Chapter 38: New Addition
Alex Walker woke up to a dull throb behind his eyes and a mouth that tasted like cardboard.
He lay there in bed for a few seconds, just breathing and staring up at the ceiling. The early morning light crept in through the half-closed blinds, too bright and too harsh for how he felt. His body didn’t want to move yet. Everything felt slow and heavy. His head pulsed softly, like someone tapping the inside of his skull with a rubber mallet.
"Christ," he muttered under his breath, dragging a hand down his face.
He checked the time on his phone. 8:12 a.m.
Not terrible. But definitely not great either.
"Thank god it’s recovery day."
He swung his legs out of bed and sat there on the edge for a moment, trying to summon the willpower to stand. It hadn’t even been that wild a night. A couple of beers, maybe a whiskey or two, at that dimly lit bar tucked away near His apartment. Nothing he hadn’t done before in his playing days. But his body wasn’t bouncing back the way it used to. No quick recoveries anymore. No fresh starts with just a splash of cold water and a strong cup of coffee.
He made his way to the kitchen slowly, bare feet padding across the wooden floor. He filled the kettle and flicked it on, then rummaged through a cabinet until he found a box of teabags. Coffee was out of the question this morning. His stomach already felt like it had been scrubbing itself with steel wool.
He dropped the teabag into his chipped mug, poured the boiling water over it, and leaned against the counter, watching the steam rise. Everything was quiet. No emails, no calls. Just silence.
By the time he reached the training ground, the worst of the headache had simmered down to a dull buzz. Manageable. He stepped out of his car in sunglasses and a hoodie, trying to shield himself from the sun. The place was already alive with low chatter and movement. Players were filtering in, heading to the physio rooms or toward the recovery area.
Isabella stood near the entrance, tablet in one hand, coffee in the other. She raised an eyebrow as Alex walked past her.