Read Carpe Diem - Jesse 3 for Free Online Page A

snapped at Coach, “He started it.” I glowered at him. “Can’t I even defend myself, now?”
    “Grow up, Jesse. You sound like a child. Look, if you want to be the team leader, you damn well better act like a leader. Using violence is not the way to do that.”
    He brushed the dirt off this shirt and bent down to pick up the clipboard he had dropped when he came running over. “You haven’t changed at all, Jesse. You can’t solve all of your problems with violence.”
    His eyebrows furrowed in thought before he spoke, “You’re a different breed. The rawness in you comes out in a different way than with others. I suppose it’s good for something, but if you can’t control it I can’t have you on the team.”
    “What are you trying to say? You think I’m insane, like unstable or something?”
    “I’m just saying you have a special talent, that’s why you ride the way you do, aggressive an’ all. It works for the track, but don’t bring it here. The ruthlessness you show on the track is great, that’s why you win. The beast in you makes you the rider you are. But you have to be in control of it, leave it on the track. And in case you haven’t figured it out, the same goes for relationships, Jesse. How do you except to keep a girl like Niki if you can’t control your temper? Once the honeymoon phase is over between you two she’ll going running for the hills if that kind of anger keeps spilling out.”
    I raked my hands through my hair and blew out a long breath of air. Coach was right. “I know, I know. I’m older now than the last time I raced and I’ve changed, Coach. A lot has happened to me in the last year. I met Niki and you know...”
    “I know a girl like Niki is high maintenance. Sweet, but high maintenance.”
    “She’s not high maintenance.” How could he say that? Niki was an angel. I had never considered her difficult or self-centered in any way.
    “Hmm. Wait and see. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, make sure you give her the attention she needs and the support. Especially here, in Italy. You know what these Italian guys are like. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing.”
    “I know you’re right, but I’m working on it, Coach. Niki and I have already had an issue with that, but it’s over now. It’s just that Ice has been on my ass all day. He had it coming.”
    “Enough,” he barked. “I don’t want to hear another word about this. Go clean up and get back to your girl. Come back tomorrow. Hopefully you’ll come back rested and with a better attitude. It was our first day in training and everyone was a little on edge. But this had better be the last of this.”
    “You got my word, Coach, no more fighting.”
    *~*~*
    A fter my talk with coach, I walked back to the camper that I shared with another rider. The weight of my exhaustion felt like I was carrying a ton of bricks. I was paired up with Johnny Morrow, an Australian rider on the team, to share one of the campers equipped with a shower, beds and all the comforts of home, but I only needed to use it to clean up at the end of the day. If I hadn’t had a hotel room with Niki in Milan, Johnny would have been my roommate.
    At least Coach had the sense not to have me bunk with Ice or Santini, who shared another luxury camper, much like this one. Coach was a little naive sometimes and I wasn’t sure if putting those two together was such a good idea, seeing that one rotten apple spoils the whole bunch.
    I sat on a plastic chair outside the trailer and flipped open the metal buckles on my dusty black riding boots, then pulled them off with a groan. The day wasn’t hot but my feet sure as hell were.
    I hopped up the two stairs inside the camper and stowed my dirty boots where they belonged. Johnny had just showered and was dressed in clean clothes. He slapped on his wrist watch like he was going somewhere and said, “Nice riding out there today, Jesse.”
    “Thanks, bro.”
    “Sorry about that dick, Ice. You know,