Playing the Game

Chapter 44: The Roast of Kent Jackson

Chapter 44

"Can you stop?" Elizabeth laughed, pushing my hands away as I tried walking them across her back again.

"Oh come on you usually love this!" I exclaimed, smoothing down her hair.

"Yeah and I'm a little bit wound up this morning. Okay the size of that stadium? We're going to be playing in it! Jesus I could barely hear myself think and it was practically empty this morning." Elizabeth shook her head, glancing up at me.

I sighed, twisting her hair around my fingers.

"She's got a point, you know. I'm anxious as hell." Reggie agreed from the other couch.

Garret just grunted in agreement, rhythmically tossing a ball up in the air before catching it over and over again.

"Speak for yourselves, at least you'll be getting playing time." Kurt snorted. "Even with a broken hand and all."

"Dude!" Elizabeth exclaimed, pushing herself up on her elbows. "Shush it! If Coach Turner finds out..."

Kurt held his hands up in defense and Elizabeth laid back down flat.

I was sitting in the middle of the couch and she was sprawled out on top of my on her stomach, reading a magazine.

It was the middle of the morning and we had just come from a press conference at the stadium for tonight.

Coach Turner gave us all strict instructions to relax and get in game mode.

It was still early but everyone was on edge.

I flattened my hands out over Elizabeth's back and she let out a soft noise of pleasure.

"Yeah that feels good." She whispered as I carefully massaged the muscles.

"Get a room, losers." Garret groaned, throwing the ball at us.

"Dude! Watch it!" I yelled, hurling it back at him.

Elizabeth let out a sigh, settling further into her position as I kept massaging her back.

"You alright? You're like extra tense." I frowned, pushing her hair to the side off of her neck.

"Dad called this morning. The birth mom went into labor. They're not coming to the game." Elizabeth said softly.

"No shit." My eyes widened. "For real?"

"At least they can't get mad at me for playing with this hand." Elizabeth laughed softly.

"Dude... I'm sorry." I said quietly, reaching up to squeeze her shoulder.

"I'm chill, I'm chill." Elizabeth laughed, turning her head to the side. "I've got everything I need, here."

"Yo, McKinley." Someone said behind us. "Didn't realize you'd shacked up."

Elizabeth scrambled up from my lap and Garret and Reggie stood up instantly.

"Kent Jackson." I laughed, getting up from the couch.

"Kent Jackson, QB from Woodward, pregnant girlfriend and daddy issues." Garret whispered to Elizabeth. "Got beef with almost every other QB in the area."

"Nah she's not pregnant anymore, it's like a month old or something." Reggie whispered in response to Garret.

"Those two goons are his little bitches that never talk but are actually kind of decent on the field." Garret added.

"How's fatherhood?" I asked, crossing my arms and finding comfort in the fact that I had the guys behind me.

Kent laughed, rubbing his jaw.