“I’m really tired. I’m gonna go to bed, okay? Love you both,” I said before pushing myself from the couch.
“So much for our weekend alone, huh?” Jack offered me a slight smile.
I looked at Dean before responding. “It’s okay. This is better anyway.”
TWELVE
JACK
The fact that some stranger had beaten up Kitten and stolen her camera drove me out of my fucking mind. It had been three weeks and her bruises had faded, but my anger hadn’t. I never told her, but I cruised up and down that street every day, sometimes before and after baseball practice, looking for the asshole that had touched her. He was lucky I hadn’t found him yet.
I also looked everywhere for her camera. I searched online, went to local pawnshops, but it didn’t show up. I wanted justice for her…vengeance, really. But more importantly, I wanted to be the one to deliver it. And every day that I was denied that, my anger toward my cowardly teammates grew. I hadn’t talked to any of the ones who were there that night, my temper flaring out of control whenever one of them was near.
I walked into the locker room and changed into my practice uniform in silence. “Carter!” Coach Davies shouted from his office. I glanced up and our eyes met. “Get in here,” he demanded before turning his back to me. Coach was a good baseball player, but he was an even better man. He was the reason I chose Fullton State over the other schools. I wanted to play ball for someone I respected, and I respected Coach Davies.
I slammed my locker door shut and hustled into Coach’s office. “Shut the door.” He motioned before leaning back in his swivel chair. “Come sit.”
I sat in the old wooden chair, my mind racing before he spoke. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on between you and your teammates. I heard something about your girlfriend getting beat up and I’m really sorry about that, but your team is your family and you need to work it out.”
“No disrespect, Coach, but my family wouldn’t let my girlfriend get the shit beat out of her while they ran away and hid.”
Coach frowned. “I’m sorry, Jack, what did you say?”
“Four of your guys left her there alone. Brett took care of Dean, but everyone else bailed on her.”
“Who does that?” His voice trailed off.
“I’ll tell you who. My teammates. My so-called family. My brothers. I can’t even look at them, let alone pretend like I respect them.” I threw my hands up in the air, my voice disgusted. “Coach, it takes all of my willpower every single day to not beat the shit out of them. I’m sorry.” I looked down.
“I didn’t know the details, Jack. I’ll take care of it on my end, but you have to promise me you’ll work it out on yours. I can’t have my team falling apart at the end of the season. And you need to keep your focus.” He leaned toward me, his concern genuine.
“I’m focused. I’ll be fine.” I attempted to reassure him, but I could see he wasn’t buying it.
“Don’t quit on me, Carter. Don’t quit on this team. Don’t quit on yourself.” His frown deepened.
“It’s not in my nature, Coach. I don’t quit.” And I meant it.
“Alright, get on out there then. Tell Coach Smith I want to talk to the boys before practice starts.”
“Yes, sir,” I answered before scooting the chair back.
The entire team sat in the dugout waiting for Coach. Since this wasn’t our standard protocol, the guys were nervously trying to figure out what was up. I remained on one end of the long bench, while Brett, Cole, Matt, and Ryan sat on the other.
“Alright, gentlemen, listen up.” Coach appeared on the field and was immediately greeted with silence. “I know there was an incident that happened off school property with a few of our players. I didn’t realize how bad the situation was. I didn’t know what happened. But I know now.” His stern gaze landed briefly on each player sitting on the bench as he continued. “And let me tell you, I’m not just molding you gentlemen into great baseball players here…I’m trying to mold you into great men. And great men don’t run away from a fight. Great men don’t leave a girl alone to fend for herself.”
He looked at Coach Smith before letting out a long huff of air. “There will come a time in your life when you lose something that matters to you. You’ll fight for it and you won’t win. But what really matters isn’t the war you’re waging, it’s that you don’t lose the person you are in the midst of the battle. You boys lost yourselves that night.