Venus Vs Mars

Chapter 58

It was nonstop training for the team, if they were going to beat Brazil they were going to have to began their World Cup training early, in order to be back in the number one spot they had no choice but to beat Brazil. On the filed day in and day out. Still being aware of her groin she made sure to ice it in between resting. Massy had to focus herself, she had never been under so much pressure to beat a team, and if the pressure was this heavy during regular season, she didn't even want to know how it felt once the World Cup finals began.

Odell couldn't escape Massy even if he wanted to, she was everywhere. Billboards, clothing stores, magazine covers. Eyeing him, scowling at him, secretly judging him, he couldn't escape her popularity. In that moment he realized she was popular because she was good. All the non stop thinking he had been doing about her, knowing that once again he didn't handle a situation the way he should have was killing him.

Massy paced to her door at the sound of someone knocking. Massy frowned as she saw Odell standing there. "We need to talk." He said, sounding more of a demand. Massy stepped to the side allowing him to walk in.

"Massy I f****d up, I really f****d up. I'm begging you to just work with me, please Massy. I know I need to work on me, I know I need to learn to speak up, and I should have, but I can't do it without you. The thought of loosing you to somebody else eats at me, especially when I could have fixed it. What I did was stupid, and I can get this together, I know I can, but I need you to guide me." Odell paused looking at Massy secretly pleading with to give him a second chance. 

Massy stood looking at Odell for a while, as much as she wanted to work with him she couldn't, there was entirely too much on her plate, not only that but she still didn't trust him. Though it was a step to him admitting he needed her and wanted her. 

"Odell, this isn't about you anymore, the only thing I have on my mind is a World Cup, I have a injury I have to keep under control, that's strike one, my season is no longer undefeated, that's strike two. There WILL NOT be a strike three. f**k you! Fuck... Michael.... f**k everybody! You're free and single to do what you want, but the only thing on my mind is my team and a Cup. If you can be patient with me until the end of the season, then I may let you have a second round, we can work on us, but if you can't then don't bother contacting me from this point on, it hurt my feelings." Massy paused taking a breath, she closed her eyes for a moment, and exhaled. "You have to do what must be done and sometimes happiness doesn't always come from that, but greatness does... I need to finish my season before we can move on." 

The stress of her season not going as planned final got to her, her multiple conversations with her mentor Kobe Bryant got her on the right path, during her season she needed to focus. The partying and celebrating after game wins wasn't needed, the drama between Sweden wasn't needed, her relationship with Odell and his insecurities wasn't needed, and Massy knew if she continued on this path she'd end up having a strike three. Massy was finally not just letting Sweden, the fans, and Odell know what she would and wouldn't tolerate but she was making sure she believed it and lived by it. 

Odell sighed, but he smiled at Massy, pulling her into a hug. Odell saw exactly what Massy was doing and he had no choice but to respect it. He saw that Massy was putting herself first, not out of spite or holding a grudge against him, but for the sake of her season, with Odell being an athlete himself he understood. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders laying his chin on the top of her head. 

"You got my patience... You got it." He said holding her, Massy slowly put her arms around his waist, she closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief, knowing that this could of gone completely wrong. Her and Odell may have not been together at the moment but she had to admit it felt good to have him holding her, she felt comfortable again with his arms around her, but with comfort came laziness, and that was the last thing she needed to be right now.

With the last and biggest game a week away before the World Cup, with Brazil hosting Team USA the fans got ready to cheer on their home team via tv screen.