Resist Me

Chapter 3

Lincoln

“What the hell do you mean you can’t play in the final game?”

Staring at coach, I offered him an unhelpful shrug. “Sorry. Fucked up my ankle pretty bad.”

“You…”

He was clearly fuming, ready to expel steam from his ears like a cartoon character. If I didn’t have a doctor’s note- easily faked- he probably would’ve tried to force me to play. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, but I didn’t need one last hurrah. Losing out on it didn’t bother me all that much.

“Put in your new quarterback,” I suggested. “Let him prove his worth.”

“Fine, since you’re giving me no choice. Come on, Linc. Tripping over a curb. Really?”

“Agility doesn’t always transfer out of the field, coach. I’m sure Densmore will do great.”

“If he can throw better than he has at practice all week. You may not be playing tomorrow, but you’re working with him today. Make sure he’s ready. ”

I smiled at him before I turned around and headed to the middle of the field. There was a chance we’d win tomorrow, but something was fucking up West’s game lately. If his head wasn’t in it, all the coaching in the world wouldn’t help him. And when he realized that natural talent wouldn’t carry him, he’d come tumbling off that high horse.

Sure, I’d work with West. It wouldn’t do him much good unless he could learn how to actually be the quarterback. West didn’t work well with others all the time. He liked to claim the spotlight and while a lot of the guys liked him, not all of them did, which he took personal offense to. What he didn’t realize was that it wasn’t about being liked. He needed to lead the team and he could do that through respect and showing them that he was capable. Even the guys who didn’t particularly care for me didn’t question what I did on the field.

If we lost the game, I wouldn’t be happy, but I wasn’t a competitive person at heart. I worked for the wins throughout my years at Harmon but ultimately, this game didn’t matter. My future didn’t rely on football, but West’s did. He wanted to keep playing after college, which meant he needed to to learn the lessons the rest of us had over the years. Since he wouldn’t take anything I said to heart, he’d have to do that the hard way and I didn’t have an interest in being put in the game if he couldn’t figure his shit out.

Drive my bike off a bridge… I shook my head as I thought about his words again. He was an arrogant bastard. I should’ve never asked him to help me out of that date, but Frank wouldn’t take a hint. I gave him more than a hint. Short of simply walking out, it seemed like my only option. I should’ve just walked out.

“Densmore!” I shouted.

His head snapped up and he immediately narrowed his eyes at me. Kai hit his chest with the back of his hand, giving him a meaningful look. West should listen to his friend more often. Kai was respectable and he knew how to set boundaries between the different areas in his life. Although it may seem counterintuitive, that actually made him a better player, just like it did me. I guaranteed that part of West’s problem was burnout. He was too careless and short-sighted to recognize it.

“With me,” I said, jerking my chin .

He wanted to argue so badly. Defiance danced in his bright blue eyes. They were stark below his ebony hair. He had so many warring features that shouldn’t work together, but they did. Worse, he knew that he was beautiful and it only contributed to his ego.

“Yes, your majesty?” He performed a mock bow in front of me.

My eyes traveled to Kai, who was watching our interaction warily. I smiled at him, hoping it’d make him feel a little better. While I didn’t know the nitty gritty details of their friendship, it was clear that they were protective of each other. Kai undoubtedly had to put more into fulfilling that duty than West did.

I returned my gaze to West. “Me and you are practicing. Everything you did here yesterday was shit and I expect you to turn it around.”

“You don’t get to act like my boss just because you’re the team’s quarterback.”

“That’s literally how rank works and I have seniority.”

“Respect is earned, not given because you’re old.”

“I didn’t ask you to respect me. Frankly, I couldn’t care less how you feel about me, but coach wants me to work with you, so I am.”

His jaw set tightly as he dropped his gaze. “It was just a bad day yesterday. I don’t need one-on-one work.”

“Jesus Christ. You’re playing the whole game tomorrow, so end your little pity party and show me you know how to throw a damn ball.”

At that, his eyes lit up and a grin spread across his face. With a scowl, I tossed the ball at him and started jogging backward. Remembering my ankle was ‘sprained,’ I slowed to a walk. I held my hands up, waiting for him to pass it to me.

I was a little surprised when his throw was perfect. It was a far cry from the shit he displayed yesterday. I knew that he was good; I’d seen that over the past five months. He could be great, but I didn’t have any confidence that he’d make it there, especially if he kept acting like he had all year.

He backpedaled when I sent the ball further than he had. After he caught it, he came closer.

“Are we just playing catch here, Porter?”

“Lincoln.”

A single brow raised. “We’re not friends. ”

I rolled my eyes. “You don’t want me to use your last name. Don’t use mine. It makes you sound like a douchebag gym teacher.”

“Fair enough, Linc.”

I frowned but didn’t say anything about it. “The team we’re going up against tomorrow has great defense, so let’s talk about our plays.”

“If coach puts Kai out there with me, we’ll annihilate them.”

“You can’t rely on your buddy to help you win. He’s not gonna be there every time. What happens if you get drafted? You have to be able to work with new people and hold your own no matter what.”

“I can both hold my own and work with new people.”

“Maybe if you were more likable.”

Anger flashed in his eyes. “I am very likable.”

“No, you’re a coddled child, exuberant and fake.”

“Excuse me? I’m not fake.”

Shaking my head, I held the ball with both hands. “Let’s just get this over with.”

He listened while I went over what I knew about the other team. At least, I hoped he was listening. His gaze never stayed on me for long and there was a tight set to his jaw.

“So…” I prompted. He still didn’t look at me. “West. I’m trying to help you prepare. Are you listening?”

Blue eyes met mine. It felt like something crawled across my skin. West’s usually flippant demeanor had been replaced by seething intensity. I didn’t know if it was anger. He’d been pissed at me before, but this looked different.

“You don’t know anything about me,” he said, his tone level in an unnerving way.

“I’ve been around people like you. You need validation and you seek it like a child instead of dealing with your shit. Did you never learn to self-soothe?”

He laughed dryly. “Self-soothe. No, Lincoln. It’s kind of hard to take the time to worry about yourself when every day is about survival and there’s someone more important than you to protect. But sure, tell me how much you know about people like me.”

Swiping the ball from me, he set it up and kicked it expertly into the goal. I brushed off his statement and tried not to be impressed. I was shit at kicking, not that it mattered. If I wasn’t interested in something, I didn’t do it, so I’d never put in the time for it .

“I don’t care about your personal life,” I drawled, feigning boredom. “The only thing you should be focused on is winning the game tomorrow.”

“I’m gonna win the fucking game,” he muttered.

Did he know how annoying he was and just didn’t care? I’d tried to actually help him for a minute but of course, he didn’t really care. After he realized his mistake, maybe he’d chill the hell out. Or he’d drop out. He could go back where he came from and become the washed up quarterback who never managed to do anything useful with his life.

I watched him run to grab the ball and thought about the upcoming game. Maybe they’d win tomorrow, but I didn’t feel confident about it. The other team was good and West simply wasn’t prepared for it. He wouldn’t listen to me, so I clearly couldn’t fix that, even if there was enough time. So, I’d let him sink or swim and see what he was truly made of.

*****

Blowing out a long breath, I tossed my keys onto the kitchen counter. With only the light above the sink on, it was dark in here, but I could see enough. I didn’t want any more than this. It was peaceful and quiet, which was perfect.

I could’ve stayed at my frat house since it was closer to campus, but I wanted to be alone. My studio was thirty miles outside of Seattle, which was what made it slightly more affordable than living in the city. I was the type of person who needed my own space, so even though I was part of the fraternity, I was here at least half the time.

The best part: Nobody knew where it was. Once we finished the game tomorrow, I could decide to hole up here for a few days without talking to anybody. My only responsibilities would be my classes, which were easy enough. For now, at least.

I was graduating in June, but what I hadn’t told most people was that I’d still be in school. I knew they’d find out eventually when they saw me around campus but frankly, I was tired of being the guy everybody wanted to talk to. It was a stepping stone and I’d enjoyed it, but I was starting my PhD program in September, which definitely took precedence.

Yeah, imagine that. The quarterback of Harmon University wasn’t only good at football. It was pointless to tell people that. Just like who I dated and what I did in my free time, it wasn’t anyone’s business. Everything I did was for me; nobody else had any bearing on my life.

Was I antisocial? Maybe a little. Don’t get me wrong; I liked talking to people, but if I was given a choice, I’d probably choose to go the fuck home.

Swinging the fridge open, I leaned back against the small island and scanned the shelves. Damnit. I’d been so busy lately that I didn’t pay enough attention to the things I needed. The last time I ordered groceries was over winter break.

Apparently, I made a drunk phone call during that time too. I didn’t remember it at all. In the future, I’d have to hide my phone or something. It wasn’t like I drank often outside of parties anyway. And March fifteenth, but that was its own issue.

I grabbed a container of leftover Thai food and dropped onto the loveseat. Pulling out my phone, I started making an Amazon Fresh order to get delivered this weekend. Then, I could stay in the house and say goodbye to my football years. It was sort of bittersweet.

After taking a bite of the cold food, I paused. I could get a whole cake delivered with my groceries. That was stupid. But now it was in my cart because I’d be celebrating and I could give myself a break on the calories. It wasn’t like I had any more games.

I thought about the one tomorrow and couldn’t help but wonder if I was a dick by giving up on my efforts to coach him. The thing is, I let a lot of things roll right off of me. The fact that West had driven me to this point said a lot.

On the first day of practice, before school had even started, he came up and challenged me to a duel. Yeah, a duel. I still didn’t know what he meant by that because I brushed him off immediately. He stole my towel while I was showering after practice, so I had to walk back to my locker with my dick swinging. I wasn’t embarrassed, just pissed. I almost smashed his head into the wall but decided I’d let him have fun that once.

Wrong move.

By not responding to his challenges, I fed his need for attention. He put an unwrapped fish in my gym bag, tried and failed to poach my friends, and started a fight with me on Halloween. If Kai hadn’t been there, I might’ve shut West up for good. He just wouldn’t stop .

Tomorrow, I’d be celebrating more than just finishing my four years of college football. I’d be celebrating freedom from that annoying bastard.

So, no. I wasn’t being too much of a dick. He’d soon have people feeding his ego constantly, just like they tried to feed mine. In fact, I could probably be more of a dick if I wanted to, but I wasn’t West.

I just needed to fucking vent or something.