Page 60 of Chasing Headlines
Piece of hot what?And we were back to Milline. I wasn’t the only one who’d enjoyed the filing show.Dammit.Now, I felt like punching him in the mouth.
Was he still talking? Geez, this guy beat Jimenez on the annoying talker scale. “I've got to go.” I didn’t want to be late for my role ‘serving the community’ or whatever.Yeah, right.
“Take the cold pack.” He rummaged around in a supply cabinet, then tossed me an elastic bandage. “This too. I'll just go grab the canister from the back.”
I guess he was being nice? I didn't know why he was going out of his way. Maybe he was that dedicated to the team? Maybe he was just one of those guys who did things because he could get away with it.
My stomach twisted, and I wasn't sure if it needed food. Or if it didn't like the feeling that we were taking something we shouldn't. I pulled the ice pack from the back of my leg.
Trainer-guy reappeared. He held out a flat, round container with official packaging, labeling it Premium Recovery Electrolyte Supplement. “You don't need a lot, but this is a helluva lot better than any of those sugary sports drinks. You've got to stay in prime shape, right?”
“Yeah.” I tucked the collection of stuff under my arm. “According to those old guys, I've got no room for error.”
“What does that mean?”
“Right now, it means I’ve got to get to an appointment before I’m late, fix my hamstring, and figure out that crappy ECON homework due next week.”
“Yeah that one’s a doozy, and the professor?” He rolled his eyes and puffed out a weird sort of chuckle. “What a cockblock, am I right?”
No.The hell?I shook my head. “Sure.” Either he didn’t know what that word meant or the professor was doing something to his dating life that I didn’t want to know about.
“Well, ya know, if you ever want to vent about it. I’m here. Like I get it. Ireallyget it.” He turned to walk away, then paused. His hand on the small table beside the cot. He picked up myphone. “Don't forget this.” He held up the device. Had it been there a second ago?
“Ah, thanks,” I said, shoving the phone into my pocket. And then I beat it out of there. I beelined for my truck, dumped my stuff into the passenger's seat, and climbed inside.
“Soft food with flavor and too many carbs? Or dry protein and wilted salad.” I glanced at the clock. I’d be late to my shift if I stopped for food at the quad.
“Mush and gravy it is. Maybe I’ll luck out and they’ll have jello.”
I caught my eyes in the rearview mirror. Red. Vacant. Who was this guy? Was that me? “You’re treading water as fast as you can, and still drowning.” I took a beat to lower my head, feel the pang in my chest—the familiar, empty ache that was all I had left of her. I closed my eyes as it amplified to knife point of pain.
Deep breath in. I pushed it all aside and shifted the car into gear.
Chapter Sixteen
Olivia POV
Isteered my car along the smooth Texas roadway. The black stretch of asphalt provided a sharp contrast to perfectly painted yellow lines. No potholes, or chewed up concrete projectiles, or trees or hills. Just houses and well-kept buildings. Lots of sand.
It wasn't a long drive to the senior living center. But it did give me a quiet moment to remember Curt had texted earlier in the day. I hit the call button next to his name. It didn't ring long before I got a: “Hey, how's the heat in Texas?”
I rolled my eyes. It was early October and still flirting with triple digits some days. “Hmph. How's Arizona U looking?”
“You asking as my unofficial bag carrier or a reporter for Victory Tech?” Curt's voice dipped and he spoke a little slower than usual. I tried to laugh it off. Was this an unfair advantage? Having a baseball scout for a brother?
“I thought I was yourofficialbag carrier, coffee runner, and pencil sharpener extraordinaire. A-K-A unofficial intern.”
A gross-man grunt sounded on the other end of the phone. How was it that men like my brother and Dad could just be, I dunno, so bleh? When there werereal menin baseball uniforms that could make sweating look sexy?
It's not like I wanted to find my brother—Ick, abort. I was glad, really really glad, Lucy put up with him and his scruffy facial hair, bad smells and grunting.Gross.
“Dad's gonna find out one of these days and kill me.” Curt huffed out a sigh. I could picture him, with his head bowed, and his fingers rubbing his temples.
“But I'm good at this. You know I'll be good at scouting. I'm interested, attentive, I can hold facts and figures in my head—in your words—to a frightening degree. I?—”
“You also can't sit still, get too invested, and are boy crazy on top of it all.” Curt grumbled.
“I'mnotboy crazy.” My stomach pitched. I scanned the road ahead, looking for my turn. “I've only had like three guys I've even dated. Maybe one . . . and a half rose to the level of boyfriend status.” I stuck my tongue out at the phone.Jerk.