Page 19 of Breakaway

I fold the paper back and take a bite, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. I hate what he’s done to me. To us. Not him and me–but myself and the parting gift he left me with.

13

Andilyn

“Ready?” Dayton asks, using a hand towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

His sudden appearance startles me, but I do my best to mask it. I glance around, realizing they’ve finished while I was taking a stroll down memory lane. I swallow the bite I’ve been chewing for far too long, then hold the uneaten half out to Dayton. He gladly takes it, inhaling the rest of it in a matter of seconds.

“Whenever you are,” I answer, standing to join him as he gathers his things.

“Bye, Ms. Andi!” My eyes widen at the group of boys frantically waving their hands. I glance at Dayton in question, half-heartedly returning the gesture.

“They might be dumb ninety-eight percent of the time, but they’re quick learners,” he chuckles.

As we make our way back to the parking lot, I ask, “Do you practice every morning?”

“We meet twice a week before school starts, which is typically the extent of my coaching, but they have afternoon meet-ups as well. The head coach still has a few more years before retiring, and they don’t have any other official openings, so I’m doing my best not to step on anyone’s toes. Most of these guys are vying for a spot on a college team, so any leg-up they can get is happily taken,” he explains, holding the door to his Jeep open so I can climb inside. I know from our many conversations that he teaches World History and helps coach football, but time was too erratic inside the compound for me to ever memorize their schedules.

“Colsen and I both went to Chaplain County High. We didn’t have the fancy new building, but our football team set some pretty impressive records,” Dayton elaborates once we’re on the road.

“Oh, I know all about your glory days, Mr. Quarterback,” I jest.

“What’re you talkin’ about?” Dayton whips his head to the side, searching my face for an explanation.

“Remember that banquet the school held to honor your achievements? I believe they retired your jersey number as well. And there was something about you still holding the state record for passing yards…” I trail off, enjoying the way his cheeks are turning pink from embarrassment. “Let’s just say the guys were eager to explain why you were missing from our weekly phone call.”

“Assholes,” Dayton mutters, but there’s no heat behind it.

“Don’t be mad.” I playfully slap his arm. “You should be proud of your accomplishments.”

“I am.” He shifts uncomfortably, his eyes staying focused on the road. “I guess I just struggle with feeling like it’s enough sometimes.” He shrugs a shoulder casually, but the tense way they're set tells me it’s anything but.

“Things might not have gone the way you planned, but the life you’ve built for yourself is plenty, Dayton,” I tell him, hoping he can hear the sincerity in my voice.

He gets a faraway look in his eyes, as if his mind has traveled elsewhere. I drop the subject, not wanting to push a topic that I know is a sore spot for him. We spend the rest of the drive in silence, content to watch the sun rise as we navigate the early morning traffic. He parks in the same spot, confirming my suspicion that their spaces are designated. My feet are dragging by the time we make it through the courtyard. Dayton allowing me to tag along successfully exhausted my brain.

“Thank you,” I mutter, twisting the doorknob to Raiden’s apartment.

“No problem, but keep your ass indoors if it’s not daylight. You can join me every Tuesday and Thursday, or come get one of us if you feel the need to traipse around the city outside of normal business hours.” I’m too tired to form a proper response worthy of his bossy demands, so I turn and shut the door in his face, hoping that suffices in getting my point across. Exhaling audibly, I grab the fluffy down comforter from Raiden’s bed and take it to the couch. I still have a couple of hours before he’s supposed to arrive, so I settle in and close my eyes, knowing I need the rest if I want to tackle the day ahead of me.

“Andi?” I wake to the sound of the door being opened. Fear swamps me, and I immediately begin to run through the list of things I could be in trouble for, certain Tobias is storming in to punish me. I move so quickly it causes my head to spin. Through hazy eyes, I can just make out the silhouette of Raiden rushing towards me.

“Whoa, take your time,” he urges, kneeling in front of me to keep me from toppling over. “You good?”

“Yeah,” I croak, blinking past the dots dancing across my vision. “I think I sat up too fast.”

“Have you eaten recently?” I nod reflexively, but the two bites I took of Dayton’s protein bar weren’t exactly filling.

“Not really,” I reply, my conflicting answers causing his brows to dip with concern.

“Sit tight,” Raiden orders, then stands and makes his way to the kitchen. Leaning back, I close my eyes and take a few measured breaths in hopes of warding off the fuzzy feeling clouding my head. He returns a few moments later, a glass of orange juice in one hand and a plate of jelly toast in the other. “It’s nothing special, but this should help.”

“Thanks.” I graciously take the food he was kind enough to prepare, my hunger growing more apparent by the second.

“I’d like to go over what you should expect today and in the coming weeks,” Raiden states, then waits for me to nod before continuing. “You’re going to be questioned about every aspect of your time with Veritas, including the lead-up to what brought you there in the first place. It won’t be a short process, and more likely than not, you’ll be asked about the same thing multiple times. There’s going to be several people in the room, myself included. Will that be a problem?”

I set my plate aside and take a sip of my drink before asking, “Why would it be?”