himself and Arabella over the entire thing, but Arabella wasn’t reply to anyone. She even ignored his own phone calls and texts apologizing for what he said. Everything else around him seemed to falling apart too— including his concentration at practice.
After his fourth overthrown pass, Coach Adam’s pulled him off to the sideline.
“I know that you’re going through a lot right now with this pressure,” he began, shaking his head at the camera’s that were in the bleachers, “but, you need to get shit figured out here. We can’t risk you starting in a game if your head isn’t in it.”
“It is in it,” Chance said, ripping his helmet off in frustration. “Can people lay off me for a moment? I’m trying to get shit figured out, but no matter what I do, it’s not right.”
Unfazed with the frustration, Mark continued on steadily. “Robert and I are pushing you to succeed at this sport. Part of this sport is dealing with this type of pressure when it surrounds you on a business and personal level.”
“The way I deal with it is turning the lights off and find somebody to be there when the lights are off.”
“That’s where your problem is at. You don’t have any mature ways of coping with any type of pressure. That’s where we are trying to help you.”
“By putting me in a fake relationship with a woman who refuses to even touch me no matter how hard I try?”
To his immense surprise, Mark grabbed him roughly by the jersey. A glint of danger filled Mark’s eyes as he stared at a bewildered Chance.
“You listen to me, Chance Lawerence. That woman has been through a scarring event in her life pertaining to men. Robert thought you two would be a good fit for one another because it’d help her move on, but it’d help you slow the fuck down from this train wreck of a life that you’re steaming through. If I find out that you tried to make her do something that she was uncomfortable with, consider yourself off this team despite your contract.”
“I never forced myself on her,” Chance said, aghast with the idea. He might have manipulated women into his bed, but never once had he ever forced himself onto anybody. “Why do people keep saying shit like that? What happened to Arabella?”
“That’s not for me to say,” Mark said. He let go of Chance’s jersey. “I’m glad to hear that. Just think about your life, Chance. You’re going down a pathway that isn’t going to end well for you. Fame kills people.”
After practice, Chance cornered Liam before he could disappear from the locker room.
“Do you know?”
Liam fumbled around with the strap of his duffle bag. “Know what?”
“What happened to Arabella?” He watched Liam’s expression grow guarded. Suspicion immediately filled Chance at that. “You do know, don’t you?”
His best friend let out a sigh. “Look, bro, I promised Lindsey I wouldn’t say anything when she told me. It was an accident of how it came out.”
“I want to know what the hell happened,” Chance said. “Since when do we keep secrets from each other?”
Liam looked away guiltily at that. “I know,” he said, “but this isn’t something that should come from me or from anyone else. Why don’t you just go ask Arabella yourself?”
“Just tell me what happened,” Chance said, impatiently. “I won’t even say it came from you if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“It’s not that,” Liam replied, looking at him intently for a moment. “Is this relationship real or fake between you two? It’s hard to tell at times.”
Chance opened his mouth to reply, but he couldn’t even find an answer himself. It felt real at all times. He couldn’t deny the attraction that burned in him like a wild fire, and he was confident that Arabella felt the same burning sensation from the times she had kissed him back.
After his fourth overthrown pass, Coach Adam’s pulled him off to the sideline.
“I know that you’re going through a lot right now with this pressure,” he began, shaking his head at the camera’s that were in the bleachers, “but, you need to get shit figured out here. We can’t risk you starting in a game if your head isn’t in it.”
“It is in it,” Chance said, ripping his helmet off in frustration. “Can people lay off me for a moment? I’m trying to get shit figured out, but no matter what I do, it’s not right.”
Unfazed with the frustration, Mark continued on steadily. “Robert and I are pushing you to succeed at this sport. Part of this sport is dealing with this type of pressure when it surrounds you on a business and personal level.”
“The way I deal with it is turning the lights off and find somebody to be there when the lights are off.”
“That’s where your problem is at. You don’t have any mature ways of coping with any type of pressure. That’s where we are trying to help you.”
“By putting me in a fake relationship with a woman who refuses to even touch me no matter how hard I try?”
To his immense surprise, Mark grabbed him roughly by the jersey. A glint of danger filled Mark’s eyes as he stared at a bewildered Chance.
“You listen to me, Chance Lawerence. That woman has been through a scarring event in her life pertaining to men. Robert thought you two would be a good fit for one another because it’d help her move on, but it’d help you slow the fuck down from this train wreck of a life that you’re steaming through. If I find out that you tried to make her do something that she was uncomfortable with, consider yourself off this team despite your contract.”
“I never forced myself on her,” Chance said, aghast with the idea. He might have manipulated women into his bed, but never once had he ever forced himself onto anybody. “Why do people keep saying shit like that? What happened to Arabella?”
“That’s not for me to say,” Mark said. He let go of Chance’s jersey. “I’m glad to hear that. Just think about your life, Chance. You’re going down a pathway that isn’t going to end well for you. Fame kills people.”
After practice, Chance cornered Liam before he could disappear from the locker room.
“Do you know?”
Liam fumbled around with the strap of his duffle bag. “Know what?”
“What happened to Arabella?” He watched Liam’s expression grow guarded. Suspicion immediately filled Chance at that. “You do know, don’t you?”
His best friend let out a sigh. “Look, bro, I promised Lindsey I wouldn’t say anything when she told me. It was an accident of how it came out.”
“I want to know what the hell happened,” Chance said. “Since when do we keep secrets from each other?”
Liam looked away guiltily at that. “I know,” he said, “but this isn’t something that should come from me or from anyone else. Why don’t you just go ask Arabella yourself?”
“Just tell me what happened,” Chance said, impatiently. “I won’t even say it came from you if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“It’s not that,” Liam replied, looking at him intently for a moment. “Is this relationship real or fake between you two? It’s hard to tell at times.”
Chance opened his mouth to reply, but he couldn’t even find an answer himself. It felt real at all times. He couldn’t deny the attraction that burned in him like a wild fire, and he was confident that Arabella felt the same burning sensation from the times she had kissed him back.
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