nods. “He has mentioned that she left a hole in the team, but he promised me that he’d work to fix the problem.”

“And I’m sure he will,” Hendrix says. “But there’s a much easier fix that will keep us in playoff contention. If we keep losing games, we’re going to keep losing ground. We need to strike while the iron is hot.”

“What are you even saying?” August asks with a laugh.

Hendrix glares. “I don’t knowthisAugust very well. I’m trying to appeal to whatever it is you’re like these days.”

August shakes his head and smiles tightly. “Please stop.”

Hendrix chuckles. “Sir, yes, sir.”

“Okay, I think we’re getting off track here,” I chime in. “I just want to make sure we have the best possible chances for the playoffs and a successful team. And that includes Cassie, whether you like it or not.”

“You just want your girlfriend back on the team,” he replies. “Are you two still seeing each other?”

I nod. “We are.”

He shakes his head. “I can’t bring her back then. That’s a non-starter, and you of all people should know why. Please don’t make this harder on me than it already has been.”

“Look, I get it. I know we’ve made a mess of things, but I’m trying to do what’s best for everyone here, and I think that includes bringing her back. This team hasn’t been as great about drawing boundaries as you think it has.” I hate taking this approach with him; It feels sleazy. But I’m not above the low blow in order to bring Cassie back. “You hang out with us all the time, drinking and having fun. Things could so easily escalate with the amount of alcohol we all consume. How many times have you picked up the bar tab? I’m sure the Blaze wouldn’t be too thrilled with that either.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Really? You’re taking this approach?”

“That’s how bad we want her back,” Hendrix chimes in. “And you and I don’t exactly have a clean history.”

He tenses at the mention of it. “I wasn’t the one who brought you here. My father found you and wanted you for the team. To be honest, I’m not sure if he remembers that we had something all those years ago. Otherwise, you might not be here either. He was none too pleased with all the distractions that year.”

I look over and see Hendrix flinch. Being called a distraction seems to have gone over like a gut punch. But she recovers quickly.

“Be that as it may, August, does he know that you hang out with us? Does he know that we’re your only friends and that you’ve already blurred some lines? Come on, you want this team to be great, well, so do we. So, get your balls out of your pocket and just bring her back. You and I both know she’s our best shot at winning again. Her and Mac’s chemistry is unmatched out there. That’s the reason you chose two players who have been playing together for the last four years. If this truly is your team, then make decisions that you want to make, not what you think your father would want, or else you’ll always be living in his shadow.”

“Guys, I wish I could help—” he begins.

“That’s just it, August, you can help,” I tell him. “She didn’t deserve that. I’m a dime a dozen, and you know that. Besides, how does it look? The man keeps his job and the woman gets punished. She could so easily say I pursued her, and she was the victim. That wouldn’t look good if she sued the brand-new NWSL team owner, would it?”

“Fuck, what are you doing to me, man? I thought we were friends. This is a shitty way to go about things.”

“Yeah, we are. But in that meeting, I didn’t have much of a say. And I was more shocked than anything. So, what do you say, August? Wanna make it right?” I hope I haven’t overplayed my hand here.

August leans forward, placing his elbow on his knees as he hangs his head low. I think we have may have gotten him—or really pissed him off. Hendrix and I remain silent, waiting to see how this is going to go over.

“How would it look if we brought her back, though?” he says. “The optics aren’t great.”