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“If you’re a freak. I’m a freak too.”
“Mom’s going to kill you.”
My parents have been angry at me for so many things I’ve stopped counting. Stopped caring. The only person that matters is Gabriel, and I won’t have my brother, my twin, feel like he doesn’t matter. Like he’s not good enough.
I shrug. “I don’t care.”
* * *
“Wentworth!”
My head snaps up at the sound of the coach’s loud bark to find him standing in the doorway of the gym.
“Why the hell are you still here? Practice will start in ten minutes.”
I look down at my wrist, noting how much time has passed since I got here. “I spaced out. I’ll be there in a bit.”
Slowing down the treadmill, I wipe away the sweat dripping from my face, everything coming into focus. The bright lights, the rock playing in the background, the murmurs of coaches and athletes still working out, and the ache in my leg as the machine finally comes to a stop.
Hopping off the treadmill, my legs feel wobbly from pushing too hard, but I bite the inside of my cheek as I walk toward the door where Coach still stands, his narrowed gaze on me. “Where were you this morning?”
“Overslept.”
Which wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either.
“The bags under your eyes would disagree,” Coach says, his tone dry.
“I’m here now, aren’t I?” I bite back, so done with people getting into my personal business.
Coach’s eyes turn into tiny slits, his bushy brows connecting. “I don’t care what’s going on in your life, Wentworth, but this team is counting on you to bring your A-game and help them win the championship. Your teammates are busting their asses because they know there are no second chances. Every game now could be our last one. Are you with this team or not?”
I grit my teeth, anger boiling in my blood. “I’m with this team.”
“Well, then, you better show me.” He starts to turn around. “Better yet, show it to your teammates.”
With that, he walks down the hallway. Running my hand over my face, I let out a long breath before going to the locker room. The place buzzes with activity as my teammates change into their practice gear. I go to my locker and pull it open.
Nixon looks at me. “Why the hell did you run off like that? Is it Jade’s hair? Her doctor said it’s one of the common side effects, but it’ll grow eventually.”
“It’s not her hair,” I say, my voice clipped as I tug off the sweaty t-shirt to exchange it for my practice jersey.
“Then what the hell is it? It was an asshole move to walk away like that…”
He doesn’t know, I realize.
Jade didn’t tell him what happened.
She didn’t tell him we had broken up.
I open my mouth, but just then, the coach blows the whistle. “You have sixty seconds to get your asses on the field.”
“She should have said something. I hate that she keeps shit like this from me. I want to be there for her. She doesn’t have to do this all by herself.”
Nixon’s words are like a blow to my gut. He reminds me too much of myself and who I used to be.
He slaps me on the shoulder. “Hurry up, because Coach will make us run drills.”
“Sure thing,” I mutter as I slide on my pants, while at the same time, shoving my feet into cleats. By the time I’m done, the locker room is mostly empty, so I turn around, grab two pain pills and swallow them down. Only then, do I join the rest of my teammates.
