"Then I'll start gardening,” I sneered.Like old man Mick. Pain in my ass."So, great, you gave it to me. Now what?"
"She misses you." He squared his shoulders and narrowed his eyes. "You could at least call her sometime."
"I've been running two-a-days since the first week of August, while you and your ice dancing team just started learning choreography last fucking week. If they'd actually show up to homecoming—to see their son, the starting quarterback—maybe I'd have something to say. But as it is, my own family—" I caught myself.I don't need them. And they've never needed me."I’m busy, go away.”
"You're such a prima donna. It’s like because you play football, you get a free pass at the rest of life. Give a shit about someone else? Nope, I play football. Participate as a member of my own family? Nah, I don't have to do that, becauseI play fucking football.”
Heat flashed over my skin. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
"One day, you won't be the big man, the almighty starting quarterback." His features crushed up into an older version of his "life's not fair, so I'm gonna whine about it" face. His cheeks turned red. White streaked the sides of his jaw.
"Just get out."
"Who will be there then, Beaux? Your girlfriend?" He stuck out his bottom lip. "Oh."
You asshat!
"Your teammates? Coaches? Who?"
I rolled my eyes. "What do you care?"
"You couldn't even come home for Pops's funeral!” His hands formed fists at his sides. “Do you know what it was like for Mom? Or Grandy?” His voice rasped and he had the nerve to shed God-damned tears. “Do you care aboutanyoneother than yourself?"
I sucked in a breath as I tried to tamp down the pain.I couldn't go to the funeral. If I went, then Pops would really be…gone.I turned away as warmth pricked my eyes.
He cleared his throat. A silent moment passed, I wasn’t sure if he expected me to answer him and his garbage accusations. So, I left it for him to figure out.
When he spoke again, his voice changed to a hollow, quiet timbre. "Pretty sure everyone who's ever met you knows the answer to that."
Fire ignited and boiled the blood coursing through my veins. "You know, for all your mouthy 'look at me, I'm an ice princess' talk"—I pivoted to face him, again—"the only ones I ever hear about are that Wynter guy, his old man—who's not even on the team—and Frenchie, the French Canadian. Nothing about Caden Fuckboi Seager.”I know how to hurt you too.
"I'll be first line this season. Wyn's about two practices away from hanging up his skates for good. And I'm skating circles around Giraud." The knuckles of his fists turned white. "Not that you'd bother to come watch a game or do anything that wasn't foralmighty football."
"That's right. The sport you gave up on.” I pointed at him. “The one I'm gonna go pro and have a career in, junior. But maybeMommy and Daddywill come to your games."
He shook his head, one side of his face scrunched up. His lips curled into a sneer. "I stupidly keep thinking that one day, you’ll actually be, I dunno, someone I recognize.” He flipped me off and turned away. Wrenched open thedoor, but paused mid dramatic-exit to throw over his shoulder, “I’m done waiting for you to grow up."
And then he was gone.
Instead of the insipid party, I stretched and went for a jog. There was a hill about a mile from campus. I liked to jog to the top and pause and stretch. It cleared my head.
And the view…
At sunrise, the West Texas sky formed a tapestry of clouds over a violet backdrop—orange threads dazzling amidst the chaos. The world was quiet. And I was the only person alive.
But at sunset, the autumn breeze spurred a thin, misty veil to chase the sunlight away. In the distance, the frat party continued. Cars rushed by.
And I was alone.
"You'll make a great girl dad someday." Red grinned and tossed her hair.
I chuckled at the memory. "Idiots."
I trudged down the hill and decided to just walk for a bit. Something pulled at me even as the burning, bone-deep ache to move finally relented.
A strong gust of air cooled the sweat along my forehead and down my back. And brought with it a terrible smell. "Ugh." I stopped and turned the direction of the wind. Burning rubber.Or skunk. “That fucking reeks.”Either someone's being an ass, and I would've heard the engine. Or…I scanned the area. The waning sunlight cast long shadows that melded with other shadows. I jogged to the other side of the street where I could see the bend in the road—itducked behind a small grouping of rock, trees and cactus. Taillights blinked in the darkness.
"Not a good place to pull over." I changed direction, picking up speed. I kept an eye out for any sign of another car heading this direction.
