Hit Me With Your Best Shot // ADONA (cover)

It takes everything I have to focus on the ball. Every time Matt and I are called to the field to run a drill or a passing play is like being slapped back to reality. My head is spinning but I can't let it show.

Reign has been fucking with me all practice. The second I picked him up from the frat house I knew I'd made a mistake. The vibe was off. I still don't know what his deal is or why he's latched on to me, but I don't trust him.

"Next play!" Coach shouts at us after his assistant blows a whistle. His focus has been on the quarterback and wide receiver match ups. I know they're watching for the pair that is seamless. The two players who are in each other's heads. That usually takes hours and hours of working together outside of practice times to build. But it's clear that Matt and I come preprogramed with that skill. I wasn't his main receiver back at Jefferson. That was Pete, Matt's best friend all growing up. I never liked Pete much, more like tolerated him. But when Matt and I had playing time, we gelled quickly. For some reason I seem to be able to read his mind which makes catching for him smooth. Almost effortless.

I rush closer to the goal line, only turning my head back when I sense Matt's about to throw. I lock onto the ball spiraling toward me and position myself right under its arc. It sails smoothly into my awaiting hands. I cradle it like a baby and tuck in. Before I cross the goal line, I hear the whistle to stop the play.

Beautiful. When a pass is that smooth it is effortless. Perfection. Better than sex.

I cough at that thought because I'm not so sure it's the truth for me anymore. Not that Ali and I have gone that far. I think I'll forget all about football when we do.

When. Not if. Because she and I are a forever kind of thing. I feel it in my bones. I feel it all over my body, to be honest.

Just as I return to the sidelines, Reign collars me, pulling me to his chest. His mouth is practically in my ear, sending a chill down my spine. Fucking haunting me and he's not even dead.

"I got my work cut out for me with you," he says. I try to pull away, not even wanting to clarify what he means but the guy has a grip on me and won't let go.

"Can't have the backup QB lookin' better than me, now can we." Reign laughs. It's hollow, devious. Why didn't I notice this side of him before? Fuck. I get the sense I'm already in too deep with the guy and all I've done is had some pizza and given him a ride.

Reign lets me loose and shoves me away from him. A few minutes later Coach calls us to match up. I run the play with Reign flawlessly the first time. But as we set up for round two, he mumbles something I don't understand other than one word. And that one word has my blood boiling.

Alison.

I know he means it as a threat to keep me in line, but he plays it off like a joke. Winking at me with a smirk. I'm not that dumb. I can read between the lines. He's positioning himself to hold all of this over my head and I have no clue what his motive is.

As much as I'm trying to keep it together and not lose my shit while running the play, I fail miserably. Reign makes the throw, a decent one if I'm being honest, and I get under it like I'm supposed to. When I make contact with the ball my anger takes over and I let the thing slip right out of my hold. I'm a decent enough player for shit like that to be rare, and I can make a fumble look like a bad throw, that the spiral was off. It still looks bad on me— as a receiver worth my shit I should be able to catch even a bad pass—but I could give a fuck. I have four years to make a mark. This asshole only has this season, months before his window to pro-athlete potential is shut.

I'm about to shut it for him.

"Shit!" I shout it in anger to look like I care. I don't want to make it too obvious I dropped it on purpose.

I jog back to the sidelines making an effort to look embarrassed. In football that just means a scowl on my face and no eye contact with anyone. Coach moves on to a new pairing, this time Matt is throwing to another guy. I glance up to watch, but those two don't fair better than Reign and I did. Although this guy's missed catch wasn't on purpose because who the fuck would do what I just did in the preseason when all eyes are on you?

Me. That's fucking who.

I want to punch something for putting myself in this position. If I hadn't tried to butter up the biggest ego on the field in order to clear a path for Alison and me to go public I wouldn't be in this predicament.

I look over at Coach, dark thoughts about his role in this mess plaguing my mind. But I can't let myself blame her dad, my coach, for where we are. It's the politics of the field making this situation impossible, not any one person.

"Way to fuck things up, scrub." Reign mutters the insult as he walks past me, shoving my helmet covered head as he goes.

Oh. Right. There is one person making things even more impossible.

"By the way I have a stop to make after practice. Don't play in the shower too long, scrub."

Fucker.

Practice goes another two hours before we are finally released to the locker rooms. A few guys are working with trainers, icing up from the hits they took, or gave, getting taped. I don't need any of that today because after my shitty catch Coach hardly allowed my feet to touch the grass. I shower up quickly. When I'm dressed, I assume I'll be waiting around for Reign because unlike myself, he did get a decent amount of time on the grass. I'm stunned silent to find him leaning against my car scrolling through his phone.

"Expected you sooner." His snarky tone from earlier is gone, replaced with a neutral one.

"I expected you to be with a trainer. Don't you need some rehab after working out?" Muscles need to be loosened up and iced in order to recover after a practice like this.

He shrugs. "I've got what I need at home."

I nod even though I can't imagine what he might have at a frat house that can rival what's available at a state of the art stadium.

I unlock the Camero and both of us climb in.

"Where's your stop?" I start up the car and open my maps app to enter the address he'll give me. I'm met with stone silence instead. I look up to see a stone face to match the silence.

"I'll direct you."

"Okay." I draw out the syllables, evidence that I don't understand this guy's moods.

Instead of questioning him, I put the car in reverse and back out of my spot.

"Left at the exit," he says, already back on his phone texting someone. "Then stay on State Street. I'll let you know when to turn."

Okay. Looks like I'm his personal Uber. Fine. Whatever. I don't really want to talk to him either.

The drive on State street is long. It seems to roll endlessly to the south. We are getting closer and closer to the shitty section of town. I'm getting more anxious as we do. I wasn't anticipating another appearance in this neighborhood and I should have.

"Pull over here." Reign commands as we drive through a green light. I pull over next to a tall brick building, maybe five stories, with boarded up windows. It's after dusk. The sidewalk is encased in shadows. Reign doesn't make a move once I stop the car at the curb but almost instantly the back passenger door opens and Declan gets in.

Fuck. This is what I get for driving a car without automatic locks.

"What's going on?" My jaw is clenched, fingers white knuckled on the steering wheel at this new development. I did not agree to this.

"Got something against being a good Samaritan? He needed a lift." Reign dismisses any legitimate beef I'd have with the current circumstances. "Drive."

Again, fuck. The word, no, has just become my automatic response the next time he asks for a favor. Or a second of my time. Or a fucking piece of gum. No.

I pull away from the curb without speaking. I just want them the hell out of my car so I can put as much distance as possible between us.

"Three blocks then a right."

"That's not the way back to your frat," I argue.

"Not stopping there yet."

I inhale through my nose. The attempt at regulating my blood pressure is worthless. I'm steaming. Fucking boiling over. I don't say anything, telling myself that as long as I get the guy back to his place and out of my car, this will be fine. I won't say yes to him ever again and I won't have created a future problem for Alison and me.

Although I seriously doubt my line of thinking when I make the right, and then a left at the alley as he directs me. Bringing me up to the same house that Reign drove to the first time I was in his car. The house that he entered with Deke and Dave, leaving me to sit in the alley.

"I'll be quick," Declan says before jumping out of the car, back door left wide open.

"What the fuck?" I say. Reign doesn't have a response. But a split second later he gives me a dark look, one that says to shut up. I have no power here.

We wait in heavy silence. A dark, dirty alley stretches out in front of us. I'm regretting every second of this. Instead of my thoughts, I focus on my breathing. In, out, in. A failing effort to remain calm. I try reasoning with myself. Just because it's a rougher part of town, just because Declan left us in that alley with the door open, just because Reign won't say anything to me about what's going on...none of that has to mean anything bad.

But a minute later when Declan tears out of that house, diving into the backseat shouting, "Drive!" blows any reassurances I gave myself out of the water.

I don't ask questions, I gun it. Reign says something that makes my blood run cold.

"Keep it casual. Don't want to draw attention to us, now."

Now. As opposed to before.

What happened in that house?

Once I'm back on the main street heading toward Reign's frat house, I glance back at Declan. He's pressed into the corner of the seat and the side door, looking behind us, keeping his head out of the windshield. Another glance and I notice the sweat on his forehead and the darkness in his eyes.

But it's not until I stop at a red light that I can fully take him in. And the blood on his hands.

"What the hell, man?" The words are out of my mouth before I can filter them.

Declan shoots a glare my way. "Shut the fuck, up."

I look to Reign whose giving me an equally dark look. But his is laced with a different warning. One that leaves me sick to my stomach.

What the hell have I gotten into?

***

"Pull all the way to the back," Reign orders as I drive up to his frat. I follow directions, pulling into the long driveway and stopping at the garage.

"Hang on." Reign hops out, opens the garage and waves me in. It's not until after my Camero is in the garage with the engine off and Reign closes the door that I realize I should have refused.

"Out," Reign orders as Declan exits the car.

"I can't stay," I say.

Another dark look threatens me, this time from both of them.

I get out of the car. I don't know what else to do.

"The car stays here, hidden, until I give you the green light." Reign holds out his hands for the keys. I stuff them in my pocket. "Fuck man, it's for your own good."

I'm fuming. Pacing the garage. Running my hands through my hair, practically stomping my feet. I don't know where I find the balls to do it, but I end up in Declan's face, practically snarling.

"What have you dragged me into, you piece of shit."

A hand on my chest shoves me away. Now it's Reign in my face, seething.

"Don't ask. You don't want to know. And a little advice, which I suggest you take since you've shit all over what I've told you to do so far, stay away from your little side piece."

I narrow my gaze but say nothing. I'm caught off guard. My brain wars with the right way to react because I know the wrong way could put Alison in danger. One look at the blood on Declan's hands, which I now see is splattered on his shirt as well, is evidence.

Fuck. Evidence. My car is fucking evidence to a crime. I'm a damn witness, or an accomplice. I don't think ignorance is a valid defense. I step back from the pressure in my face, knees buckling, ending up on the cold concrete floor.

"You've fucking ruined my life." The strained words spill out of me.

Reign and Declan grunt. "So dramatic," Declan says. "Your life hasn't been touched. Your car did us a favor. No one in the house knows you. You're fine. Cops won't care about you."

My heart is racing. Panic takes over. I can't think straight and I need to think, damnit.

"He's having a meltdown. I told you he was too pussy for this."

Declan and Reign start talking to each other in low tones. I can't make out the rest of what they're saying. Next thing I know, Reign is kneeling in front of me.

"Go back to campus. We're done with you, now."

"What? I-"

"No more questions. If I need you, I'll find you. Get out."

Maybe I should force some answers out of them. I still have no idea what's going on. But I still can't function, still can't formulate clear thoughts, so I stumble out of the garage and to the end of the drive. It's too long a walk back to campus so I order a Uber. Reign and Declan don't show their faces while I'm waiting. I realize as my ride pulls up that I never gave him the keys to my car.

I don't know if that will come back to haunt me, but I just want the fuck away. I leave, not having a clue how the last hour will change my life.

But I'm about to find out.

The sh*t has hit the fan. Was it what you expected? Clearly this isn't over yet. There will be a ripple effect that takes Jeff on a nasty ride. I can't wait to give you the background on this in the behind the scenes feature...

FYI: I'm a football idiot, therefore Jeff is no longer a running back (if you noticed). He is now the wide receiver. I wanted the close pair up of a QB/Wide receiver - inspired by the Superbowl bromance between Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp. BTW their wives, sitting together with their kids for the game, gave me visions of Alison and Hannah's potential friendship. ❤️❤️

MUSIC!! I heard this version of HMWYBS at a hockey game and had these three thoughts in succession.

Hey that's a Pat Benatar cover

Wow that would be great on my All It Took playlist

It's kinda dark

Therefore it became the song of the downfall, because doesn't it sound like the shit's about to go down?

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

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