BAD BOY SAVED (male pov)

Offer

University started back up again and it hit me hard, my body wasn't ready for the amount of training I got thrown into over these past few weeks. I ached in places I didn't even know I could ache, but that just made me try harder and it couldn't have come at a better time. I needed the distraction, the capability of closing my mind off from everything that I had to relive.

"Liam, come here." Coach shouted from across the pitch and I dropped the soccer ball and ran over to him, frantically panting thanks to my drop in fitness level.

"This is David Doolan, he manages national soccer team" I didn't need the introduction, soccer was my life. I knew who he was from watching the sports channels.

I wiped my palms on my shorts and outstretched my hand. "Pleasure to meet you." I spoke with confidence and made sure the handshake was firm.

He kept his stance completely professionally towards me but managed a polite smile. I was having a fan girl moment inside my head and I'm not even ashamed to admit that. But I think on the outside I played it cool and collected, thanks to years of masking my emotions I had the impassive expression down.

"Liam, I have been watching you play these last few weeks. Secretly coming to the games here at Stanford and I would really like to offer you a professional position on our team."

I felt my jaw drop and hit the ground, no longer playing things cool. He could definitely see the shock on my face. I didn't know what to say. This never happens, not this early on in university I was only a freshman and a few months into my course.

"Now I know you are only in your first year of college and our recommendations require you to complete your first year before you play on our team but we'll take that year to train you up ready for professional play."

I tried so desperately to find the words to answer him but my vocal chords betrayed me, rendering me completely speechless.

"It's a lot of hard work Liam, you'll be training five nights a week and keeping up your studies here at Stanford. We'll take this year to announce you publicly, build up a fan base. Any skeletons in your closet will be found out by the media or the public so I would advise you to be completely forthcoming about anything you want to remain hidden."

I blinked at him blankly, trying to absorb his words but he was feeding me too much to consume. I had questions, many of them but none of them would come out.

"If you agree to this then we will be signing you up for a five year contract, that's one year training and four playing professionally. After that we'll do yearly contracts so you can leave whenever you want providing your year is over. The approximate wage will be around twenty five million per year, this is taking into account any sponsorship's you receive and it could easily raise to more than that depending on how well you play and what endorsements you get offered."

My jaw hung on the floor again and I started to get paranoid that Jordan had set up hidden cameras and was pranking me, so I looked around. This certainly had to be a joke. He paid someone to prank me, that dick.

"Do you have any thoughts on this?" He asked.

"Uh.." I started and my coach frowned. I've been straightforward with my dreams and wishes so he's probably completely confused as to why I'm not jumping for joy and signing the contract right now.

Wait, why aren't I signing on the dotted line right now?

Because of Olivia.

This is my dream, not hers. Yet she's the one that I want to start my life with. I couldn't force her to be in the spotlight just because I wanted to play soccer professionally. I can't agree to this unless I talk to her first, I can't make decisions for the both of us.

"Can I think about this?" I asked the manager and then held my breath for his answer because if he said no right now I was willing to walk away from my chance.

He laughed. "Of course, I have given you a lot to think about but Liam I must inform you that this needs to remain strictly confidential. You cannot tell anyone until we have publicly announced you. It would deem your contract disposable and we would reserve the right to reject the extended offer. I'll be back next week with the contracts and I trust you will have made your decision by then. Here is my card, call me if you have any further questions."

I looked down at his business card and gripped it tightly between my fingers.

"This is a fantastic opportunity Liam, one that may never come around again. I really hope you make the right decision." I nodded curtly, knowing it wasn't me that needed to make that decision but I accepted his advice anyway.

I sat alone in the locker rooms just staring at the business card like I expected it to give me the courage I needed to break the news to my girlfriend. I felt like I had lived my whole life preparing for this moment, I worked hard for it. I deserved it.

But even having this option available to me I knew it wasn't nearly as important as my other dream. So if it meant picking and choosing between them I wouldn't even need to think about it. I would pick Liv.

I would always pick Liv.

I pulled out my replacement phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found her number. Quickly I hit call.

"Hey." I said, sounding a little too high pitched.

"Hi." I could almost hear her smile.

There was a short silence between us as I plucked up the courage to tell her, mindlessly looking at this stupid business card.

"You okay Liam?" She encouraged, sensing there was something I wanted to get off my chest.

"Yeah. I just called to tell you that... um... I got... uh..." Fuck, the nervous stutter was coming out and I was tripping over my words left, right and center.

"Yeah?" She encouraged again.

"I got an offer." I told her.

"An offer for what?" She asked sweetly.

More silence fell between us, making this conversation strained. I re-read the business card. Over and over again while she waited patiently on the other end of the line. She was used to waiting for me to build the confidence to speak.

"Liam?" Her voice said through the silence.

You're not ready to give up your dreams yet Liam, hold onto them a little bit longer.

"Uh... I got an offer to go to this frat house party, you wanna come?" I closed my eyes in frustration, feeling ridiculous for not being brave enough to tell her.

"Oh yeah, Lola was pestering me to go. It could be fun. You feeling up to it?"

No, not really Liv. It will no doubt be full of my douchebag teammates, I hate them and they hate me. I couldn't think of anything worse than spending any more time with them than what I needed to.

"Sure." I lied.

"Cool, see you Friday." She mused before hanging up.

I returned back to obsessing over the little white business card that I held tightly between the grasp of my fingers. Is this real life?