I smirked, he’d always been a grumpy pain in the ass. Not my FP.
Long time, youngster. What brings you to my smartphone tonight?
Faraday glass.
What about it?
Friend of mine was scared today by someone driving a car with Faraday glass windows. I only know two groups that have access to that stuff.
What are you saying?
Don't bullshit me, Senpai. Do you know of anyone on our side that isn’t understanding the rules of my retirement?
The cursor blinked for a long time, and I was beginning to wonder if I'd lost my connection. Then, the text started up again.
I don't know. I'll check around, but it'll take me a few days.
Three. And tell anyone you even suspect, if I find someone harassing her again, there will be consequences.
She must be a very special friend.
I snorted, frustrated at my mistake. I shouldn’t have let him have enough information to make the connection that I was talking about a female friend. Good night, Senpai.
When are you going to stop calling me that? I'm not Japanese, for fuck's sake.
About the same time you stop calling me youngster. Good night.
I shut down my computer and went to bed, first checking the security system and making sure I was prepared for the night. I pondered for a moment, Was this a mistake? It’d been so long, and I thought I was in the clear. Should I have stopped myself from getting so close?
Melina's body made a soft lump under the blanket, and I snuggled in behind her, promising myself that I’d protect this woman with everything I had.
* * *
"What is it, Javier?"
Javier was a kid on the team. I’d been impressed with his work ethic since I put him in his place. He was always skilled, but now he was showing something more important than just raw talent. He was showing me grit.
"Coach, I know you don't want me slacking off, but I'm struggling."
I nodded. I noticed that over the past few days he'd been taking longer to warm up, and his performance was dropping. I’d hoped he was just getting through a late summer cold, but if he was saying something, I had to take it more seriously. "What's the problem, Javier? I noticed you've been going to your left less than before. Is your left leg giving you trouble?"
He nodded and winced. "My big toe's been hurting me for two or three days."
"Well, I'm no doctor but let's take a look at it," I said. Javier sat down and unlaced his shoe, which I noticed were pretty worn down. "How long have you had those shoes.”
"Beginning of last season," he said simply. I didn't say anything else, understanding. His family had moved to town because his father got downsized in Albuquerque, but was able to get a job with one of the hot spring resorts in T or C. The family was hardworking but wasn't rich by a long shot. Then again, most of Truth or Consequences wasn't. Javier most likely got the shoes as part of a team booster club deal in Albuquerque and had worn them ever since.
Peeling off his sock, I winced at what I saw. His big toe was red and inflamed, probably from being jammed against the rest of his foot while his feet were being crushed in the now too-tight and worn down shoes. "Jesus and you said this has only been the past few days?"
"Well, I mean it would ache a little after most pickup games and stuff, but yeah, it just started hard the past few days."
I nodded. "All right. Do you have any other shoes you can wear?"
He looked a little grim. "I've got some flip flops. But I can't play ball in those."
"You're right, you can't. I'm not asking you to. But what you are going to do is throw these shoes out. See if you can dig up something to wear to practice tomorrow, but you’ll just be lifting and stretching, no running. I’ll see what I can do about some shoes.”
Chapter 19
Melina
“I’m so glad you’re back. I did a little decoration while you were gone, god knows this place needs it!”
Cam chuckled and nodded. "Okay. Show me, I'm prepared to be impressed."
I actually hadn't done much, just adding a bit of color to the living room curtains with a new topper, and I changed out the tie rope that was used. "I was thinking of changing the blinds, maybe go with a different color, but I didn't know for sure, and I didn't know what color you'd go for."
It wasn't all I'd done, but I was worried that I was overstepping my bounds. I mean, I'd been here less than a week, and here I was already changing the decorations, or lack thereof. I wondered if there was an inner Bridezilla lurking inside me, but I dismissed it the moment it came to mind. We were nowhere near that, were we?
Cam looked over the curtains, then nodded in approval. "All very nice. I guess I was living a pretty monochromatic life, wasn't I? I've never been very good at interior decoration."