I grabbed Skylar's hand and kept going the rest of them could figure it out.
She argued the whole way back to the condo; honestly, I think she was more upset by this shit than I was.
"Babe seriously, stop stressing this shit, I'm good." And I really was, she came first no question. He’d basically asked me to choose between her and the game, I chose; fuck him.
I liked having her there with me, where I could see her, it kept me settled and made for a better game all around. Then we could walk back together when I was finished with practice and she could talk my ear off asking me a million questions about the game, which she never grasped anyway. She got to do her studying or reading or whatever and I got peace of mind knowing she was right there and no one was fucking with her. It was more of a protective measure than anything else; the fact that it made my life easier was just a bonus. I knew about the whispers around campus that I was whipped but so what, I did shit my way, always had always will.
She started crying halfway home. Fuck me. No. I turned her into my chest and prayed no one came along and got into my shit. I was at the end of my rope, the next motherfucker might not get off as easy as coach had.
I hugged her hard as she bawled her little heart out. She felt so slight standing there in front of me, her little shoulders shaking. I'm gonna knock coach the fuck out. Piece a shit.
"Come on babe stop it now, he's not worth your tears, come on baby you know I can't bear to see you cry." My gut hurt like shit, what is this strange hold these women have on us men? Do they know how weak their tears make us? I hope she never figures that shit out because my ass would be done for then.
"But I'm m…mm...messing up your life, first the fight....and...now this, you should probably just leave me."
"Don't ever fucking say that shit to me again." I pushed her away by her shoulders so I could look into her eyes.
"Don't you get it yet baby? you're mine, mine to love and protect, he doesn't get to talk to you like that and then order me around on a football field like a little bitch. I walked because I chose to walk, you're not at fault, not for this and not for your ex douche showing up here and starting shit. You want me to go pound that old fucker into the ground, you keep crying."
She tried to stem the flow of her tears, biting her lip and rubbing her eyes; then she wiped her nose in my chest.
"Gross babe." I teased her to lighten the mood but inside I was a writhing mass of fury.
"What? there wasn't anything there, it just itched." She grinned through her tears, best damn sight in the world. I made my face as stern as I could while holding back my laughter.
"Uh huh, whatever, this is now your jersey, you can turn it into sleep wear like you've done with the rest of my shit that you filched."
"What! You’re complaining because I wear your shirts and boxers?"
"Nope, that shit is hot." I kissed her hair softly at least she'd stopped that crying shit that was tearing my guts out. We went back home with her arguing with me the whole way. It didn’t matter what she said though, she might be able to overlook other people’s bullshit but I’m not. That shit was dead.