Page 32

CHAPTER 32

OSCAR

N either Alka nor Roux were looking forward to this scrimmage. It’s not that I thought they were exaggerating about the breakdown of teamwork, but watching them on the field now? I wince when another unnecessary steal takes place and Martinville gets the ball back.

Harper’s yelling. She hasn’t stopped yelling. She’s going to be hoarse before the game is over.

Alka’s sitting on the bench, biting his tongue. I can see how angry he is in the set of his shoulders. How frustrated. Ready to lose his shit. We’re still in the first half, so there’s plenty of time to turn this around.

Though I’m thinking it’s not going to go that way.

Our entire line looks like they’re playing two separate games. There’s the anti-Ruby team—those keeping the ball away from Ruby—and those who are willing to pass it to Ruby. Thankfully, the Ruby side isn’t as stupid as the other side, and they’re playing the game they should be.

I’m not the only one who groans when Ruby kicks the ball to Doherty and the man literally fucking ignores it. Like he actually turns away.

Harper screams at him. The audience screams at him. The Ruby team on the field screams at him. Even one of the Martinville players says, “What the fuck, dude?” I don’t hear it, but I can read lips pretty well.

I don’t know how, but we make a goal. Rather, the Ruby team scores a goal. I’m not sure if I’m relieved by or wary of the renewed animosity from the anti-Ruby team and how they’re even more aggressively ignoring him. Instead of a team of ten players, we’re a team of four plus Ruby-team’s six.

Jeff Doherty, number eight, whom I know by name and face because of his stop into Alka’s office the other day, has the ball. I’m not sure if Harper put him in to shut him up or if she’s giving him a chance to prove he deserves the starting line or what. He has the ball and manages to keep it away from Martinville as he brings it down to the other end.

The teams split, and Ruby is wide open. I mean, there’s a path straight toward him as if they were waiting for an escort.

Jeff literally looks right at him and turns, kicking the ball to our number seventeen. The entire bench groans when it’s intercepted.

“Doherty!” Harper shouts. “Bench. Now.”

“What?” Jeff yells back. “No. Why?”

“NOW!” Harper yells.

A ref blows the whistle as Jeff literally kicks the grass up on his way to our bench. The rest of the team (and Martinville’s team) slow down to watch. This isn’t going to be pretty.

“This is bullshit,” Jeff hisses.

“You defiantly refused to pass the ball to someone so open that it could be seen from the fucking moon because you’re still throwing a fit.”

“He wasn’t open,” Jeff says, glaring at Harper. “You’d know that if you were actually our coach.”

Silence sweeps through the crowd. Everyone on the field freezes.

“You’re out the rest of the game,” Harper says. “How’s that for not being your coach? ”

“You can’t?—”

“You’re out the rest of the game,” Alka says. “Sit your fucking ass down. One more goddamn word from you, you’re off this team entirely.”

“You can’t do that,” Jeff spits.

“You think you have a guaranteed spot on my team because your daddy donates to the school?” Alka snaps back. “Guess what? You want to play that game—my husband donates three times more to the school than your father does and sponsors this team almost entirely. What other childish arguments do you need me to lower myself to in order to make you understand?”

Jeff doesn’t say anything. His furious glare says it all.

“Your behavior is out of hand. This game is about teamwork, and if you’re going to continue to refuse to participate as a team player, I won’t have you on my team. Am I clear?” Alka asks.

“Yes, Coach,” Jeff says, though it definitely sounds more like “Fuck you, Coach.”

“That goes for all of you,” Alka says, raising his voice. “I’ve had it. I’d rather cancel this entire fucking season than watch you play like you’re ten and choosing who has cooties for some stupid reason. Enough is enough. Get your shit together. If Coach Harper has to continue to scream at you for the rest of this game, that’s it. We’re done. Am I fucking clear?”

I’ve never heard my husband curse so much in the entire ten years I’ve known him. Clearly, neither has the team. Sure, there’s still some animosity there, but I also see a mixture of shell shocked, guilty, and frustrated expressions. Ruby looks like he wants to crawl under the bench.

Alka takes a breath and sits back on the bench.

“Wow,” Simon says from his spot a few people down from me. All of our friends knew Alka was struggling with the team accepting him and Ruby being together, so they’re here to offer their support. “I didn’t think Alka knew how to yell, never mind swear.”

Declan snorts .

“Roux was open,” someone on the bench mutters. “Wide, wide open.”

“Shut it,” Jeff barks.

“Enough,” the captain snaps at him. “Shut the fuck up or leave, Doherty. You’ve injected enough poison into this team.”

“You’re not happy about this either. Stop pretending you are.”

“Happy or not, I’m twenty-two, not twelve. I know when to put aside something that I may not agree with, so I have the best opportunities of achieving my goals, which are to play pro. You’re not making the statement you think you are. You know what people on this team are going to remember about you? This right here. You’ve just written your legacy. You can kiss a soccer career goodbye. Now shut up.”

Jeff has the good sense not to speak again. The team gives him a wide berth. No one else speaks to him, either, not even the other assholes on the team.

Should I be calling them assholes, even in my head? They’re kids.

Then again, as my eyes land on Ruby, I realize he’s amongst them, so… Yeah, I’m not going to call them kids. That just sets a weird tone.

Harper replaces the other three assholes, and four new people join the Ruby team to hopefully form a solid front. I’m happy to report that there are passes all around. There’s teamwork again, though I can still feel the breakdown of the overall team. There’s still two very different teams, even if they’re playing as one right now on the field.

Most of the second team are on the bench anyway.

It doesn’t help when Ruby makes some sweet saves. While he doesn’t make another goal, one of his attempts has the crowd on their feet, cheering for him. I look at Jeff when he does, and I swear, if he could hurt someone by doing nothing more than looking his way, Ruby would be nothing but a pile of ash right now .

“He should be removed completely,” Zarek says. I glance at him to find that he’s glaring at Jeff on the bench. “I wish I had him in a class.”

“No, you don’t,” Quin says. “You’d get yourself in trouble.”

Zarek doesn’t even argue. His furious glare doesn’t leave Jeff as Jeff’s doesn’t leave Ruby.

We end the game at a loss, 1-3, and Jeff has the audacity to look at Ruby like it’s his fault. As if he missed that Ruby was the only one with a goal on the board.

Ruby doesn’t follow the team to the locker room. He bypasses Alka, who’s talking to Harper, and comes toward me. I wrap him in my arms.

“That was rough,” I offer.

He sighs. “I think I’m going back to my dorm sweaty and taking a shower there. Maybe Alka will get my things from my locker.”

“Don’t do that,” I say. “Don’t let them?—”

Ruby shakes his head. “I’m tired, Oscar. It’s exhausting being around their hostility. It’s not worth playing if I have to stay in this environment. I spent an entire year in a toxic situation, and I promised myself I wouldn’t do that again. This is turning out just like that even if the context is wildly different.”

I wish I had some magic solution. My heart aches for him. It’s a strange and frustrating feeling being so helpless when someone you love is suffering.

I kiss his head and hold him a little tighter. “You’re right. You don’t deserve to live like that ever again. Whatever you decide, Alka and I will support you.”

He tucks his face into my neck. “Thanks.”

“Kip.”

Ruby tenses as he steps away from me, though his shoulders relax when he faces the man who called him. I don’t know the guy who approaches, but he offers Ruby a bag. Ruby gives him a thankful smile .

“I didn’t think you’d want to be in the locker room with Doherty,” he says.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“No problem.” He rests his hand on Ruby’s arm. “I have your back.”

Ruby smiles. “Thanks again.”

He nods and jogs back toward the locker room as Alka approaches. “What did Reeve want?” he asks.

“He read my mind,” Ruby says and lifts his bag. “I’m not going into the locker room. I’m just heading to my dorm to shower and change. Maybe put some armor on. Head gear. Earbuds.”

Alka gives him a tired smile. “I’m sorry. Maybe we should have kept this a secret. I might have been wrong on this.”

Ruby shakes his head. “I don’t know.” He hesitates before giving Alka a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll text you later.” I receive the same peck.

We watch him walk away, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Alka sighs. “I’ll be honest, I don’t know what to do right now.”

“Might be time to talk to the dean,” Quin says as he joins us. “This was… not a good look for anyone. My only connection to the team is you, and I’m embarrassed for the school right now. I’m not even going to tell you how many camera phones were out.”

Alka lets his head fall back as he groans. “Fine. I don’t suppose talking to you counts. Dean.”

“I’d like to say I have some jurisdiction here, but unfortunately, I do not.”

“If you did, what would you do?” I ask. “Just out of curiosity.”

“I’m definitely biased, but I’d remove him from the team permanently. He has no place in a team sport with that behavior. I’m not even touching on the way he spoke to you and Harper,” Quin says. “Zarek was ready to cut his tongue out. ”

“If only I had a hunting knife,” Zarek mutters, turning yet another glare in the direction the team went.

“I don’t suppose any of you recorded it,” Alka asks.

“I did,” Declan says. “I’ll forward it.”

“Why did you record it?” Zarek asks, looking horrified.

“Because word against word is ambiguous. I think video proof will speak louder.”

I’m thankful for our friends. Now, to get my husband home and convince Ruby to come over so I can make them both forget this awful afternoon.