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The week dragged on.Coach Ford was nervous about the game Friday. It was our first away game against one of the best teams in our division. The atmosphere at home was worse than ever after Mom and Dad had got into it again last night. She’d wanted to come and watch the game and he was having none of it. It had gotten so bad, I’d had to intervene. He hadn’t raised his hand to her in years, but he was becoming more and more volatile. And I didn’t know what the fuck to do about it.
“You okay, man, you seem tense?” Gav asked me as we rode to school Thursday morning.
I ran a hand down my thigh and over my knee, my leg bouncing up and down as tension skittered through me. “Yeah, just this shit with my dad.”
“He’s getting worse?”
I nodded, my jaw popping.
“Maybe you should talk to—”
“Who? Who the fuck am I going to talk to about this? Mrs. Bennet? Coach? They don’t wanna know.”
“They might, if you tried—”
“Just drop it, Gav.”
My old man hadn’t hurt me, not really. He hadn’t taken his fist to me and beaten me black and blue. Maybe if he had, it would have made things simpler. He was a mean drunk, but he wasn’t as bad as some guys.
I let out a thin breath as Gav pulled into the school parking lot.
“Just another day in paradise.” Bryan tapped me on the shoulder from the back seat.
“Yeah,” I grunted.
“Come on, Thatchman.” He chuckled. “It isn’t that bad now your Coach’s star QB. Monroe’s guys are pussies without him.”
“Whatever.” I shouldered the door and climbed out and took off toward school.
Bryan had a point. Things were easier with the team, with Coach, and I had Lily in my corner. But everything felt like it was closing in around me. The pressure. The secrets and lies. Keeping my eye on the game, on my future.
It was fucking exhausting.
I’d barely made it into the building when Coach’s voice boomed down the hall. “My office, Thatcher. Let’s go.”
“I wonder what he wants.”
“Fuck if I know.” I took off down the hall toward the locker rooms. Just as I reached the door, my cell phone vibrated. The sight of Lily’s name soothed something inside me… until I remembered where I was headed.
Lily:I’m sick. Mom made me stay home today. I’ll miss you.
Kaiden:Are you okay?
Lily:I think it was something I ate last night. Probably too much dessert.
Kaiden:Feel better. I wish I could come and see you later.
My chest tightened.There was every chance I would never be welcome over at the Ford’s house.
Lily:Yeah, me too. But I’m looking forward to Saturday.
It wasLily’s birthday tomorrow, and since her family had monopolized all her time this week to celebrate her and Ashleigh’s birthdays, I was taking her out Saturday.
Kaiden:Me too. I gotta go… but I’ll text you later.
Lily:Okay xo
