Page 40 of The Game

The game disintegrated at a fast rate, and before anyone knew it, we'd been bowled out, achieving our lowest score of the season so far.

Bailey had tried to rouse the game play, his long legs powering down for the bowl, and his actions caught the fire of the crowd who seemed willing to forget the Lion’s indiscretion.

Waller wasn’t going to forget though. His face was a grey mask as he stormed into the changing room. The rest of us hung back, unwilling to witness the ugly scene about to unfold. Bailey threw a hot damp arm around my shoulders and his skin slicked against mine. “This is going to be bad." He murmured, although why he was quiet, I didn't know. We all looked like scared rabbits facing a sharp knife and the defrosting of shortcrust pastry.

We waited five minutes, all of us milling around, the cameras clicking right in our faces and then one by one we went in. I led the way when it was apparent the boys were too chicken.

"Public apology now, and you send flowers, chocolates, hell you give her a goddamn brand new sports car if it's going to make it better."

The Lion faced him down. "No, it was an accident."

Waller's head was going to fall off he shook it so hard. The vein in his head was matched with a twin pulsating lump. "That's not an accident, that's you being a prima donna which this club does not have room for."

The Lion sneered, "What are you going to do, fire me?"

Waller imploded. "Fuck, yes, if you are in breach of your contract."

The Lion's face paled a little, and he put a hand on the hook holding his spare kit. "It was an accident. I didn't mean it." No one else would have heard, but the tremor in his words was all too clear to me.

A strangled gurgle squeaked out of Waller's throat before he turned to me and said, "Talk to him."

"What?" I held a hand to my chest. "Why me?"

He ignored my protest and waved the other team members out of the room. The Lion and I were left in silence.

He glared at me, and I let him. He was a caged animal desperate to lash out, and I stood there, breathing slowly until the fight began to simmer in those speckled eyes. "What are you doing, Willis?" I asked, keeping my voice low. Within my chest my heart hammered an unsteady beat.

"It was an accident," he ground out.

"Sure, but you don't want people to think you are the kind of man that hits women."

"They think that anyway, don't they?" He shrugged like it didn't hurt, but the line of his lips told me more than he was saying.

"Rumours, Willis, it's just rumours, but you don't want to give them evidence. You aren't that kind of guy."

His eyes flashed onto mine. "What sort of guy am I, Rivers? Do you even know?"

"I know you'd give anything for your sport. I know it means more to you than anything else."

He stalked forward until his body was pushing me back against the changing room wall, his knee brushing against my thigh. "Then why the fuck can't I concentrate?"

"W-h-at?"

"Why can't I concentrate on anything, anymore?" He breathed in, a shuddering breath that vibrated in his chest. "Lyssi." The way he sighed my name made my legs sag at the knees.

I pushed my hands against his chest, splaying my fingers wide over the hot skin under the damp T-shirt. I edged him away because having him too close was clouding my judgement. "Apologise, Willis, please. For the sake of the team, for the game, for yourself." I steeled myself, ready for the onslaught in response to my next words. "Apologise, Jase, please, otherwise I won't be able to have you around Sammy anymore. I can't risk anything that will take him away from me."

His eyes held mine for one long moment, and my heart pounded faster against my chest. It bashed against my ribcage so fast I was sure he must be able to hear it. Dragging in a stabilising gasp of air I moved away and pulled on the door handle. He called me back. "Rivers?"

"Yes."

"I'll do it for you."

I nodded and opened the door, not turning around to look at him again. My legs shook as I trudged down the corridor and I wondered what it meant. Because in the eighteen years since he went pro, Jase Willis, had never apologised for anything before.

I didn't watch the apology as it played on all the late-night sports shows. His text was enough.

Lion: It's done.