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“Why does it matter?” Theo challenged from the back of the room, and I smiled. Of course it’d come from him. He was the inspiration for it after all.
“It doesn’t, and that’s my point,” I replied. “You’re going to find a lot of people like Hale in your life—people who want you to define why you want something. People who want you to validate why you want something or why you feel a certain way.”
“Fuck ‘em!” Max shouted, inciting a round of loud agreement.
“Exactly that,” I said. “Because you want something is enough. Because you feel something is enough. You don’t owe anyone an explanation, and you certainly don’t need a reason. Admittedly, it’s something I’m learning to embrace for myself as well, so take away what you will. I just think it’s important that you don’t let people like Hale push you to feel guilty for wanting something you can’t explain.”
“So, does that mean you’ll do it?” Sam asked.
“No,” I replied. I threw up a hand to stop the fight as it began. “Let me finish! Let me finish, will you?”
I stared them down, waiting for them to stop protesting and listen. I refused to compete with them volume-wise. When they were quiet, I continued.
“It’s too much on you guys to ask you to learn a whole new playbook. Hale is right.” I hated saying the words aloud. “Don’t tell him I said that.”
At least that earned me a laugh.
“What we can do is supplement the playbook we already have. I can create a handful of new plays for us to work on—and you will work on them—for us to use alongside what we already know,” I told them. “That’ll break up the expectation of what we’re doing for anyone that knows how we play, but it won’t overwhelm all of you either. I think that’s a fair middle ground. It still gives you the new variety you’re looking for, but none of us are scrambling to figure out something new. What do you think?”
“Dibs on Hale quitting the day you tell the coaches that!” Wyatt exclaimed quickly. The conversation devolved into a series of back-and-forth betting pools—exactly what I’d suggested we avoid. I took their enthusiasm as approval for the plan, even if it came at Hale’s expense. To be honest, they were catching on that Hale’s only interest was in how well they did as a team, not who they were as people.
When my gaze found Theo’s, he was smiling at me. It was that quiet, knowing smile of his. I watched him grab his phone and waited a little impatiently for the buzz in my pocket before I took mine out.
WOLF: You have no idea the impact you have on them, do you?
Hopefully, it’s a positive one.
WOLF: You’re an idiot if you think it’s not.
Watch yourself, little wolf.
That grin turned cocky, and I looked away. The last thing we needed was to get caught texting like this. The smart thing would’ve been to stop, but I couldn’t quite bring myself to do so. I liked the back and forth. I liked the thrill of it with him.
WOLF: Rhodes Kennedy… sexy idiot with a great ass.
I will make you regret that part.
WOLF: The sexy, the idiot, or the great ass part?
Brat.
WOLF: Yeah… that’s not helping. If anything, that’s only turning me on more.
He shifted in his chair, which told me exactly how turned on he was, and my cock thickened slightly at the knowledge. Even as I put away my phone and tried to focus on the chaos in my review room, all I could think of was exactly how I’d make him regret it.
CHAPTER 44
Rhodes
WOLF: I’m still waiting for the regret to hit.
Patience, little wolf. You’ll regret it on my time and not a moment sooner.
Theo’s impatience and bratty ways tested my resolve to be a functional person. I wanted nothing more than to drag his ass back to my house and spend the night making him feel the regret he craved. Sure, I’d make him come, but the anticipation of how I’d make him wait for it was the part I enjoyed. I always took care of him, but I liked to see him squirm and beg before I let him get there.
I only did the necessary work before calling it a night. Anything unimportant was left for another day. However, instead of leaving right away, I leaned back in my office chair and took out my phone.
Are you alone?
