I can still taste her on my lips the next morning, but the way she left still lingers.

I fucked up. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I didn’t realize what it meant for that janitor to catch us. From my perspective, it’s no big deal, just a funny thing.

But for her, it could end her career. I can see that now. When I laughed, I was basically mocking her, laughing in her face.

Fucking hell. No matter what I do, I still manage to put my fucking foot in my mouth. She thinks I just see her as a plaything, a girl I can fuck around with whenever I want, but that’s not it.

That’s not it at all.

I wouldn’t go to all this effort for a fuck buddy. I have a fucking phone full of fuck buddies I could call on whenever I want to.

No, I see more for her. There’s potential there, excitement, passion, maybe even a future. Maybe that’s stupid and insane, but I can’t help myself. I keep thinking about what it would feel like to be around her all the time and I just…

I just want it.

Easier said than done. She hates my fucking guts.

Although she can’t hate me that much. I mean, the way she rolled her hips, the way she kissed me, licked my tongue, came on my fingers. There’s no way she hates me.

Not entirely, at least.

I head into the facility early and grab some breakfast. I talk to some of the guys but before I can head into the sauna, Coach’s assistant hunts me down.

Robby eyes me with a frown. He’s a serious guy, really smart. A lot of people say he’s the brains behind Coach, but I doubt it. He’s definitely a brain, though.

“Wood wants to see you,” he barks.

“Now?”

He nods. “Now.”

I sigh. “Lead the way, Robby, my man.”

He doesn’t smile. I guess it’s serious. I follow him to Coach Wood’s office and we step inside together.

Robby shuts the door.

“Take a seat,” Coach says. He looks tired, with a cup of steaming coffee in front of him.

I glance at Robby, who remains standing. I sigh and sit down.

Coach has a newspaper in front of him. I feel a stone in my stomach when I realize that it’s the Fargo Pioneer.

Oh, shit. What did Brynn write about me?

Maybe it’s something slanderous, something really bad. That’s probably why Coach is pissed. She was upset last night, went home, and wrote a really bad article. She knows I won’t contest it.

Oh, shit.

“Did you read this yet?” Coach asks me.

I shake my head. “Whatever it is, Coach, I didn’t mean—”

He holds up a hand. “It’s not bad.”

I sit there, a little stunned. “Not bad?”

“Were you expecting something bad?”

“Uh, no, but—”

“So why are you surprised?”

I shake my head. “Brynn doesn’t like me very much.”

He laughs softly. “Yeah, well, you must’ve done something right.” He clears his throat. “Basically, it’s about your rehab. How you’ve bounced back and how you’re getting stronger every day. No pain, still plenty fast, that sort of thing.”

I frown. I don’t remember talking to her about this…

Why would she write a good article? After the way things went down, I expected a hit piece.

“Well, good,” I say.

Coach sighs. “Not good. I’m glad she’s writing good stuff, but Sean, I don’t want you interacting with this girl anymore.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Look, I can’t forbid you from seeing her, I’m not your fucking father. But I can tell you, as your fucking coach, that you can’t speak to that reporter anymore. No more interviews, no more stories. Got it?”

I frown. “I don’t know,” I say.

“Look, I get it. She’s pretty, you like her. There are a million women you can sleep with, if that’s what you want. Forget about her.”

I feel a spark of anger. “It’s not like that.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Coach says. “No more interviews with her. Understand?”

I push back from my chair. “Is that all?”

He glances at Robby then nods. “That’s it. Have a good day.”

I glare at him and leave. Robby doesn’t smile as I pass him.

I’m pretty fucking confused as I head into the sauna.

I didn’t expect this, not even a little bit. Some awful, mean thing about how I’m always in pain and really slow these days, sure, I could see that. But something that compliments me? Makes me look better?

I don’t get it. What the hell is Brynn thinking?

I can’t stop worrying about her. I know Coach just banned me from talking to her during business hours, but I think we both know that’s not going to hold up. He can ban me all he wants, but I’m going to do what I want, when I want. And I want to see Brynn.

Practice goes smoothly, like always Coach keeps drills simple and I’m mostly throwing long balls all afternoon. Finally though, he calls a wrap and the players watch the usual stampede of reporters come stomping down to the field.

I look around for Brynn right away. Might as well not bullshit myself about it. I’m not going to keep away.

But I don’t see her. I dodge that asshole from the radio station, what’s his name, Jab or Joe or James or whatever, and skirt around the side of the field.

I hover and eventually get caught up by a CNN sports reporter. I answer his questions, glancing around the whole time, but she’s nowhere.

Fucking hell. Did Coach Wood have her press pass rescinded? I mean, it’s not the fucking White House, so he can do whatever he wants here. Still I can’t imagine he’d go that far and piss off a local newspaper. That’s some bad publicity right there.

Some reporters head into the locker room, and I decide to go give that a try. I get caught in another couple conversations before pulling myself away and hurrying inside.

I head through the halls. As I get close, I suddenly spot a bunch of people up ahead. Brynn is standing among them, laughing at something Felix just said.

She glances in my direction and frowns slightly. I hurry toward them. She says something to Felix and walks in the opposite direction.

“Sean, baby girl, what’s up?” Felix says as I head after her.

“Hold up, man,” I mumble, chasing after Brynn.

But she’s already gone. I turn the corner and don’t spot her anywhere. I curse under my breath and walk the halls, but she never turns up.

“Who you looking for, man?” Felix asks me as I head back to the locker room.

“Nobody,” I grumble.

“You read that article about you in the Pioneer?”

I shake my head. “Didn’t know you read local papers.”

“Of course I do. Gotta stay informed, and the local news media is the last bastion of unbiased reporting.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You serious?”

“Yeah, brother. Get you some local news.” He nods and claps my back as he heads out into the hall.

I sigh and sit down on the bench, hands ranging over the wood. I still remember her body, right here, just last night.

Brynn is avoiding me, and now Felix is turning intellectual. What the hell is happening here? I feel like my world is turned upside down.

I don’t know why she’d write a good article about me then avoid me the next day. It’s fucking confusing is what it is.

But I’m going to find out.