Page 59 of Take Her On

Family comes first? Yeah, right.

A crisis in the family was supposed to bring them closer together, not push them further apart. Maya didn’t know what to do with that. She didn’t know what else to say.

So, without another word, she got out of the car, leaving her mum in the driver’s seat, to watch her walk away.

Chapter Seventeen

Jamie

Jamie tore her gaze away from the old family photo that was hanging up in the kitchen. She used to love that picture. She’d scored the winning goal in the cup final for the Harriers’ junior team. Her blonde hair was shoulder length instead of the short cut she’d worn since she was thirteen, which showed how long ago it was, but she could still remember the true happiness she’d felt that day.

Now her mum could hardly bear to discuss football at all, and her dad…well, Jamie could hardly bear to be in the same room as him.

Her mum caught her looking at the photo but didn’t say anything.

“Did you put that up?” Jamie asked.

She shook her head and took a sip from her cup of tea.

Her dad’s blatant lack of thought about her mum made Jamie’s grip tighten around her mug. Actually, she wasn’t sure what made her angrier—her dad’s selfish behaviour or her mum’s refusal to call him out. Even after everything he’d done last year.

She couldn’t understand why her mum stayed with him. Cheating on her was one thing, but cheating on her with some of Jamie’s teammates was a whole other level. His abuse of power had been sickening—promising more game time to his favourites and benching the others. It had become less about the game he’d taught Jamie to love so much, and more about what sexual favours he could get out of it.

The fact that he did this under Jamie’s nose disgusted her; her mum deserved better. So did she.

He’d lost his position at the university when it came out, but as everyone involved was a consenting adult, no legal action followed. But Jamie’s life was made a living hell.

Being in this house made it hard to escape.

Her mum cleared her throat, tucking her hair behind her ears. She’d kept changing the colours recently, sporting a burgundy red this month, anything to try and make her feel better. “So, tell me more about our neighbour,” she said, nudging Jamie with her foot under the kitchen island.

Their house was beautiful and spacious, modern and clean, an upgrade in the market from their last house, but inside, it felt empty. No matter what expensive furniture her dad filled it with, it wasn’t a home. Jamie didn’t think it ever would be again.

She pushed those thoughts aside and thought about Maya, unable to stop the smile from forming on her face. “I like her a lot,” she admitted.

“I could tell that from seeing you two together.”

Jamie laughed, thinking about that first encounter in Maya’s house and how irritated she had been to see her. At the time, Jamie couldn’t believe her luck. Toying with the grumpy captain had been a highlight of her Harrier days. She used to think winding Maya up was the best feeling—but Jamie hadn’t heard her laugh then. Maya’s laugh—her real, unfiltered laugh—rivalled anything else.

“So, when do I get to meet her?”

“You’ve already met.”

Her mum nudged her again under the table. “You know what I mean. Properly.”

Jamie glanced down, blowing on the tea in her mug.

“What is it?” her mum asked.

“Well…I haven’t told her about any of this yet.”

“Oh.” Now it was her mum’s turn to glance away.

An awkward silence passed while the two of them sipped at their tea.

Mum sighed. “I know it’s still really difficult for you, but I’m glad you came over today.”

Jamie didn’t know what to say. She could hardly tell her mum how much she despised being in this house. The itchy feeling that came with it, like her body was being infested with creepy crawlies, or the sadness that threatened to anchor her down so she could never leave again. She’d only come because she’d been swamped by guilt and couldn’t keep putting off her mum’s invitations any longer. She hated how much her dad’s actions had impacted their relationship, too. Honestly, she wished her mum would leave him, so they could start to put this behind them and move on. She wanted the best for her mum, and her dad wasn’t it.