Page 84 of Racing Heat

“I guess so, yeah.” I try to keep my response light and vague.

This is one of the things that’s been nagging on me the past three days. Ialwaystell Mac everything. Keeping this secret from her is harder than I thought it’d be. He put me on such a high with that kiss before the game that I wanted to run right to her and say, “Guess what?” But I can’t.

I’d get fired.

He’d get fired.

He’d go back to Manchester.

It’s enough to make me spiral and add to my mood.

“Hey, earth to Cas.” Mac stops me by putting her hand on my arm. “Did you hear me?”

“Oh, what? Sorry, I didn’t. I was off in another world, I guess.”

“You sure were. Where did you go?” Her brow furrows as she studies me like she’s trying to read my facial expression for the answer.

I shrug it off. “Sorry, I guess I’m still in my head. What were you saying?” It eats away another piece of me. Something I have to keep from her.

“I was just saying that Danny was thinking of having everyone over tonight, but with the loss, I don’t know.”

“Yeah, I don’t know,” I reply. I would rather head to Jase’s and just spend time with him. Especially since I pretty much ghosted him for a few days.

In the locker room, Coach Andie is speaking, going over the same things Jase has had already said to me. I look around and see everyone is hanging their head. The loss is weighing heavily on everyone. Maybe this will be a good thing. This is how we learn.

“Alright, Coach Ford will now speak,” Andie says.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. He’s behind me, I know it. His voice coming from behind me confirms it.

“The loss sucks and we all know that. I’m not telling anyone anything that you don’t already know. I can see it on your downtrodden faces. But we cannot let this loss define us. You have to remember that we’re playoff bound. We’re going to see those playoffs, and we’re going to win some games and even lose some.”

I turn around to face him. Most coaches don’t talk about the losses in their pep talks. It’s intrigues me.

He looks at me for a beat before continuing. “But that’s okay. Because we’re a new team. We’re the team no one wanted to believe in or even back. Hell, we even had some pretty questionable press.” That remark is met with laughs, and I squeeze Mac’s hand. We all know he means Danny. “But here we are, defying the odds. We’re going to have our missteps and that’s okay. I believe in this team. I believe in all of you. Now, let’s pick our heads up and say on to the next.”

He looks around the room several times before yelling, “Say it with me: on to the next.”

The whole room erupts with a chorus of “On to the next.”

“I think Coach Jase has said it all,” Coach Watts addresses the group. “We’ll take Saturday off, but I want to see everyone in the gym on Sunday for our group lift. If you need anything like ice baths or stretches, please see the trainer.”

“Trainer isn’t here, Coach,” one of the girls calls. I’m not sure from where, but I can tell it was from behind Coach.

“Great. Well, hopefully the new one Mr. Cromwell promised me starts soon.”

“Where is Lucas?” I ask Mac.

“Sick, I think,” she says with a shrug. “Cary’s already quit. I only saw him a handful of times, so I have no idea what he even looks like for sure.”

I shake my head. “Would be nice ifsomeonewere here on game day.”

“Lucas would be but…”

“Yeah, I know. So, what are you up to tonight? Time with Danny or just hanging out at home?”

She grins at me. “I think I’m going to hang out with Danny. What about you? What will you do?”

“Probably just turn on a movie or something at home and relax. I could use a night in,” I tell her.