When it poured in Huntsville (BWWM)

16

Logan's POV
When I arrived to school I got an email from Coach telling me to meet him in his office before school.

"Logan," he said, his tone serious, "we need to talk."

My stomach dropped. Usually, that phrase meant something bad—missing a play, skipping curfew, or letting my emotions get the best of me. But this time, Coach was smiling.

"What's up, Coach?" I asked, trying to read his face.

"LSU's recruiter is coming to Friday's game."

The words hit me like a lightning bolt. I stared at him, trying to process. LSU?

"You serious?" I asked, my voice cracking a little feeling a slight smile .

Coach chuckled. "As serious as a heart attack. You've been on their radar for a while, Logan. This is your chance to show them what you've got. But listen—" His expression turned stern. "You need to stay focused. They're not just looking for skill; they're looking for leadership. I know this is your dream son more than anything so seeing you play this Friday is going to be one hell of a night"

"Coach you don't even understand" I said, nodding, my mind already racing.

When I walked out of the locker room that day, I felt like I was walking on air. LSU. It was happening. All the early mornings, late nights, and sacrifices were finally paying off.

Ever since I was a kid, sitting with my dad watching college football, it was the only memory I had with him.
Lsu's football team weren't just a team they were the ultimate goal of what I wanted to be.

I carried that with me through every practice, every game, every second I spent grinding to get better. LSU wasn't just a goal—it was the goal. And now, that goal was closer than ever.

But as the week went on, that initial high started to fade, replaced by pressure. Every time I thought about Friday, my chest tightened. What if I blew it? What if I made a bad pass or missed a read?

And then there was Jayde.

Things between us had been...complicated lately. My mom hated her, and Coach—well, Coach didn't even know about us yet, but if he found out, it wouldn't be pretty. I couldn't afford any distractions right now, but Jayde wasn't a distraction. She was the one person who kept me grounded, even when everything else felt like it was falling apart.

Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong.

I still hadn't really talked about the situation with her at all like I wanted to since I didn't know what to say other than sorry.

But I couldn't help myself now I had to talk to her as soon as possible
I waited for her to come out her English class leaning on the door there she was.

She glanced at me with a warm smile as I gave her a tight hug partially from excitement and then because I felt like I hadn't in a while in a time in need like this.

"You won't believe what I'm about to tell you" I said just thinking about her reaction

"What?" She asked curious

"Lsu recruits are coming Friday night to my game!" I said out of breath

"No way you're lying!" A smile came onto her face

Yeah!" I grinned,
"Coach told me earlier today, and I'm finally getting my shot. This is it, Jayde. This is everything I've been working for!"

"That's amazing, Logan. I'm so proud of you,"she said, and meant it.

I, pulling me into a quick hug just not even knowing how to feel.
"Thanks, Jayde. You don't know how much this means to me. Like, this could be it. If I play my cards right, I could get an offer. An offer!"

The night before the game, I sat at the kitchen table with my playbook spread out in front of me, going over routes and coverages. My mom walked in.

"Still studying?" she asked, her tone clipped.

"Yeah," I said without looking up.

She poured herself a glass of wine and sat down across from me. For a moment, she just watched me, her expression unreadable.

"You know," she said finally, "your coach mentioned the LSU recruiter to me."

I glanced up, surprised. "He told you?"

She nodded, taking a sip of her wine. "He said it's a big opportunity for you."

"I didn't think he would even call you but of course it is" I said, my voice steady.

She set her glass down and leaned forward. "Then why are you wasting your time with that girl?"

I froze, my jaw clenching. "Mom, not this again—"

"She's a distraction, Logan," she interrupted. "You need to focus on your future, not some high school fling."

"She's not a distraction," I said firmly. "She's important to me."

"She's trouble," my mom said, her voice rising. "And if your coach finds out, it's going to ruin everything you've worked for. You think LSU's going to take a kid who can't even keep his personal life in order?"

I stood, slamming my playbook shut. "Stay out of it, Mom. You don't know what you're talking about."

She didn't say anything as I walked out, but I could feel her eyes on my back.

The next day, everything came crashing down.

I was suiting up in the locker room, my mind laser-focused on the game, when one of my teammates nudged me.

"Coach wants to see you," he said his facial expression was dull but the team playlist was loud so I ignored it

I frowned. Coach never pulled me aside before a game. Something felt off he knew I had to clear my mind.

I walked into his office, and as soon as I saw my mom standing there, I knew it was bad.

"Logan," Coach said, his tone sharp. "Sit down."

"What's going on?" I asked, glancing between him and my mom.

"Your mother just informed me about you and Jayde," he said, his jaw tight.

My heart sank. "Coach, it's not—"

"Save it," he snapped. "You know the rules, Logan. No distractions. No drama. And dating my daughter? You think I'm going to let that slide?"

I shot my mom a look of pure anger, but she just stood there, arms crossed, like she was proud of herself.

"Coach, I'm focused," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I've been working my ass off for this game. Jayde has nothing to do with that."

"She has everything to do with it," he said, standing up and leaning across his desk. "You're supposed to be a leader. How do you think it looks when my starting quarterback is sneaking around behind my back? I don't ask for much come to practice, don't test around with my daughter "

"I wasn't sneaking—"

"I don't want to hear it," he interrupted. "You've got one job tonight: play the best damn game of your life. But know this, Logan—if you mess up, even once, you're done. I'll bench you so fast your head'll spin. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," I said through gritted teeth.

"Good. Now get out of my office."

I turned and walked out, my fists clenched so tightly my knuckles turned white. My mom tried to say something as I passed her, but I didn't even look at her.

I walked into the locker room the music was dull and everyone stared at me like I was gonna cry. I just didn't expect him to find out like this. I wanted to be a man and tell him myself but she always had to get in the way.

Jayde pov

I sat on the bleachers trying to be supportive have a straight face but Logan just acted like everything was fine. Like this really worried me and he just pushed it aside like I had no one else to talk about the situation. The band drums started to pound along with the thoughts of my head and artificial smoke hit the grass as the announcer announced the wildcats are hitting the field. I guess I couldn't be self absorbed now and worry about Logan's cool right now.