Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 163209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 816(@200wpm)___ 653(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 816(@200wpm)___ 653(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
“Leave the gear here,” Davis said as he passed over some pills. “I’ll have Tony sort it out later.”
Jeremy was waiting for him in the hall. Nguyen had wrapped his ankle and half his shin before fastening an ice pack over top of it. Jeremy offered Jean a smile in greeting. “All good?”
“Nothing serious enough to need all this,” Jean said.
“I heard that,” Davis said from the office.
Jeremy laughed and collected the crutch he’d propped against the nearest wall. At the severe look Jean sent him, Jeremy shrugged and smiled. “Nothing serious,” he promised with cheeky irreverence, “but no point aggravating it further this early in the season. Ready to head back?”
They were almost to the door when Jeremy caught his sleeve, and Jean slowed to a stop. Jeremy’s smile was gone, but his tone was earnest as he searched Jean’s face.
“You were incredible out there. I know everyone else will say the same at the post-match roundup, but I wanted to say it first. And I know you’re only going to get better from here, because I know you’re still second-guessing this new style. I can’t wait to see how far you can go this season.”
“I was outstepped,” Jean reminded him.
“Maybe,” Jeremy said, “but you were never outmatched.”
“He should have scored. That he didn’t is a testament to Laila’s skill, not mine.”
“It’s not about being perfect, Jean. It’s about being better overall, and you were. You are in every way,” he insisted when Jean tried to wave him off. “If I threw a rock into the chasm between your talents and his, I don’t think I’d ever hear it hit bottom.”
It was so uncharacteristically rude Jean could only stare at him. He didn’t have to say anything; Jeremy grimaced and dropped his gaze. “Sorry, that was uncalled-for. I know better than to let them get to me, but they’ve always brought out the worst in me.”
“It makes you more interesting,” Jean said, and watched the way Jeremy’s jaw worked on silent protests. That he wouldn’t even defend himself said worlds to how disappointed he was in his thoughtlessness; he didn’t want Jean to like this side of him. Jean finally took pity on him and explained, “Not your capacity for unkindness, but how fiercely you fight against it.”
It wasn’t the answer Jeremy was expecting, judging by the look on his face, but this was not the time or place to get into it. Jean held the door open so Jeremy could hobble through it first, and their return to inner court was hailed with a round of cheers from their teammates. Emma hurriedly made space on the nearest bench so they could sit. Angie flagged Bobby down to say something at her ear, and the sophomore took off at full speed. She was back just a few minutes later with hard foam blocks from the weights room, and she set them up so Jean and Jeremy could elevate their injured legs a bit.
“Thanks, thanks,” Jeremy said, and Bobby shaped her hands into a heart for him.
Lisinski came by briefly to check on them, and she accepted Jeremy’s version of the nurses’ assessment with a serious nod. After she left, Jimenez shooed an enthusiastic Tanner out of his way so he could study his injured defenseman. Jean fixed his gaze on the buttons of Jimenez’s red-and-gold polo as the defensive line coach said, “You hit yourself like that ever again and I’ll bench you for two months. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Coach.”
“Brilliant otherwise,” Jimenez said. “They wanted a fight; thank you for not giving them one. Just tell me if we’ve got damage control to do—I know something set Hinch off. What did you say to him?”
Jean glanced past him to where Cody and Cat were hovering. “I told him to have a winning day.”
Cody whooped loud enough to send Derrick staggering dramatically away from them, and Cat used Cody’s shoulder for support as she bounced up and down. “That’s my boy!” she yelled, wild with shameless delight. “Hell yeah, let’s goooo!” She thought better of jumping at Jean and instead took off on a lap down the length of the court. Her “Let’s go, Trojans! Fight on!” carried back easily enough, and the stands nearest her picked it up with rowdy enthusiasm.
“All right, all right,” Jimenez said, motioning to the Trojans who’d gathered close. “We’re still in the middle of a match here, so let’s keep our eyes on the prize.”
The subs obediently scattered to where they could keep an eye on the game, leaving Jean and Jeremy alone on the bench. Jean didn’t have to look at Jeremy to know he was smiling; he could practically feel the warmth radiating off his captain.
“Did you really?” Jeremy asked.
“He took it personally,” Jean said.
Jeremy laughed. “They usually do! Cat struck gold with that one.”