take a couple of hours.” She walked over and turned her music up.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
Abi shrugged. “The damage is already done.”
I wasn’t sure if she was talking about her eardrums or the fact she’d been evicted. Either way, we were going to have to have a long talk about the volume if she was going to live with me.
I spent the rest of the afternoon with her until I had to go by the apartment and get ready for practice.
Coach Simms wanted us to show some support for the guys by being at their practice. When I walked into the locker room to put on my gear, I could hear the whispers at the back of the room. I ignored them and tied my cleats.
Once I was outside away from the chatter, Coach Simms walked over to greet me. “It’s good to see you up and about,” she said. “I went to the hospital, but you were still in your coma. I know you’ve only been back for a few days, so I appreciate you coming, but you don’t have to stay if it’s too much. Technically, you’re not even cleared to play.”
“But we’re not playing, right? We’re just here for support?”
“Right,” she said. “I heard a rumor you and Seth had some problems. I just want you to know that if you feel threatened in any way, you can talk to me.”
By the look in her eyes, she was genuinely concerned for me. “Oh, you heard about Will Tanner, didn’t you?”
“What I heard was that Seth was so upset over your breakup, he beat the shit out of that guy for no reason.”
“That doesn’t sound like Seth honestly. And our fight wasn’t over Will. He must have done something else to upset Seth.” I knew if I told anyone that he had raised his hand to me, they would villainize him forever. As much as I hated how things turned out, I didn’t want that.
“Well, still. He hit the coach, and that boy had deep anger issues. He’s dangerous.”
“Does this mean he’ll be here? I mean, is Coach Carr going to let him play?”
“He said that Seth and him worked it out. He’s going to play the final, but he’s removing his status as team captain.”
I nodded. “That’s fair, I guess. I’m just glad he’s getting to play. The game means a lot to him.”
“Apparently more than people,” she said. She turned her attention to the other girls and blew her whistle. “Five minutes until field time, girls.”
I went ahead and walked out of the locker room, and when I got to the field, I saw Seth talking to the coach, the two shaking hands.
I stopped cold.
Seth looked up at me. He put his head down and walked away to get in his position.
My stomach tightened as Paul, who was one of Seth’s friends, assumed the role of team captain. Seth glanced my way but tried not to stare too long.
He began drills following Paul’s lead, and I found myself unable to take my eyes off of him. I went to stand on the sidelines, and when a stray ball came my way, I caught it.
Coach Carr blew his whistle, and I threw it back in. Seth shook his head and looked like he had something on his mind. I couldn’t tell if he wanted me there or not, but it didn’t matter either way. I was still a part of my team, and my coach still expected me to act like it.
When the rest of the ladies’ team came out, they lined the field, helping with stray balls and some even filling in to help with passes.
The coaches were not cutting anyone any slack, not even my teammates. As Coach Carr blew his whistle and went to talk to two of his players, Seth eased his way over closer to where I was standing.
“You shouldn’t be out here,” he said. “You’re still healing. You’re only days out of the hospital, for fuck’s sake.”
I didn’t like his tone. “Don’t pretend you care,” I said, noticing my coach was watching him like a hawk. “The only thing that hurts is the broken heart, and that’s your fault.”
He gave me a hard look, and even though it seemed he wanted to say something, he didn’t. What could he say? He knew I was right.
He ran out onto the field to run the next drill, and Paul came over to the sidelines. “You know, maybe you should go.