“I am.” I nod, clearing my throat, unable to look his way.
“Such a waste of money,” he mutters. “Fun for now, but gets you nowhere in life.”
What would he know? He never paid for me to play football. When we lived in Silver Valley, there was a program for underprivileged kids that gave them the chance to play sports. Mom signed me up for that, and sponsors bought my equipment. Not sure if he knows that. He’s a cheapskate, but hated people thinking of us as a charity case. I think Mom did a lot of things behind his back that he doesn't know about.
“Actually, it was worth all the time, effort, and money, because I’m currently being looked at by three NFL teams.”
I lift my eyes just in time to see my dad gaping at me. “Really?” he sounds surprised.
I shift in my seat, nodding. “No official offers yet, but they should be coming in the new year. By then, I’ll be picking which NFL team I want to play for.”
He drops his fork, a smile I’ve never seen on his face before. “Well, I’ll be damned. My son is gonna be a bigwig.” For a small second, I get that thrill that I’ve pleased him too, but then I see the shift in his gaze. “And that money. You’d be making, what, millions?”
And there it is. Money. It’s always fucking money. If I keep my parents in my life, that's all they’re going to see me as. A cash cow. And with the kind of money I’d be making, they would sink their claws into me.
“I don’t know.” I clear my throat. “That depends on what the teams offer me.”
“You have to go with whatever team gives you the most. It’s a no-brainer.”
I nod my head, looking away, not wanting to talk about me or football anymore.
The conversation shifts, and I’m relieved.
That is, until Mr. Jenson speaks again. “I swear I’ve seen you somewhere recently.”
My eyes dart up to his. “Ah, well, I’m around town a lot. Don’t have a car, so I walk most places.”
“No.” He shakes his head. “Not in town.” He stares at me for a moment before snapping his fingers. “That’s it. The burger joint in New Town. I thought that was you, but you grew up, so you look a lot different than the last time I saw you.”
The world around me slows, my heart pounding in my chest. New Town. The burger joint. The date I had with Bennett. The one where we were able to just be ourselves, because no one we knew should have been there.
It was supposed to be a safe place. But it wasn’t.
Someone I knew saw me. Someone who’s friends with my dad.
Alarm bells are going off inside my head, telling me to run, to get out of there, that it wasn’t safe.
I can’t move, frozen in place like a slow car crash happening.
“You were with that Tatum fella. I’ve seen him around town with his mother.” He wrinkles his nose. “Didn’t know you still hung out with the likes of them.”
Dad’s face snaps my way, and I think I’m about to puke all over this table.
Run, Easton. Get the fuck out of here.
“Bennett? You’re still hanging around that little faggot?” He growls, and I start to shake.
“I think I should go now.” My voice comes out like a scared little boy. Flashes of the past seep back in.
Pushing back from the table, I get to my feet.
“Don’t you fucking walk away.” Dad gets up. My heart is racing so fast I feel lightheaded. My feet work, leading me toward the door.
But I’m not fast enough. He grabs me by the shoulder, and I’m brought back to a time when I was that defenseless little boy.
I could kick his ass if I wanted to. I'm bigger than him, stronger than him. You’d think, but when you're in the moment, it’s like your body fails you.
“I thought I told you to stay the fuck away from that family. Didn’t you learn enough when you were a fucking kid?” he barks in my face, spittle landing on my cheek. “Do I need to remind you? To beat the sense into you again?”
