Oh, and on top of that, Gavin desperately needed his best friend.
The woman he could now admit he was madly in love with. That shitty saying about absence making the heart grow fonder? Well, any more absence and he was going to yank the wretched thing out of his chest, because he was starting to think he could play better without it.
You know, if he wouldn’t be dead and all.
Julie had relayed so many “fun facts” about the vital organ, they could fill an entire football field.
Her voice rose to torture him, and yet he savored the invasion.
Your heart beats about one hundred and fifteen thousand times a day.
It also pumps about two thousand gallons of blood a day.
That’s a lot of Gatorade, Gavin had joked, and she’d told him not to go injecting it into his veins, as if that were a real possibility. Maybe he hadn’t lost his mind—if Jules believed she needed to warn him not to do something so ridiculous, he might’ve been missing it all his life.
Considering he’d had the ideal woman under his nose for so long, the evidence to support that theory stacked up quickly.
Medical facts continued on fast-forward mode, and he realized he was now using them the way Julie did: to calm himself down.
Hearts can continue beating even when disconnected from the body.
Giraffes have lopsided hearts. Their left ventricle is thicker than the right because the left has to get the blood all the way up the long neck to reach the brain.
Oh, and want to know what’s really freaky? Most heart attacks occur on a Monday, and Christmas is the most common day of the year for a heart attack. It’s why, as much as I love the holiday, there’s a part of me that’s always a pinch nervous until the day’s over.
Despite this past Christmas not being on a Monday, his heart had definitely suffered more than it ever had. The organ he’d learned more about than he’d ever wanted to panged. He’d been the one to ruin it for Julie this year.
And that’s why I’m about to do the most over-the-top thing I’ve done in a long time.
Holt, doing his best to live up to his Gossip Girl title, told Coach Bryant that Gavin was having trouble with his girl, and that’s why he was playing so shitty during practices.
Coach told him he should go have a chat with Lance Quaid, the man who not only owned the team but had also taken a huge chance on Gavin. It felt a lot like being sent to the principal’s office, except he didn’t have Julie by his side, which made most of their teachers—save Mrs. Trombone—go easy on them.
Expelling a long exhale, he lifted his fist and rapped on the door. A muffled “Come in” filtered through the wood, and Gavin gripped the knob. He twisted, swung open the door, and forced one foot in front of the other until he was standing across from Lance Quaid.
The owner indicated the two extra-tall wingback chairs across from his large wooden desk. “Have a seat.”
“I think I’d rather stand,” Gavin said, and at that, Quaid’s eyes narrowed to razor-sharp slits.
“Are you injured again?”
“No, sir. My shoulder feels great, and I’m ready to kick ass this weekend.” Gavin meant that. He was just struggling with the execution, since his brain wouldn’t stop spinning over the woman he loved and how she might never speak to him again, so his life suddenly seemed extra empty and pointless. You know, typical football player shit.
Lance visibly relaxed, so at least there was that.
“Long story short, some of my teammates found out that…” Gavin rubbed at his neck. “They found out that my girl and I…”
All that time walking from the gridiron, and he hadn’t managed to figure out how to word it right. “I fucked up. It’s my heart that’s injured. I know that’s not your problem, and I swear I’m not someone who enjoys drama. For some reason, Coach Bryant thought I should talk to you about it, and the guys all agreed, and I’d wager a guess it’s just because they’re sick of dealing with my mopey ass.”
Gavin’s chuckle was supposed to downplay the situation but fell more into deranged territory. “On second thought, I’ll have that seat. Unless you’d rather I just go.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “I don’t want to waste your time, and I’m sure you’ve got a lot on your plate.”
Lance raked a hand through his dark hair. “Go ahead and take a seat. As nice as it is that Bryant thinks I’m an expert on the subject of love, there were a lot of other factors involved when I pulled off my prank in an attempt to win back the woman I love. He obviously doesn’t understand how hard it was for me to swallow my pride that day, either.”
The pen Lance Quaid picked off his desk flashed as he wove it through his fingers, a dexterity exercise Gavin had done himself many times. He’d bet a pile of money it was a holdover habit from Lance’s own days playing QB. “If you’re at that same level, where you’re willing to do whatever it takes…?”
Gavin nodded. “I’m completely miserable without Julie. I love her, and I want to tell her and show her, and even if I can just get her to give me one more chance, I’ll take it.”
“Time spent in the pursuit of love is never a waste. Although, both of us will be better off if I call for backup and get someone in here who’s far more qualified to help.”
Using the end of his pen, he punched a button on his phone, and Charlotte answered.
Gavin had met the human resources manager first over the phone, during his initial interview, and then again when he’d arrived in San Antonio to sign the contract and fill out enough paperwork to cramp his hand.
“Hey, babe,” Lance said, reminding Gavin he and Charlotte were more than coworkers—they were engaged to be married. “You know how much I love your big, sexy brain, right?”
A soft female voice carried over the speaker. “I’m not sure whether to be flattered or suspicious. It seems like you might be buttering me up, and I’m worried as to why. Especially since you’re doing so over the office phone.”
A lovestruck smile spread across Quaid’s face, and jealousy pinged through Gavin. He’d had that and he’d ruined it, and he could kick his own ass all over again for not recognizing it sooner. “Only following procedure, so HR doesn’t write me up. Office phones are for business, and that’s why I’m calling my favorite employee.”
“Then that sexy comment was inappropriate, and do I need to read you the part of the handbook on favoritism?” Charlotte replied, and Gavin could hear the smile in her voice. It was the sort of happiness that came from talking with the person who knew your best and worst traits and chose to overlook all your flaws to focus on the strengths.