Page 67 of Who’s Playing You (In The Nick of Time #1)

NICK SOBA

Trickie Nickies

The Love Machine:

We might have a problem.

WTF does that mean?

The Holy One:

The Love Machine:

Yeah, like… big problem.

I wasn’t dealing with this bullshit. I three-way FaceTimed Nic and Nik right away instead of doing this texting shit.

“You cannot just text something like that you jackass. What did you do now? Did Valentina kick your ass to the curb or something?”

Nic ran a hand down his face, looking pretty haggard.

“Nah man, this might be worse. Val I can deal with… for the most part. But this, fuck ! This shit show might get really bad. Like real bad.”

Papas having had enough of this cloak and dagger shit huffed out a sigh and said, “Out with it already! What the fuck did you do now?”

I felt Loving’s eyes on me. “Nik, this doesn’t affect you, but Soba… fuck man, I’m so sorry. You might get hit with some of the shrapnel from this.”

Nic then proceeded to fill us in on his sexual proclivities while he’s been in Houston, before getting involved with Valentina that is.

He filled us in on the sex club he joined once he got there, a few of the people he had gotten involved with at the club - specifically one chick who turned out to not only be a freak in the sheets, but fucked in the head.

The girl had become unhinged when she got a taste of Loving and let’s just say she not only wanted seconds and thirds, but she wanted all of him.

He then told us how this now-disgruntled chick had reacted when he tried to let her down gently - and the consequent fall-out.

That’s where I came in.

Apparently, despite the NDAs that every club member has to sign in the club in Houston as well as Club Wanton, our old club in Arkansas, people still run their fucking mouths. And that’s where we were now: dealing with the fallout of someone running their mouth to the media.

Loving had gotten a heads up enough to know that it was not just his name that was potentially going to be outed - but mine too.

Fuuuuuck!

“I’m so sorry, Nick. I never thought that me trying to let this chick down would end with this fucking clusterfuck of a situation.

I had thought those NDAs would protect us.

And I never expected for them to dig so far back, digging up shit all the way from Arkansas and getting intel from Club Wanton.

But that’s where, apparently, they found your name. ”

I closed my eyes and groaned.

This was bad.

So bad.

I didn’t care if this came out in the media and fans or my team found out. I didn’t even care that my family would find out. But I had not wanted Scottie to learn about this.

This had been a secret that I had had no intention of letting Scottie in on - ever. Sure, there were other secrets that I had already told her, a few I was still keeping. But this one? This was one that she just had no need to know.

Now my hand was being forced.

Fuck my life!

“As messed up as this whole fucking thing is,” Loving said on half a chuckle, “I have to admit that I feel so much better now - getting that off my chest and coming clean to you guys. I’ve been dealing with this, and I hated keeping this from you guys.

I’ve never kept a secret from either of you and this was literally killing me,” he finished.

And that was the final nail in my coffin.

The guilt that had been eating at me since draft night, that had been building since the season started in September… I felt like I was suffocating.

And when those words left Loving’s mouth… the word vomit spilled from my lips, “I’ve been keeping something from you guys too.”

They both stilled and stared at me.

“I’m so fucking sorry you guys,” the guilt overwhelmed me and I felt the tears gathering in my eyes.

“Dude! You alright?” Papas questioned, looking more concerned than I’d ever seen him.

“Nah, man. I’m not okay. Because I know-I just know that after I fess up to this that both of you are going to hate me.”

Loving let out a heavy breath in preparation. “Let’s hear it.”

“I fixed the draft.”

“You what ?” Papas yelled.

“Fuck,” I let out more to myself than them. “Yeah, so, San Fran wanted all of us. But I needed to be in New York. Scottie was here and… I needed to be as close to her as I could. I’d waited so long for my shot with her and, fuck ! I had to take it.”

“What in the actual fuck are you saying?” Papas yelled again.

“That I went behind your backs,” I admitted.

“I tried to get The Rage to take all three of us, and I had worked it so that San Fran would trade for us next season - as long as we all did well this season. But The Rage didn’t need or want two more receivers.

The only thing they needed was… me. So I took it. ”

Nick and Nik stared at me in complete silence while I saw their faces turn red in anger.

“But it’s fine! Guys, it’s fine. I’ve got Scottie now and I talked to San Fran last week, they’re still interested in trading for us in the spring. Especially with how all three of us have been playing!”

“Fuck you, Soba. I’d rather quit professional football than to ever play with you again. We’re done here,” Loving said as he hung up.

“Fuck!” I seethed out and watched Papas.

“I can’t believe you…” he let out on almost a whisper. “You literally threw our fucking dream away - and for what? A girl ?!?! As Loving said, we’re done here. Have a great life.”

And with that, he too hung up on me too.