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"What're your plans tonight, man?" Barnes asks from his seat to my left. He's icing his foot and I'm pulling a clean t-shirt over my head.
Almost all of the guys have left the locker room, more than eager to leave after a rough ass practice.
With my fight still lingering and Barnes's fucked up ankle, nobody's been in the highest of spirits.
"Not much. I'm just gonna grab some food for me and Lilly and then we'll probably watch The Vampire Diaries." I run a hand over the front of my navy blue shirt, straightening out any creases before I reach into my bag for my cologne and deodorant.
"And then you'll sit on opposite ends of the couch and eat and listen to her talk about how good a friend you are while she matches with some real estate guy on Tinder only a few feet away from you. Sounds fun."
"Lilly doesn't have Tinder." I respond in a dry tone, ignoring the rest of his sarcastic comment.
I get that not every guy is looking to pine after the same girl for 8 years. I understand. And trust me, I get around. Not that it's something to brag about, but it's not like I'm sitting at home in abstinence because the woman I love doesn't love me the same way.
It's just that if Lilly decided to express the slightest interest in me beyond the platonic stuff, I would stop getting around. Period. And if she took it back and concluded that we're better as friends, I still wouldn't get around for a while. I'd be too sick to my stomach.
And also, the way I look at it, every woman I hook up with while I wait for Lilly is more practice and experience if I ever get to have her in that way. I'd want it to be perfect for her. I know it'd be perfect for me, so it's only fair that I return the feeling.
"Why don't you ditch the whole unrequited love bull-shit for a night? I think Bailey and some other guys from the team including myself may go and grab some drinks later if you wanna come." I can see the hopefulness in his eyes, and I know he thinks I'm wasting my time with Lilly.
Truthfully, she may never see me how I see her, but that wouldn't make the time spent with her a waste. It's the best part of my day no matter if it's hers.
"Nah, I'm good. You guys have fun though and remember we have a game tomorrow night so don't get fucked up." I narrow my eyes at him before zipping up my duffel bag and slinging it over my shoulder.
"Tell LillyAnne that I said hi." I shoot him my middle finger over my shoulder before exiting the locker room.
As I'm making my way down the hall, ready to get in my car and hurry to Lilly's, my coach's assistant steps out of a connecting hallway to my right and grabs my attention.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but your coach needs you in his office before you leave." She sends me a tight smile and turns back around, disappearing again.
Fuck.
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"What?" I'm seething. I swear I can feel my blood starting to fucking boil.
"Why're you saying what to me? Say it to yourself, it's your mess." Coach spits out, standing in front of his desk, arms crossed, his face red and twisted in anger.
I was called into his office today because there have been multiple sources claiming that after the fight on the ice, I went and slept with the guy's girlfriend and tried to convince her to leave him for me.
What the fuck?
That's not even something remotely close to anything that I would do. Not only is it just a really petty and slightly embarrassing move to make, but everyone knows I don't date. It's been in multiple articles and mentioned in various sports news outlets.
So, why would I break that streak in the name of stealing a guy's girlfriend who I've never even spoken to? I didn't even know he had a girlfriend.
"You think it's true?" I raise my voice, stopping my pacing to look him in the eyes. He drops his hands from his chest and takes in a deep breath.
"No, Everette, I don't. I know it's a lie, but you can't expect everybody else to. Not everybody knows you, and the people who feed into things like this don't want the truth. They wanna believe it so they have something to talk about." He looks to the ceiling, and I can tell he's about as stressed as I am.
"So what do I do? How do I convince people that I didn't do something when they want to believe that I did it?" I throw my hands up at my sides before bringing them to my hair and tugging on the ends. "This is so fucked."
"I don't know what to tell you to do. There's no right way to fix this, it just needs to be fixed." He walks around his desk and lowers himself into his chair, letting out a heavy sigh. "Listen to me and listen good. I've been planning on offering you the role of captain. That sounds nice, doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does." I answer, trying to ignore the anger in my stomach that's twisting into excited nerves.
"I'd like to give you that opportunity, Everette, but tell me how I'm supposed to get away with it. A captain doesn't fight on the ice like that, and he sure as shit doesn't go and start more problems with the guy afterward." I go to interject, but he holds up a finger. "Now, like I said, I know that latter accusation isn't true. What I need is for everyone else to know it."
I nod my head, folding my arms over my chest and trying to calm every emotion swirling inside of me.
"Don't get me wrong, there are going to be people who hate you no matter what, but all you have to do is make yourself so insanely likable that nobody listens to what they have to say. I don't care how you do it, but once your reputation is straightened out, Captain is yours."
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Once I'm situated in my car and pulling out of the parking lot, I mentally go over my list of important things I need to get done.
1. Pick up the sushi for mine and Lilly's dinner 2. Swing by the store and grab her that wine she likes because she finished her other bottle last night 3. Find a way to convince everyone that I am captain material and NOT a major asshat
