conversation he had with Sully, there’s a whole range of potential consequences, several of which result in getting kicked off the team. He’s understandably devastated.
Poppy’s upstairs in bed, and I have the monitor in my lap while everyone commiserates over the crushing news.
“Meyers is scared of his shadow. He’ll never pull this off if you can’t start.” Knox groans.
Rider points at him. “Don’t say that shit this week. If I can’t play, he’s our best bet. You better build him up. That kid has some good instincts. He just needs confidence, people to believe in him.”
“He’s not you.”
“But he could be. Look, I didn’t fall into this position freshman year with the skills I have now. Sully might have kicked my ass day in and day out, but he filled me with positive thoughts. Made me think I could do it.”
Tank leans forward to grab his can of soda. “Coach is the O-line whisperer, man. It’s true. You know he loves the offense. We’re his boys.”
“Regardless of how you feel about Meyers, you need to keep the negativity on lockdown. Give him what you give me, and he might surprise you.”
The room goes quiet. Until my brother, of all people, speaks up.
“It feels disloyal to you.” He shifts uncomfortably. “You and I have had our differences”—he gives me a quick glance from across the room—“but you kick ass on the field. You make it fun. I don’t know—maybe you channel all that stuff Coach tells you and you funnel it into us, but our time here wouldn’t be the same with a different man at the helm. You’re the heart of our team. Just want you to know I have your back. We all do.”
Rider cracks a smile, the first one I’ve seen all night, and Tank sniffles and holds up a fist. “That’s beautiful, man. I feel that.” He pounds his chest. “I feel it right here, brother. Right here.”
After he clears his throat, Rider nods. “I appreciate that. More than you know. I don’t think I need to say this, but y’all have my permission or whatever to support Meyers. You’re not being disloyal. I know you’ve got my back, and I’ll never forget it.”
When the meeting’s over, Rider sinks on the recliner. “I’m so tired, my eyes hurt.”
When he showed me that blog, I almost had a heart attack when I saw that photo of me hiked over his shoulder, waving a red Solo cup like a moron. Fortunately, I’m not named, and it’s a little blurry. I almost feel guilty, like I’m getting out of this with a pass while Rider’s in so much trouble. He’s reassured me he can handle it, but I can tell the stress is getting to him.
One thing keeps bothering me, though. How in the world did a blog based in Los Angeles get dirt on a player in Charming, Texas? Especially the kind of dirt that was mostly locked down by NDAs? And out of all the photos online of Rider—at games, at parties, around town—how did the Locker-Room Talk get an image that hadn’t been published on any of the popular Broncos fan sites? Because the first thing I did was reverse-search that photo, and it didn’t land anywhere local until after that blog post.
Bree took pics, but she showed them to me, and they’re from a different angle. Not that she’d ever stoop so low as to leak something to make us look bad. I think back to that party, trying to remember who else was there besides players, but unfortunately, the whole of my attention was on Rider that night.
As the guys commiserate, I consider whether I should tell him what happened with Miranda and Zoe this afternoon, but Rider looks too upset to broach the subject. The thought that he might not play the biggest game of the season, that he might actually get kicked off the team when he’s so close to achieving his lifelong dream, is devastating and trumps the hissy fit I want to have about his ex.
I scoot closer to him and rub his knee. “What can I do? Want me to grab you some dinner?”
“No. Thanks, though. I’m gonna guzzle an energy drink and hit the books. Might as well use the extra time I have this week to try to pass my classes.”
I frown. “Are you struggling with something? I thought you said you’ve been turning everything in on time.” He needs to keep his grades above a C to