I got tired of waiting
Wondering if you were ever coming around
My faith in you was fading
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I was the Assistant Coach for a reason. They offered me the head coach position and I had politely turned it down. Not only because of how busy I was with Riggins Riggs, but also because I didn't care much for the pressure that accompanied game day. Dillon always took their football seriously, and while I have always been proud to be a part of the wholesome American tradition that is Texas Football, I hated being in charge of it.
Of course, Coach Daniels would chose now to get sick and not be able to make the game, leaving it all resting squarely on my shoulders. It sucked. Especially since I hadn't been able to keep a certain blast from the past from crowding up my thoughts. I looked up to the stands briefly, seeing her sitting there, biting her lip. Couldn't help but wonder where Saracen was.
She'd tried calling me, she tried banging on the door, but I ignored it all. As hard as it was, I ignored everything I could that reminded me of Julie Taylor. Damned if I would admit it out loud, but it hurt like all hell to see Seven standing there half naked, leaving Julie in the shower waiting for him. I hadn't felt a hurt like that in God knows how long. Probably since Lyla. Who the fuck was I kidding? Julie Taylor hurt me a million times more then Lyla Garrity could've ever dreamed of hurting me.
I just couldn't bring myself to listen to her excuses as to why she couldn't see me anymore. I couldn't hear her speak his name. I couldn't even imagine it without throwing my fist through a wall. Trust me. My walls took the brunt of plenty of those thoughts over the last few days. Six days to be exact.
I shook my head and expelled a breath, trying to get my head back into the game. The night was hot and my boys were looking tired. There were two minutes left in the final half, the clock down to two seconds. Where the hell had the time gone? I had one final time out, and I saved it for a moment like this. The ref blew his whistle and the team rushed up to me.
"Listen up, boys. Keep your eyes up. Got to be able to focus when we're tired. Got to be able to think when we're tired. Coach Dabneys all out of time outs, so 10-1, he's gonna try to punt out of bounds for the win. Get that damn ball. We need this W, fellas. This is what we worked so hard for. This means play offs. Ya'll ready?," I asked as I looked between them. They looked nervous, tired, as sweat poured down their faces. They could do this. "Clear eyes. Full hearts."
"Can't lose!," they called proudly before rushing back toward the field.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"So the Lions take their final timeout, leaving only 2 seconds on the clock. Doesn't look too good for the Lions, folks. All Arnette Mead has to do is punt the ball out of bounds and the game will be over," the announcer said over the speakers. Julie sat nervously in her seat, playing with her hands. She knew how important this game was to Tim. She had heard he would be head coach that night and for the rest of the time that Daniels was out on sick leave. She could only imagine how he was feeling. God, she just wanted him to talk to her.
"So will their season, Bob," the other announcer replied.
"Here's the snap," Bob continued as the game picked up again. "Rodney gets free! And he blocks the kick! James picks it up and Oh My God! I can't believe it! He's gonna return this for a touchdown! Touchdown Lions! The Lions Win! The Lions Win! And we're going to the playoffs, folks!" Bob keeps talking, but I'm not listening. I'm too busy staring at Riggins as a collection of fans, parents and students fled to the field to congratulate the team. I was happy for Tim, but I just couldn't find it in me to want to do any celebrating. Not when my heart still felt like it had been trampled on by the same crowd that just rushed the field.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Would you just look at how miserable she looks, hun?," Tammy Taylor said to her husband as they eyed their daughter from across the now sparse bleachers. "Maybe I should go talk to her." Tammy starts to stand up, but Eric reaches out and touches her arm lightly. He sighs deeply, knowing that he was the cause of his daughters unhappiness, and feeling like a total ass because of it.
"No. I got this one."
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
"You got some nerve coming over here to talk to me," I said softly to my father as he hovered over me. I still hadn't moved from my spot on the bleachers, my eyes too busy following Tim and his every move. Okay, so was it a little bit stalkerish? Maybe. But I didn't care. I missed him. I missed him so much.
"Jules, listen to me, darlin'…"
"Don't you 'Darlin' me. I was happy for the first time in a long time, Daddy," I said sadly, not daring to look up at him. "For the longest time, with Matt, I felt invisible. Tim saw me. I was finally me again. Free. Appreciated. He did those things for me. You called Matt here and you ruined everything," I said, finally looking up at him, silent tears falling down my cheeks. "So don't you darlin' me." I brought my eyes back down to my lap as I felt him sit beside me.
"Sometimes…," he said slowly, trying to find the right words. "Sometimes fathers do things that they think are right for their children. They do these things because they feel like if they don't look out for them, then who will? And most of the time, those decisions they make to protect their children, turn out to be exactly what needed to be done." I shot my eyes toward him. He couldn't be serious. "But sometimes," he continued. "Sometimes even fathers make mistakes. I should've stayed out of it, Jules. And for that I am sorry. I really, truly, am sorry. Not every fight that you have in this life, needs to be my fight. I'm going to have to remind myself of that from time to time."
"It doesn't even matter now. He won't even talk to me," I said, my eyes back on Tim as he followed his team into the tunnel that led to the locking room .
"Just give him a bit of time. That boys got the hardest head of any boy I've seen, but he's also got the biggest heart."
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Yeah, yeah. So I messed up. Should've stayed out of my daughters business like my wife had instructed. Did she always have to be right? Was it in the Got Damned Wife Handbook? Rule number 23. 'Don't worry, Ladies. You'll always be right and your husband will always be left lookin' like an ass.
I messed up. But I was gonna fix it. That was why I was standing outside of the locker room, an hour after the game had ended and the rest of Dillon moved on to celebrate at Applebees. He had to come out eventually, and when he did, I would set it all straight.
"Coach?," Tim greeted as he left the field house and headed toward where I stood waiting at my truck. The parking lot was mostly empty. He couldn't have missed me even if he tried.
"Hey, Riggins. I was wonderin' if I could have a word with you." Tim reached up and ran a hand through his hair. Clearly, he would rather be anywhere else. But it didn't matter. We had to have this out so my daughter didn't hate me for the rest of her, or my, life.
"I'm pretty beat, you think we can do this another time?"
"No. We're gonna do this now," I said not giving him a chance to run away.
"Look, if this has to do with Julie, you don't have to worry. Now that she's back with Saracen, I won't be in the picture…"
"Julie's not with Saracen you idiot," I replied. I don't know why I was angry. Just was. It was my right. Tim looked at me, his head half tilted.
"But I went by your house. Saracen was in a towel, he said…"
"He would've said anything to get you to back off, Riggins. What would you have done given the opportunity to keep Julie? Oh that's right. Not a damned thing, seein' as she's been sick these last few days without you and apparently you won't talk to her. She wouldn't even come home because she was so mad at me for calling Matt here."
"You called him here?," he asked me.
"Well that's what I said, isn't it?"
"You really hate the idea of Julie and I that much, Coach?," he asked me, a hint of hurt in his voice. Damn. Now he had to go and make me feel guilty too. I sighed, my anger being replaced with the sympathy that damn Riggins boy always seemed to bring out in me.
"Now, you know that's not it, Tim. I respect you, and I'm damn proud of the man you've become. But I was born in a time where if something was broken you fixed it, you didn't just throw it away. I thought they needed to fix it. Had nothing to do with you," I answered honestly. I could see my words registering with him. And I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders. "But I've come to the conclusion that I needed to let Julie make her own decisions regarding her life and her happiness. And she chooses you, Riggins. Now what in the hell are you gonna do about that?"
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A/N: Whewwww… I'm sorry that it took me so long to update.. I needed my hub to help me with the football lingo. I swear that man is a walking sports dictionary. Couldn't have done this chapter without him. Thank you all so much for the reviews on the last chapter.. They like..made my week. No kidding! Rebecca/Becca, musicaddict12, and Stacey73... Thank you! And thank you to the other viewers who read and didn't review. I appreciate every view, every review, every follow and every fav. It's what encourages me to continue… There's only 2 chapters left in this fic… But I'm thinking about maybe a continuation? Thoughts on that?