Rhythm and Ray: A DJ’s Journey

[Chapter 87: Unstoppable]

"Book a flight back to Nashville right now." Ryan hung up the phone and instructed Daddario.

"What did she say?" Daddario asked, sitting on the couch behind Ryan.

"Same old story."

"Then I'll just say what I said before." Daddario tried to respond.

Ryan hadn't cheated; he just often had Irina over for company, and during that time, Daddario covered for him as part of their "friendly agreement."

"By the way, I need to take a couple of days off for an audition," Daddario said to Ryan.

"Weren't you just in Los Angeles last week?" Ryan mumbled.

"I told you so many times, it's because I didn't agree that I didn't get the role. I need to earn the role on my own merit! That's the right way to go." Daddario frowned and explained.

Ryan stared at her big melons. In the so-called 32F, 32 refers to the underbust circumference, and F is the difference between the upper and lower bust circumferences. In other words, she is a truly slender woman with a real comic figure.

"I have to tell you an anecdote. Once upon a time, there was a man who was convicted because he possessed tremendous treasure," Ryan analyzed for her.

"So..." Daddario tilted her head, pulling her collar to take a glance, then looked back up. "Should I cover up more?"

"Forget it; if you cover up more, you'll have even less chance. You shouldn't even be an actress," Ryan shook his head and laughed.

It wasn't to insult Daddario; she just always seemed a bit naive, her big eyes lacking a spark.

"This time could be different. I'm auditioning for a new show, a fantasy series about a girl's romantic story with a vampire. I've seen the script, and the casting director said the role is perfect for me..." Daddario continued.

Vampire-themed stories had been really popular ever since Twilight hit it big.

"What's it called?"

"The Vampire Diaries."

...

Ryan arrived in Nashville alone. Outside the airport, a pink Jaguar was waiting, Taylor Swift's new toy. She had been influenced by Ryan and had started trying out performance cars, casually buying a half-price Jaguar for fun, complete with a custom wrap that had Paris Hilton vibes.

Besides her, sitting in the passenger seat was Abigail.

Ryan climbed into the backseat, first kissing Taylor and then turning to Abigail.

"I have no objection anyway," Taylor said nonchalantly. She wouldn't mind giving them some alone time.

Abigail looked at Ryan again, and reluctantly leaned in to kiss Ryan on the cheek, not quite on the lips, in front of Taylor.

"Taylor, drive us home. I want to check on something," Ryan said, his mind focused on a certain matter. Trey had been living in Florida, only coming back to stay for two days a week unless she had a music video shoot.

"Wait a minute, Ryan, the football team has a game today, and it's an important one." Abigail furrowed her brows.

That was the case; Taylor's brother had asked Ryan to coach him in tight end techniques specifically for today's match -- the state finals of the 6A tournament. If they won, the school would advance to the 7A level next year.

"Austin will handle everything. It's the same with or without me," Ryan casually replied.

"Don't you want to fight for the school's honor?" Abigail asked again.

"Of course I want to fight for honor, I just know they don't need me there."

"Okay then." Abigail nodded, finally agreeing.

...

The furniture in the room was covered with fabric, everything was as usual. Ryan led the two around the room. As he did, his hands started to wander.

"You're in such a hurry in broad daylight?" Taylor joked, wrapping her arms around Ryan.

'Everyone was busy, right?' Ryan's other hand was now on Abigail's shoulder.

If the last time in the car was a "warm-up," today felt like a full-fledged act.

Abigail snuggled closer to Ryan, returning the embrace.

Just as Taylor and Abigail were being pushed onto the couch, breathing a little heavily, Taylor's bag rang with a phone call.

She glanced at it, tossed the phone aside, not planning to answer it.

But soon the phone rang again.

"Answer it; it might be your mom with an emergency," Abigail urged.

Taylor looked at Ryan again, and reluctantly picked the phone back up.

"WHAT? No way! I got it; I'm on my way." Taylor exclaimed before hanging up.

"Austin broke his leg!" Taylor said.

...

"Do you remember the strategy?" the assistant coach handed Ryan the game plan.

Ryan nodded, slightly annoyed -- his concentration had been interrupted. Anyone would feel out of sorts in such a situation. After Austin's injury, he was now the only tight end left on the team, having changed into his football gear.

"Great. We'll call for you when we're ready for you to get in," the assistant coach said, turning to leave. Ryan sat on the bench, catching a glimpse of Taylor in the stands as she blew him a kiss, then raised her arms to wave. Next to her were Abigail and her mother, Andrea.

As for Taylor's father, he had rushed Austin to the hospital.

Time ticked by, and Ryan noticed the scoreboard showing both teams exchanging leads. The game was tightly contested.

At the same time, more and more young fans started flooding into the stands. Most of them were local girls who were fans of Taylor and Ryan. Even though security was doing its best to maintain order, a few girls managed to slip through to the bench.

"Ryan! Can I get your autograph? I'm like, totally in love with you!" one girl yelled as she rushed over, jumping with excitement.

Ryan obliged, signing her poster. Just then, she quickly kissed his helmet, practically swooning.

At that moment, Ryan saw the head coach signaling him to come in.

...

"Run a curve through the offensive line. The others will cover you," the coach whispered.

Ryan nodded, high-fived his teammates, and ran onto the field.

"Look who's here! Nashville's big star, the electronic sensation, Ryan Rivers! Let's hope he's as fast as lightning!"

As Ryan stepped onto the field, the crowd erupted in cheers. Even on the opposing side, some fans cheered in amazement at the celebrity's entrance. The focus on his skills took a back seat.

The game had entered the fourth quarter. Hendersonville High was on their third down; they had gained six yards on the previous plays and were just 29 yards away from scoring.

The game resumed, and the players executed the coach's plan flawlessly. Behind a running back's cover, the quarterback rushed forward and stealthily handed the ball off to Ryan as he ran past, then the quarterback accelerated in another direction to draw defensive attention.

Just as Ryan's teammates made their cover, he hesitated for a moment too long. That split-second delay allowed the opponent to position themselves successfully.

Ryan couldn't cross the line of scrimmage before being taken down.

A collective sigh echoed through the stands. Many fans who had been standing sat down again.

With the third down unsuccessful, Hendersonville had only two choices left: either kick for three points or go for it on the fourth down. Failing on fourth down would force them to kick, leading to a difficult situation for the team.

Ryan turned his head to see the coach discussing options. He stepped forward.

"I started a bit slow earlier, but I think we can pull off the fourth down." Ryan suggested.

The coach looked at the others, then patted Ryan's shoulder, "If this fails, I'll make sure you regret it!"

...

With the game back on, they ran the same play, but this time Ryan started half a second earlier. He burst through the offensive line successfully, only a few defenders were left blocking his way.

Ryan recalled the coach's earlier words -- run the inside curve.

However, upon observing the opponent's positions, he realized that running the inside curve would be blocked by at least three defenders. If he used a diagonal route instead...

In an instant, Ryan made a split-second decision to change his path, not only avoiding the opponents' tackles but also narrowly dodging a collision with a teammate. Luckily, the quarterback halted just in time to give Ryan space.

Now, only the last safety stood in his way, the opponent's final line of defense.

Without thinking twice, Ryan tore through, and the safety -- a formidable player -- knew that this play determined the game's outcome, so he charged headfirst.

At the moment of impact, Ryan felt as if he had been hit by a car; his vision spun as he got faster and faster...

"Boom!" Ryan fell hard to the ground like a kite severed from its string.

...

Taylor shot up in the stands, racing to the railing; if it hadn't been for the height, she might have jumped right down.

Teammates rushed to Ryan, who slowly raised his hand, giving a thumbs-up to signify he was okay.

His other hand clutched the football tightly; even being knocked down, he didn't let go.

And at that moment, he realized he had landed in the end zone.

Hendersonville scored in the final moments!

The crowd erupted into cheers. Ryan was lifted up on shoulders -- he was now the game's MVP.

His vision swayed up and down, and a powerful female voice echoed in his head.

The simple yet catchy rhythm, devoid of electronic noise, felt like a pop anthem:

♫I put my armor on, show you how strong I amI put my armor on, I'll show you that I amI'm unstoppableI'm a Porsche with no brakesI'm invincible♫

*****

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