Page 6 of Red Card (Prescott University #1)

Rory

A ll right, spill. What’s going on? You’ve been scarily quiet since we left the party,” Fitz says, looking over at me with his eyebrow raised, gently bumping his shoulder into mine to pull me from my thoughts.

Of course he’s reading me like an open book, because my best friend knows when something’s off. “Talk to me, Ror.”

We’ve been sitting on my couch eating chicken nuggets and watching Parks and Recreation for the last thirty minutes and I haven’t said a word. Mostly because I’m in my feelings about the run in with Carson, and I’m just kind of trying to process all of it.

Plus, talking to Fitz about this is kind of just weird?

Weird in the way of talking about wanting to hook up with guys…

with your brother. I trust Fitz with my life, and I can’t think of a time when he hasn’t been anything but supportive and steadfast when I needed him, but there’s a part of me that is just kind of embarrassed to admit all this out loud, if I’m being honest with myself.

I don’t think he’d understand even if I tried to explain it. Guys like him are used to girls falling at his feet. Perks of being a hot D1A athlete with a stupid amount of charm. Hot objectively speaking because he’s Fitz .

But… still.

“Uh… well something kind of happened tonight?” I mutter quietly, tearing my gaze from the TV and turning to look at him.

“Okay, what happened?”

Scrunching my nose, I shrug. “It’s silly, it’s not even a big deal. It’s stupid, really.”

I’m just permanently friend-zoned beyond my comprehension.

“Hey, don’t say that.” He shakes his head, blue eyes flickering with concern.

“If it’s bothering you then it’s important, Ror.

Period. Which means it’s important to me.

And I’m your best friend; you can talk to me about anything.

You know that.” The sincerity in his voice makes me want to cry a little bit and ultimately is the reason why I break.

In a rush of words that I mumble so fast I’m not sure if he’s even really heard any of them, I recount what happened with Carson, and how incredibly stupid and foolish the entire thing made me feel.

“First of all, fuck that guy. He’s a dick bag, Rory. You want me to fight him?”

“What!? Oh my God, Fitz, no .” His response is a low, raspy chuckle, and I continue, “It was just like embarrassing. I thought that this was finally the moment where a guy, I don’t know…

sees me. For the first time. Me. Not Rory St. James, Coach’s daughter.

Or their bro . Like really sees me, and that didn’t happen.

I was yet again someone’s wingman, and it made me feel like a fool.

I spent the past several months trying to show him that I was interested and clearly that was a fail. ”

Fitz’s eyes soften. “You’re not a fool. That guy’s just an idiot and clearly wasn’t good enough for you anyway.”

“Yeah, but I think tonight was just more of an eye opener? If it wasn’t him, it would’ve been someone else.

I just really thought he was interested in me.

I thought that my sad attempt at flirting for the past several months translated into…

something.” Sighing, I pull my knees up to my chest before I continue, “I think I’m actually hopeless, Fitz.

I don’t know how to flirt, or how to even have an actual conversation with someone I find attractive.

It’s like something in my brain is wired wrong and I turn into a total klutz, stumbling over my words and yapping about the most random things.

Mostly sports because it’s what I know best. This is exactly why I’d rather just hang out with you guys. It’s easy being with you.”

“Maybe that’s your problem, Ror. You need to get out, meet new people outside of the team. Hang out with people outside of me and Wren.”

I don’t respond, instead shrugging, chewing the corner of my lip.

“Put yourself out there and it’ll happen exactly the way it’s supposed to. Plus, how are you going to get any better at the things you’re not good at if you don’t practice? Pretty sure you’ve said that to me a time or two.”

“I swear, I need some lessons on how to not be the most awkward person alive.”

He rubs his hands together, then does a dramatic show of cracking his neck as he says, “Put me in, Coach, I’m ready. The only thing I’m better at than rugby is women.”

“Shut up,” I say, although I’m laughing, which is a step up from the tears of earlier tonight.

“Say, girl, you’re cute tonight. Wanna hook up?”

“Ew. Stop. Immediately. I’m going to throw up.” I fake gag, and we both laugh.

See? Talking to your best guy friend about wanting to find a guy to hook up with turns weird quick, especially when you’re as close as siblings.

The easygoing grin on Fitz’s face falls slightly as he sobers. “Seriously though, you’re perfect just the way you are, and I think that if you stop putting crazy pressure on yourself, you’ll find someone you click with. It’ll happen.”

He makes it sound so easy, but it feels anything but easy. Still, I nod, giving him a small smile. “Thanks, Fitz. For just… listening. It feels better just to get that off my chest. And thanks for forcing me out tonight, it was fun. Before all of that anyway.”

“Well, you’ve been busting our asses hardcore so I figured you could use a break as much as we could from your tyranny.”

“Ha ha. Dick,” I deadpan, rolling my eyes. He can give me shit all day long, but he knows that a team-building clinic was necessary, even though I’m not sure it paid off. Yet. “How are the guys handling this? I mean really handling it, Fitz.”

For a second he’s quiet, rolling his tongue across his teeth as he stares back at me.

Then he blows out a breath. “Still a fucking mess, Ror. Most of the guys are still pissed off that he walked on the team like he owns the place and didn’t have to earn shit while they’ve had to work their asses off to get the spot they have.

They don’t trust him for shit, and I really don’t know if that’s going to change any time soon.

Trust is earned, and so far he hasn’t done anything to earn it.

” Fitz pauses, shaking his head. “You saw how the drills went, zero cohesion on both sides. He’s an asshole, and he doesn’t talk to anybody unless he has to.

The rest of the guys are cold and closed off.

We’re all just caught in this in-between, and I have no clue how it’s going to end up.

Doesn’t help that all of us, including your dad, have so much pressure to make it to the championship this year. ”

My chest feels heavy as I listen to him speak, but I knew that this was likely what was going to happen. It’s been my worry from the start.

A huge change like this midseason is enough to throw any team out of rhythm and off-balance, but adding a new guy in the mix that they don’t want … Well, that could potentially be catastrophic.

They don’t trust him because he has a problematic reputation. He got kicked off his previous team and came here as a last resort. And to them, he doesn’t seem very sorry that it happened. They think he truly believes he’s a better player than anyone.

I know if they had their choice, he wouldn’t be here.

But I’m not going to let that happen.

I can’t. These guys mean too much to me, this team means too much to me.

“It’ll work itself out. He’s only been here for a little while, and everyone’s still adjusting. We just have to keep trying, that’s all.”

Especially if I have anything at all to do with it.