Marrying the quarterback

Chapter Twelve

Watching AJ go for a spiral has to be one of the hottest and most thrilling things I got to witness. She kept dismissing the idea of being fascinating but she was running out of arguments.

I stared at her in admiration when her father told us about her past. I already had mountains of respect for her when I learned she was a marine and how she had to work her way up to the top without skipping levels or getting advantages.

“Why didn’t you go pro?” I asked her, wanting to know why she wouldn’t want to continue if she was one of the best.

“There wasn’t a single endorsement who wanted to sign with a girl and I couldn’t wait for them to change their minds,” Her answer didn’t justify it but it made sense.

“So, you just quit?” I asked.

I shrugged. “I am not ungrateful for how my life turned out, I survived things that only made me stronger and I wouldn't be this person without them,”

She went back to the bench without giving me a second glance.

“That’s gotta be the most fascinating wife,” Logan muttered, watching her with dreamy eyes.

“According to law, they are not really married,” Noah pointed out with a shrug.

“So, you won’t mind if I take a chance on her, right?” Logan asked.

“If you think you are able to handle all of that, then go for it,” I remarked, feeling no obligation to claim her like she’s mine. AJ made it clear she doesn’t like me very much and today only pushed her further away from me.

“She’s supposed to be your wife,” Daniel said coming over after everyone was relieved of practice.

“Should I remind you that we aren’t a real couple?” I asked him, feeling the need to clarify things.

“Yeah, but you gotta somehow convince the horde of reporters waiting outside,” He remarked.

“What for? She basically avoids posing with me or tries to make it looks real,” I retorted. There was no reason for me to act all lovey-dovey while she gives me the cold shoulder.

“Look at it from her point of view. You are the biggest playboy and have been with a lot of women. Who wants to date, let alone marry a player?”

“What are you getting at?” I was getting frustrated by his remarks.

“Women with her attributes don’t fall easily for a man who is open to sleeping with every girl in Ohio,” Daniel said, walking away showing his disappointment very clearly with the shake of his head.

“You are my friend, Daniel. I didn’t expect something like this from you,” I noted, watching his feet coming to a halt.

“You don’t want my opinion or honesty? Do you want me to approve of your ways?” Daniel asked looking at me.

“I just thought friends always have each other’s backs,”

He let out a loud sigh. “Friends also don’t watch their best friends throw away their life, if you want me to be that kind of friend—then you should know, I won’t be able to just keep my mouth shut while watching you mess up,”

“Just because I am not married like you?”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s not about marriage, it’s about committing to one person. When last have you actually sat down with a woman and got to know her before dragging her up to your room just to kick her out the next day without so much calling her?”

“You know when,” I grumbled, not feeling in the mood to talk about it.

“It’s been years, Maxwell. You’ve got to let it go before your last chance expires,”

“I am having the time of my life without having commitment issues. I meet pretty women every day and it’s not like I force them into anything. They know what they are doing,”

He shook his head in dismay. “For a man who is raising two daughters, imagine how that statement makes me feel.” He walked away without stopping this time.

I watched him say his goodbyes to AJ and how she smiled at him. I felt a twinge jealous because she never smiles like that when she’s around me.

Why I am letting this one woman consume me wasn’t making any sense. I haven’t let a woman get too close to me because of the things that happened in the past but she was making her way into my heart without realizing it and I had to put a stop to it before it happens.

I let her wait outside while I took a shower and got dressed. “How’s the shoulder?” Head coach, Victor Brady asked.

“Fine, a bit stiff, but the physio will be able to work it out,” I replied.

“Good, I will start considering putting you back in when the physio clears you,” He said before walking back into his office.

“Why doesn’t AJ share the same surname?” I asked him. It was something that bothered me since I found out he is AJ’s biological father.

“She is using her mother’s maiden surname,” He answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Why did you walk out on her and her sister?” I was cautious when I asked him questions that most likely had nothing to do with me.

“Things didn’t work out between me and their mother,” Victor replied casting his eyes down.

“Because of football?” Every player on the team looked up to the coach because he treated us like family and always have our backs. His strict but fair.

He nodded. “I lived in Los Angeles before I became the head coach of the Black and Gold kings. We wanted different things and couldn’t come to an agreement except for filing for a divorce,”

“It wasn’t something I wanted but their mother convinced me to leave and to never come back.” He explained.

“You were forced to choose between them or football?”

“Don’t tell AJ I told you this, she already hates me and doesn’t believe a word that comes out of my mouth. Her mother believed that I was turning her daughter into a boy by having her compete in football and giving her the crazy dream to go big,”

“She didn’t want AJ to feel the disappointment of being a girl,” I noted.

“AJ broke her arm while out with me on the field between the big and buff football players. Her mother was angry with me for letting it happen but AJ tripped and fell.”

"I stopped seeing her after their mother and I had an argument because I felt unfit around them. They are only girls,"

“She wasn’t at risk, she just broke an arm,” I argued. “You need to tell her, coach.”

He shook his head. “It won’t change anything, Maxwell and I would appreciate it if you let this stay between us,”

“You want me to keep a secret from a cop who sees right through me?” I questioned, arching an eyebrow.

He chuckled. “She was observant before she became a cop, it’s one of the many reasons why she is so good at what she does,”