Waiting For A Girl Like You // Foreigner

I'm at the athletic building early. Way fucking early. But when Coach leaves you a message that he needs to 'talk,' you fucking go. My nerves are off the charts. I keep wiping the sweat from my palms on my jeans, trying not to look like a guilty party. I feel like a jerk. But damn, he's not just my coach, he's my ex's father.

My ex. No one could have convinced me that Alison would ever be in that category. I thought she was the one from the first night we met. Was, ha. She is. That hasn't changed even though our status has. It had to. I needed distance to keep her safe. Declan can't know how I really feel about her. He's fucking unhinged and I wouldn't put it past him to mess with her just to fuck with me. He's already hinted at it, multiple times.

I want to punch Reign in the face so freaking hard. I'm livid that he's put me in this situation. What the hell was he thinking? About his own skin, that's what. Asshole. I keep my distance, but he keeps trying to get in my space, in my head.

I can't think about this shit anymore. I push these thoughts away as I knock on Coach's door.

"Come in," he says.

I turn the knob, my sweaty hands slipping as I do, and enter his domain. The air is already thick with accusation. He fucking hates me now. I broke his daughter's heart.

At least, I think I did. I haven't talked to her since I ended things so I'm not aware how she handled it. I'm a mess. If she felt for me even the fraction of what I felt for her, she's not going to be doing well.

"Sit." He's not looking at me as he issues his command.

I obey without a word. I never would have created this situation unless I had to. But I can't even tell him why I had to do it. So I'll end up looking like a piece of shit, instead. Fuck.

"I think we both know why I called you in here so early. I didn't want anyone overhearing our conversation."

I nod. Still silent.

"Would you like to start, or shall I?"

"Whatever you'd like, Coach."

Coach doesn't say anything right away. He steeples his fingers at his mouth, lips spread flat. His eyes are hard, locked on me as though he's trying to get in my head. I should warn him it's not a good place to be. Not right now.

"We've got a big problem," he finally says. "And I think you know more than you're saying."

"Um, I haven't said anything yet, Coach." I lean forward, wanting him to read my body language because I can't say with words how terrible I feel. "I don't think there's anything more to say."

"That's where you're wrong." He stands, turning to look out his office window. "I think a little history lesson would be helpful."

I cough. "History, Coach?"

"Hmm." He turns back to face me. "A few years ago, I had a freshman on the team. Thirsty, hard-working, but lacked the strength he needed to compete at the college level. He was also full of himself. Thought he could do no wrong and used any means necessary to work the system."

Coach sits back down before he continues.

"He was good friends with Reign for a while."

I gulp. I think I know who he's talking about now, but I stay silent rather than make a confession.

"The thing was, this kid was into some bad stuff. I should have seen the signs earlier but he was smart. The changes were gradual so nothing too noticeable was going on. At least, not until the end of the season. He'd bulked up a bit, but often times freshman will hit a growth spurt after months of regular workouts and following the nutrition plan. This was different. That last game he got into it with another player, someone on our team. Near broke the kid's arm out of rage over a failed block."

Coach gives me a pointed look. For what I have no clue because I'm still not sure what he's talking about.

"He was doping."

Oh. Oh, fuck. The wheels in my head start turning. Doping. Steroids would do that, fill a guy with irrational rage. Like Declan that day in the car, and on the field during Friday's game.

Suddenly it makes sense. The size of the guys Reign hangs with. The weird small talk, like they're speaking in code that makes no sense. Stopping at a random house and leaving me alone in an alley. They went in there to dope.

"You see it, now. Don't you?" Coach asks, his voice a near whisper.

I don't answer. Instead, I drop my head into my hands. Defeated. What the hell am I caught up in.

"They have my car." I'm shaking as I speak. I knew Declan had done something sinister, the blood all I needed to see to know that truth. But now it seems more than revenge was going on. I was present at some kind of drop, or drug deal. And the evidence is all over my car.

"Tell me what you know."

I shake my head. "He threatened me. With Alison."

Coach stands up. "Damn it."

I can tell he's pissed but he keeps his voice low.

"Last time I was too hasty. I reported him out of suspicion, thinking he'd be tested again, investigated by authorities. The damn university wanted it to go away, so they just revoked his scholarship and expelled him off the record."

Coach leans over his desk. "Who else? Alison said he still hangs with Reign."

Hearing her name is physically painful. I feel it everywhere.

"Deke and Dave."

Coach nods.

"Where's your car?"

"Locked up in the garage at Reign's frat house. They had me give them a lift. I didn't know. I didn't think Declan would jump in the car and I had no idea where they wanted me to drive them. Then he jumped out, alone, and got back in yelling for me to drive. He had blood all over his hands and splattered on his shirt." I'm shaking, rocking back and forth in my chair. "I don't know what happened in there, but I know it was really fucking bad."

Coach comes around his desk and kneels in front of me, taking me by the shoulders.

"Keep it together, Jeff. Ya hear me? I can't make the same mistake I made before. We have to protect Alison, and you. Trust me, neither of you are safe if Declan has already made his threats."

"How is she?" I shouldn't ask, but I can't stop myself.

"She's stronger than you think. I'm not going to lie, this hurt her."

I nod, feeling like I'm on the edge of my sanity. I can't fucking let my head go down that path, worrying about what he might do to her or how I can get her back. I don't say anything else so Coach takes the lead.

"I need Reign to talk."

I look him in the eye, my jaw dropped. He can't mean he wants me to get the guy talking, can he?

"He was gunning for me to pair him up with you all during preseason. You saw how that went. Decent but not stellar. You and Matt make a better pair but Matt isn't ready for that kind of pressure."

"He'd be okay." I'm shocked by the frailness in my voice. I sound like a little kid.

Coach shakes his head. "Not yet. Here's what we'll do. I'll pair you up, but you need to hold back. Fuck up the plays like you did at practice a while back." The knowing look in his eye has me turning warm.

He knew. He saw me mess up that pass on purpose, but he said nothing. Was that him giving me preferential treatment because of Alison?

"I know you're better than that, and I know Reign can be a blow hard. Happens more often than you'd think in practice after a senior tries to mess with a freshman. But that's the kind of mind games we need to play with him."

"Why would you mess with our season?" It doesn't sound ethical, or something, to plan to ruin plays. Right? Insider type stuff. "Couldn't you get in trouble?"

"I'm not talking every play, every game. I'm talking once, enough for me to pull you and put in someone else for Reign to pass to. Enough for him to get irritated and pull you aside, maybe say too much."

I'm playing fucking chicken with his confession? Who talks first?

Nah. I don't like this.

"It won't work." I sit back, pulling away from his grip on me. "The only goal I have is to keep Alison from getting in the middle. That's it. I distanced myself from her to keep her safe. I'm ripping my fucking heart out so you and I don't have to watch her get hurt." He should be thanking me.

"I know. And believe me, that's the only reason you're sitting here and not running grapevines til you puke. But the point is, she's not safe. Not with both of them walking around. Declan has always been unpredictable. Reign has always been as full of himself as Declan. Both of them together spell big trouble. I can't just drop their names with the department and cross my fingers that they'll do the right thing. I tried that already and now here we are dealing with this."

Once again my head is in my hands. This is a nightmare.

"This stays between us. I'm not pulling you in again to speak about the plan or what you need to do. I'll work out my end and you just dig in, look for opportunities to push his buttons when you can. I'll let you know when we're done."

I nod. What else can I do? I feel trapped, cornered. Just like with Declan. I can't decide if I have more respect for Coach wanting to fix this, or less because he's involving me like he is. Using me.

"When should we start?" I ask.

"Today. See you at practice."

And just like that, I'm dismissed. I get up and start to leave the office, but turn to face him one last time. I have to get this out before anything more happens.

"For the record, I love your daughter. There's no way I would be putting her through this if I didn't think I had to."

He looks up at me and nods. "For the record, she loves you, too. Never said so out loud to me, but a father knows the look in her daughter's eye when a boy has broken her heart. And that's the reason I'm doing this. To end her torment."

I nod and leave like his words didn't just tear me to shreds.

She loves me, too. I would have thought hearing that would make all of this worth it, but it doesn't. It just makes me feel that much worse that I can't tell her myself.

Maybe if we find a way for all of this to end, I can.

I try to think of ways I can work Reign into confessing. If Coach hadn't told me their history, I would never have figured out what the deal was with his friendship with Declan. And that in itself makes me feel like an idiot. How obvious their doping is! All four of them—Declan, Reign, Deke and Dave—are massive. I thought so the first time I jumped in Reign's SUV and sat like a little kid in the very back. I'm a dwarf next to them.

I may be slow on the uptake but I won't be caught unaware by them again. My eyes have been opened.

I straighten my back as I walk, a new level of determination filling my steps. I've got to make this work.

I'm not giving up until I do. 

One more step into taking Reign and Declan down. To be honest, I hadn't planned this back door deal between Coach and Jeff but it actually solved a couple of plot holes when I realized what Coach had up his sleeve. Also, it created a couple more holes but no worries....I'll figure it out!

Also, WE FINISHED THE FIRST DRAFT OF BROKEN PROMISES!! I've literally been working on it every day for weeks now, and payoff hit yesterday. Now it's back to Catrina for revisions, beta readers, proof reading and then ARCs will go out. Eventually. I'll post an ARC sign up for anyone who'd like a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

And as for music, this week felt like it needed slow and somber again, with a hint of hope. Coach is in the know and working WITH Jeff (shocker for me, let me tell you!) and maybe, just maybe, things will work out in the end.

Don't worry, the drama isn't over yet. *manic laughter*

https://youtu.be/Wln6NX0V4AQ

I can hardly wait for the BP cover reveal. We found the SAME GUY and it is 🔥🔥🔥