“I-I told Coach Yancy I’ll be happy rotating back to kicker.” Ryan flushed. “If you want your old position back.”
Why was this motherfucker pressing the issue? CJ didn’t want to fucking care that Ryan had been a fucking victim, too. He didn’t want to consider what he would’ve done if he would’ve been idiotic and jealous enough to sacrifice Molly and then have Mom and Dad’s darkest secrets exposed. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to say, “You’re good as quarterback too.”
“Thanks, cuck. I’m still not as good as you. No cap.”
CJ sighed. Fuck, what had resentment gotten them? Fuck all, but Rebel, Mattie, Harley, andMolly hurt. “I appreciate the gesture, Ryan. I’ll work through my anger toward you. Just don’t fuck with the girls again.”
“I’ll regret what I did for the rest of my life.”
“Learn from it. Don’t spend the rest of your life fucking wallowing in guilt. That’ll serve no one, especially Aunt Zoann.”
“Get a move on, CJ!” Coach Yancy yelled. “You’re holding up my practice.”
Ryan shook his head. “That’s a Caldwell boy for you. He can bring everything to a crashing halt until he arrives.”
There was no good response to that, so CJ smiled at his cousin and jogged onto the field.
The moment CJ turned into the driveway of a trailer park not far from an abandoned motel, a dog ran in front of the SUV. If he hadn’t slammed on the breaks, he would’ve hit the animal. It threw CJ an accusatory look, then loped off.
“That’s Cat.”
“A dog named Cat. Interesting.”
Skye smiled.
“She’s yours?”
“It’s a he. And no. He belongs to anyone who feedshim.”
“Slut.”
She giggled. “Right?”
“Direct me to your place.”
“I don’t know, CJ,” she said nervously. “Actually, just let me off here and…and—”
“We have everything we need to start on the project.”
Squirming in the seat, she wrung her hands together. “You’re going to judge me.”
“I promise I won’t.”
Her nostrils flared, but she gave in. “The single-wide at the very back.”
Creeping forward to make sure Cat or any other stray animal didn’t run in front of the Lexus, CJ followed Skye’s directions around a little bend in the road. He took in the clothes hanging on lines in front of most of the mobile homes. Piles of garbage surrounded one where a skinny girl sat on the porch while a toddler ran around in a diaper, T-shirt, and bare feet.
“There it is,” Skye said, pointing ahead to a small place with a neat garden overshadowed by the fluttering laundry. “I washed a load before I left for school.”
CJ nodded and parked in front of the trailer.
“You can turn into the driveway. Mom won’t be home until early morning.”
Following her directions was his silent response.
She started to open the door, but CJ caught her hand. “You’re fine, bae. Neither one of us are responsible for the circumstances we were born into.”
“Okay,” she mumbled, snatched her hand away, and then rushed out of the car.
