I knew he was going to go for it.

From the second he walked into that huddle, I knew it. After he broke out that big run, setting them up on the one-yard line, I knew he couldn’t let it go. He just wasn’t the type of man to sit down and let the rest of the team take over from there.

But that was it. Once the other trainers saw the pain he was in, they pulled him from the game. Coach didn’t argue at all.

I was angry, though. He should have known better. He should have sat that play out, iced it up, rested for the next game. He’d done good work already, and everyone had already been impressed. He hadn’t needed to risk himself even more.

I only hoped that the damage wasn’t bad. I could see some swelling, and it was clearly tender to the touch, but that didn’t necessarily mean he was out for the season. I guessed he’d miss at least one game.

After some treatment on the bench, they carried him back into the locker room. I went with them, staying on the periphery and paying close attention to the other trainers. I had a lot to learn still, and seeing how they reacted and what steps they took was a huge help to myself, and hopefully I’d be able to help Owen better in the future.

Assuming I even had a future with him and the team. If they found out that I’d kept an injury under wraps for him, I would be out on the street.

I was risking a lot for that asshole, but he wasn’t able to do anything for me. He had seen me tell him not to do it. He had seen me say the word, but he’d ignored me. I had known he would, but that still stung. He should have listened.

He got an X-ray almost immediately, which came out clean. There was no break, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have tendon damage. He was scheduled for an MRI the following day. The lead trainer taped his leg with ice, gave him some anti-inflammatory medication, and then left him to sit back and relax.

We were alone in the room. The game was still going on, so the other trainers had to get back on the field in case something else happened. He grinned at me.

“You’re pissed,” he said.

I nodded. “Damn right I am.”

I sat down on the table next to him, my legs dangling over the edge. He just smiled at me.

“Sorry.”

“No you’re not.”

“Yeah, I guess not.”

“You will be if that MRI comes back with some issues.”

“You’re right.”

“You saw me tell you not to do it.”

“I did.”

“And you did it anyway.”

“I did.”

“Why?”

He shook his head. “I’m not sure I can explain.”

“Try anyway.”

“Football isn’t just a game for me. It’s my life, my legacy. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been good at. I can’t just back down when I have a challenge put in front of me on the field. That’s why I got to where I am.”

“I understand that,” I said, “but you’re thinking so short-term.”

“All football players think short-term,” he said, laughing. “Look at us. We put our bodies on the line for a sport. Our job is to inflict pain and punishment on other guys, all for your amusement. Everyone knows a football player sacrifices his body for the sport, and yet we do it anyway, because we believe in what the sport is.” He sighed, shaking his head again. “I can’t just back down. Injury or no injury, I won’t back down.”

I sat there looking at him, and I had to admit that I felt something. Maybe he was being stupid, but I was impressed. I respected him for that decision, even though I disagreed with everything about it.

Still, I was angry with him. He had ignored me when I’d directly told him not to do something that would injure his body. He knew I had my own career at stake here, and he’d only thought about himself out there.

“You’re not alone in this,” I said. “Maybe you’ve been alone before, but you’re not anymore.”

He stared at me for a second, his cocky smile leaving his face. He went to say something but was interrupted by a noise at the door.

We both looked over. Standing in the doorway was a man I didn’t recognize.

He was tall, though not as tall as Owen. He wore a business suit, an expensive-looking one, and his dark hair was cut short. He was muscular, though not as huge as Owen, and I could see hints of tattoos at the edge of his collar and near his shirt cuffs.

“Hello, Owen,” he said.

Owen’s face got serious. “Tony. What the fuck are you doing back here?”

“Just came to talk.”

“You’re not welcome.”

I looked at Owen. “Who is this?”

“He’s nobody,” Owen said, not looking away from the man.

“Please, ask your trainer to leave,” Tony said. “We need to talk.”

Owen stared at the man, and I could see that he was angry and uncomfortable. He didn’t want me around this guy, though I couldn’t tell why.

“Taylor,” he said after a second, “can you give us some privacy?”

I looked at him and nodded. “Fine. I’ll be back soon.”

“Sure.”

I stood up and headed toward the other door. I glanced back and saw the man moving into the room, and Owen’s face was even darker and angrier than before.

They began to talk softly as I headed out of the room. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it didn’t sound like a good conversation.

I’d never seen that guy before in my life. I’d been around the organization for a fair amount of time, but I’d never seen him before. I had no clue how he had gotten back here, but he must have been important if he could come and go like that.

Owen clearly knew him, and he clearly didn’t like him. That alone made me want to tell someone about the guy, but something about him was holding me back.

I headed back into the locker room to give Owen and the man a few minutes. I was angry with Owen anyway, and maybe he deserved to be a little uncomfortable.

The asshole needed to learn that he couldn’t just do whatever he wanted anymore, not when other people were depending on him.