Page 47 of Red Card (Prescott University #1)

Rory

E veryone, be strong. Remember, his bark is way worse than his bite. Right, Michaels?” Hollis mumbles in a hushed whisper from beside Wren, and I have to cover my mouth in order to stop my giggle from bursting free.

Wren nods, feigning a way too nonchalant shrug, “Yeah, for sure. Totally.” I watch his throat bob in a swallow as he looks around nervously. He glances down at me with wide eyes. “Fuck that. Rory, I’m scared. Hold me.”

“Jesus, Wren, where the fuck are your balls. We do not have time for this right now. Get. It. Together ,” Fitz whisper yells as he shoulders his way between the both of them.

“Look, this is going to work, and if it doesn’t then you know what…

we pivot. Always fucking pivot. We do whatever we have to do to make sure that Cillian stays, right? ”

Great, now I’m going to cry.

My heart flutters as my eyes burn with unshed tears taking in the scene in front of me.

When Fitz said he had an idea, I truly had no clue what it would be.

I’d already spent the entire night racking my brain over and over trying to figure out what we could do to prove Cillian’s innocence.

And came up completely blank. I felt totally useless and helpless at the same time.

Turns out the idea Fitz has was the least complicated of all the things I thought of, and yet somehow the most important. The most impactful.

He texted everyone on the team and told them to rally for Cillian. To show up at my dad’s office and all vouch for the newest member of the team. Demand a retest. Do whatever it takes to keep him on the team.

And even if that failed, which there was a huge possibility that it would, Cillian would still see how many people love and care about him. How his teammates want him here. That they will go to bat for him even after the rocky start.

Most of all, he gets to see these guys show up as his family. And know that no matter what, they’ll be here.

Everyone from the team showed up. Aside from Ezra and Brooks. It makes me sad and disappointed, but I don’t have the time or energy to focus on the people who didn’t show up. Instead, I’m going to focus on the ones who did.

Cillian’s hand slips into mine, giving me a tight, reassuring squeeze. So much comfort in a single touch, when really I should be the one comforting him. He’s steadfast and strong not only for me but also Aisling. The team.

I want to be the same for him.

The door of the athletic building bursts open and my dad steps out, his hands shoved in his pants pockets, eyes roving over the crowd of his waiting players. “What’s going on?” When he sees me standing with the guys, his expression shifts slightly, confusion marring his face.

Fitz steps forward with his chin raised and a flare of determination in his eyes. I’ve never been prouder of my best friend than I am at this moment.

“Coach, we’re here today because we want to stand with Cillian.

He says he’s not on drugs, and we all believe him.

I know what the test said. We all do. And we all think it’s wrong.

That there has to be an explanation. It’s a false positive, or a faulty test, something.

You’ve always told us to have each other’s backs and stand together, no matter what.

That our team is more than just rugby, that we’re a family.

That means more now than it ever has. He’s part of our family, and we have to fight for him. ”

Even if I wanted to stop the tears from falling, I couldn’t. I am so incredibly proud to be a part of this family. For these guys to be my best friends.

“We’re not leaving. Not till you agree to retest Cillian.

To investigate whatever is going on. Even if we have to run.

Even if you have to bench us. Right, guys?

” Fitz says loudly, looking around at his teammates.

I watch as they all nod, a sea of agreement passing between them. “Cillian is one of us.”

I can hardly breathe while waiting for Dad to speak. To say anything at all.

Silence permeates the air, heavy and tense, and for a full torturous minute, he says nothing. Not a single word. He just drags his gaze over his players, jaw working, hands still stuffed into the pockets of his slacks.

“Shit,” I hear Wren whisper, furthering my panic.

“Guys,” Dad starts, finally, freaking finally speaking.

“I’m touched by this show of support for Cillian.

Truly, I am. All I have wanted from the moment that he got here was for him to be a part of this team.

A part of our family. So seeing this today has touched me in a way that I’ve never experienced in all the years that I’ve coached rugby.

It speaks volumes for your loyalty and respect for him.

I appreciate it, and I wish that it would change the outcome.

My hands are tied. I’m sorry. I truly am. ”

My heart sinks. All the way to the floor.

I knew this was a possibility; I knew there was a chance our presence would make no difference.

But I was wholly unprepared for how badly it would actually hurt.

“I’m sorry,” Dad repeats, his voice low and full of remorse.

Part of me is also hurting for my dad because I know this is not easy for him, and that his position is impossible, but it doesn’t help make this any better.

“Am I too late?” An out of breath voice sounds to the right, and we all turn to see Brooks standing there, cheeks red from exertion, panting as if he’s been running.

“I mean sort of, y—” Hollis starts, but Brooks cuts him off, turning to Dad. “Coach. I need to talk to you. It’s important and it can’t wait. Um… Cillian too.”

What in the hell is going on?

“My office. Now.”

I’m not entirely sure that I should be here, but Cillian insisted I join them. I know it’s so he doesn’t have to face this alone. Of course I said yes because right now, I just want to be here for him.

We all file into Dad’s office, and the door creaks loudly as he shuts it behind us.

While Cillian takes a seat in the leather chair in front of his desk, I hang back, leaning against the bookcase and cross my ankles, fingers curled around the edge of a shelf.

“What’s going on, Brooks? Talk to me,” Dad says quietly.

Brooks paces along the small space in front of the door, running his hand over the back of the dark blond hair along his neck before he finally comes to a stop, a frantic edge to his words as he begins to speak.

“Ezra came to me last night. He was boasting about something he’d done, and he thought I’d be on board with it I guess because of the circumstances, but…

I’m not. I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a piece of shit,” he says, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.

“Brooks, I’m sorry I’m not following. What’s going on? What did he do?”

He hesitates, opening his mouth, then snapping it shut before he flops down into another leather chair in front of the desk and drops his head into his hands, running his fingers through his hair roughly.

Unease shoots down my spine, a tight knot twisting in the pit of my stomach. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so on edge in all the years I’ve known him and that makes my anxiety spike.

Hesitation flickers in his gaze. “Ezra has been putting Adderall in Cillian’s water bottle before practice this week. That’s why he failed the piss test.”

I sway on my feet, only remaining upright because of my white-knuckled grip on the bookshelf.

Oh my God.

I bring my hand to my mouth to cover the shocked gasp that threatens to fly out of me.

As painful as it is to hear, a staggering sense of relief flows through me.

The truth.

It’ll set Cillian free.

Brooks groans, his shoulders falling. “Ezra’s my best friend, but fuck…

sorry, Coach. I just… I can’t be responsible for someone’s whole life being taken away.

” Lifting his head, his shoulders still hunched in defeat, his eyes flick to Cillian.

“I might not be your biggest fan, but this is just too far. I haven’t been able to sleep.

I can’t fucking eat. My stomach’s in knots since he told me. ”

He looks back at Dad. “I should’ve said something as soon as I found out, and I’m sorry. I really am. I know that telling you is the right thing, but I’m going to lose my best friend for doing this. It’ll ruin his entire rugby career. He’ll be expelled too, and I’ll be responsible for that.”

God, how the hell could Ezra do this?

I’m just so angry, so in absolute disbelief that this is happening, I can’t even properly process the emotions running through me right now.

Ezra nearly ruined Cillian’s life by drugging him. And now Brooks has to ruin Ezra’s by turning him in.

Dad shakes his head, that vein in his neck bulging.

“Son, if this is the truth, then you’re not responsible for anything.

No one is responsible for someone else’s decisions, and that is a decision that he made.

A stupid, reckless decision. The only person you are responsible for is yourself .

You can’t bear the weight of Ezra’s bad judgment. ”

I can’t stop looking at Cillian, my hands aching from the need to reach for him.

To make sure he’s okay. He’s completely still, his hands curved around the arm of the chair, his knuckles white.

The expression on his face surprisingly blank despite what I know is probably happening inside him right now.

I know there’s probably a small part of him that’s relieved we have answers for what happened, but there’s probably an even larger part of him that is so angry he’s seeing red.

Despite that, he keeps cool, his jaw grinding together as he keeps his gaze pinned on Brooks before moving it back to Dad.

Brooks finally nods, running another hand through his hair and tugging on the strands. “We’ve been best friends since third grade , Coach.”

I understand where Brooks is coming from, I really do. I can’t imagine having to be put in a position where you have to betray someone you love, someone so important to you. But this is not something you can just pretend you didn’t hear and move on from.

Keeping quiet would have meant ruining Cillian’s life, after he’s fought so hard to be here, and it makes me physically sick to know that Ezra’s responsible for it.

His teammate.

Someone I trusted.

“Why did he do it, Brooks?” I say quietly, speaking for the first time from behind them.

He doesn’t even turn to look at me, instead hanging his head in his hands once more.

“Because he hates him. He hates that Cillian is a better player than he is and that he feels like competition to him. He was proud as fuck that he did it too. That he finally got him off the team. But drugging him and destroying his whole life? That’s fucking crazy, Rory. ”

It’s not crazy, it’s absolute psychopath behavior and he needs to be arrested for it.

I exhale shakily.

“What’s going to happen now, Coach?” Brooks asks, his voice barely above a whisper. “I know I’m the captain, and I need to own up to all of this, but my head is just a mess.”

All of this is such a horrific mess.

Dad sits back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his tense jaw, his eyes hard as he sighs. “Well, I’ve got to contact the NCAA and the authorities. What Ezra’s done can’t be swept under the rug, Brooks. He committed a crime, and he’s got to answer for that.”

Brooks doesn’t immediately respond, the creased space between his brow furrowing deeper, like the thought of Ezra facing consequences outside of Prescott hadn’t yet crossed his mind.

There’s no doubt in my mind that my dad is going to do whatever he can to make this right. I truly can’t imagine being in his shoes right now.

Part of me can’t even believe that Ezra would do this. I’m shocked. That he would stoop so low and be so desperate to get rid of Cillian that he would do something criminal . I would’ve never seen this coming. Not in a million years.

I knew they had some tension between them, but I didn’t realize that Ezra hated him.

It makes me wonder what other low, fucked-up things he has done that we’re none the wiser to.

“I know,” Brooks finally says with a slight tremble to his voice. “It fucking sucks, but what he did wasn’t right and I can’t stand behind it.”

“You did the right thing, Brooks. Even if it might not feel like it right now. No one deserves to have their future stolen from them. I know Ezra is like your brother, but that’s what a true captain does.

They do the right thing, even if it’s hard.

You’re doing the right thing, even when it’s hard,” Dad says quietly.

He nods silently.

“I’m sure the NCAA is going to ask for a statement, as well as the police.

And the president of Prescott. I need to make some phone calls and start to get this under control before it’s leaked to the press,” Dad says, eyes running over all of us.

“Brooks, I’ll be in touch with you soon.

I need some time to get this handled. Get some sleep and keep your phone by you.

Please don’t talk about this with anyone. ”

“I won’t,” he says, rising from his seat. I think he’s going to make a beeline for the door, but he pauses in front of Cillian, staring down at him. “I’m sorry I didn’t call last night. I know you probably don’t give a shit, and I don’t blame you, but for what it’s worth… I am sorry.”

Cillian’s jaw clenches, but he nods, saying nothing in return.

When the door shuts behind Brooks, my dad looks at Cillian. “I’m sorry as well, Cillian. It might not mean much right now, but I will make this right. I promise you.”