“Mmmm…” I said, breaking off the stringy cheese.
We enjoyed the meal and each other’s company. At the end, he pushed the half-eaten pie across the table and belched. I elbowed him.
“I need to teach you some manners.”
“Only if you let me teach you how to wield a sword.”
I smiled at the image of me with a weapon.
“I’m not sure I could handle it.”
“You never know. A special woman like you is bound to have a lot of hidden talents.”
“There you go with the compliments.”
“I can stop.”
“Please don’t.”
He showed those perfect teeth, so straight and white.
“You want to come back to my place?” he asked.
I sighed, thinking of what was waiting for me back at my apartment.
“No, I should go to my place and let Tabby know I’m moving out. Maybe I can find someone who wants to sublet their room or something.”
“Maybe. I’ll ask around.”
“Thanks,” I said. “For everything.”
“Don’t mention it.”
He scooted off the bench and stood up. As I looked up at him, the smile vanished from his face. I craned my neck to see over the back of the booth.
“Hey, Coach,” James said.
Crap, crap, crap.
“James. I heard you might be here.”
“Heard from who?”
“Doesn’t matter. You know my team rules, right?”
“Yes, Coach.”
“And you’re breaking one of them right now. That’s not good for you.”
I glanced around the dining room, seeing quite a few people looking at us, but I didn’t recognize any of them. Had one of them called the football coach on us? What was the big deal, anyway?
“Hello,” I said, standing up and offering my hand. “I’m…”
“This is my cousin Haley,” James blurted out.
“Your cousin, huh?”
The coach turned his attention to me. I smiled and bent my elbow to raise my hand close to my chest in a mini-wave.
“I’m his cousin. Nice to finally meet you.”
“You better not be lying to me, James.”
“I’m not, Coach. I know your rules, and I appreciate you helping me go pro.”
“I know a lot of people,” he said. “And my rules are in place for a reason. I can’t have you go making a fool of me, now can I?”
“No, Coach.”
“I should go,” I said. “Talk to you at the family reunion, cuz.”
He nodded his head at me. I walked away, wondering what the hell had just happened. Was it really that serious? None of it made sense.
On the way home, the confusion turned to anger. Had James really chosen football over me? Was that stupid ball of his more important than me?
I stopped thinking clearly as I got worked up the closer I got to my apartment. Would I not be moving after all? All the drama pissed me off.
Why can’t love be simple and pure?
THIRTY
Haley
The moment I walked in our apartment, I made up my mind to leave as soon as possible. Tabby and a group of her friends were sitting in our living room. She lifted a wine bottle in the air when she noticed me. I glared at her, not saying a word.
“Hey, Haley baby. Come join us.”
“Everyone needs to leave,” I said sternly.
The half-dozen people crammed into our tiny living room sighed and booed me, but I didn’t care as I pointed a finger at the door.
“Now!”
“This is my apartment too,” Tabby said drunkenly. “You can’t do this shit to me.”
“I’m not going to tell you guys again.”
The others stumbled to their feet, looking back and forth between Tabby and me. She defiantly took another drink. Her friends turned to me.
“I’m calling the landlord. You know there’s no partying allowed here.”
“This isn’t a party,” Tabby whined. “You’re such a stuck-up bitch.”
Some guy in a green turtleneck sweater laughed. I shot him a look that sent him scurrying to the door. Tabby walked over to me.
I smelled marijuana, clove cigarettes, and cheap wine coming off her clothes and out of her mouth. As she stared into my eyes in a threatening manner, I decided to move out the next morning, no matter what it took.
“Let’s go guys. We’ll party on campus. My roommate’s being a bitch.”
She broke eye contact with me and stumbled toward the door. The others followed. When they were all finally outside, I twisted the latch.
I hoped she wouldn’t come back, at least not that night. As I surveyed the damage they’d done to the apartment, I took a deep breath.
I’ll take care of it in the morning.
While tempting, it was still early, and I wouldn’t be able to study with the living room still trashed. I walked over to my recliner and saw someone had spilled wine on it.
“Shit!” I screamed.
A guy who had been laying behind it, out of view, sat up and glanced around with a look of confusion on his face.
“Who the hell are you?” I asked.
“Oh, hey. I’m Timbo. Where’s Tabby at?”
“Get out of my apartment! Now!”
He grabbed the arm of the recliner and got to his feet. I stood a few feet away, hands angrily crossed over my chest. I watched as he left.
After locking the door behind him, I made a sweep of the house, looking for any other stragglers. Even though I hadn’t found anyone, I still got even angrier.
She’s nuts. I’m out of here tomorrow no matter what
.
I left the mess for her to clean up and retreated to my room. Studying was the last thing I wanted to be doing, but I had to keep my grades up.
To pay for my own room, I might have to work extra hours, which would mean less time for studying in the future.
Better to be ahead
, I reasoned.
Did James worry about the same things as me? Or had life always handed him everything he wanted on a silver platter? The way he acted sometimes, I wondered.
I pushed him out of my thoughts and hit the books hard, fast, and without protection. Later that evening, as I laid in bed, I imagined what it would be like to have James as a husband.
Would being the wife of a sports star make my own dreams less relevant? Couldn’t he play professional football while I studied to get my advanced Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
Reality, thankfully, slipped away and dreams entertained and enlightened me the rest of the night. In them, James played a huge role, the hero and the villain at the same time.
* * *
I woke the next morning to the sound of someone banging on the door.
If that’s Tabby, I’m going to kill her
, I thought as I threw back my covers.
They banged again, more insistently.
“I’m coming!” I yelled, never a morning person.
When I flung the door open, ready to yell at my so-called roommate, I froze at the sight of a campus cop.
“You Haley Harrison?” he asked, pen poised above a pad of paper.
“Um, yeah. Why?”
“Where were you two nights ago?”
“I’m no law major, but if I’m not under arrest, I don’t think you have a right to ask me that question.”
He scribbled something onto the paper.
“Look, miss. You’re possibly in a lot of trouble.”
“Possibly?”
“Your friend Tabby really hurt someone the other night. She’s saying you were there with her and that it was your idea to attack the woman.”
“Attack who?” I asked, utterly confused.
“Where were you two nights ago?”
“It’s none of your business.”
If word got out that James and I were in a relationship, his coach might get upset and fuck with his time on the field or something else. His scholarship depended on him playing, and I certainly didn’t want him to lose any help he might get for going pro after he graduated.
“You’re going to have to come with me down to the station.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “I’ll be calling my attorney.”
“It’s certainly your right.”
“Can I get dressed, at least?”
“I’ll have to come in.”
I sighed.
“This is nuts. I’m getting ready to move out on Tabby because she’s been lying about a lot of things.” He stared at me, not looking convinced. “She’s probably lying about this.”
“If you gave me an alibi, it would help.”
“I’m not telling you anything.”
“Very well. We’re going to the station then.”
“Fine.”
“Exactly.”
“Perfect.”
Hah! I got the last word.
I spun around and went inside. He followed after me, waiting in the living room as I went to get out of my pajamas and into something a little more suitable for police questioning. Were they even real police? I wasn’t sure. And an attorney! I did not have one on speed dial.
Tabby is so going to pay for this.
THIRTY-ONE
James
I stared down at my phone.
She’s not answering my calls or texts again? Playing games with me? After we had opened up to each other? Or is something wrong?
Teddy walked in the kitchen as I leaned against the counter in front of the sink.
“Hey, glad I caught you.”
“What’s up?”
“Have you heard about Haley?”
I stood up straight.
“Did something happen?”
“All I’ve heard in the newsroom is that she’s in trouble for attacking some woman with Tabby two nights ago.”
“That makes no sense,” I said, shaking my head. “She was with me that night.”
“From what a reporter told me, she’s not saying anything to them, which is pissing the cops off even more. I think she’s protecting you, man. Didn’t you say your coach saw you two together at Papa Jack’s and you lied to him about her?”
“Yeah,” I said. “But how would he find out if she tells them she was with me.”
“Fucking journalists, man. We’ll do anything to get clicks these days, even something like who a big star like you is dating.”
“That’s messed up, bro.”
“Tell me about it. I’m seriously thinking about switching majors.”
“Why would she not tell them?”
“She’s protecting you, man. That’s damn rare.”
“Yeah,” I said absent-mindedly. “Thanks for watching out.”
“No problem. I’ll see you back at the house.”
I nodded my head.
“Catch you later, bro.”
After he left the kitchen, I walked to the stadium for evening practice.
While I hoped she was okay, I couldn’t be late again or Coach would go nuts. The closer I got to graduating and going pro, the tougher he’d gotten with me. If I had problems handling what he gave me, though, I’d never make it in the pros.
As I walked across campus toward the stadium, I hoped Haley would be okay. Would she understand my future career was at stake? Did football mean more to me than love? The questions haunted me the entire way.
* * *
At practice, I found it difficult to concentrate. Was Haley okay? Should I do something to help her? I hated not being able to go until I finished with football for the day.
Coach noticed my sub-par performance and called me over as the other guys headed back to the locker room. I walked over to him, ready to just get it over with.
“What’s going on with you today?” he barked as I approached.
I shrugged my shoulder.
“Are you messing around with a woman?”
“No, Coach,” I lied.
“You’re free to date a woman, but if you do, I’m not going to be able to help you make it all the way to the pros.”
“Yes, Coach.”
“Look at me!” he snarled.
I lifted my head and looked him directly in the eyes.
“If you’re not dedicating yourself one-hundred percent to football, I can’t help you.”
“I’m all in, Coach.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Coach.”
“Go get cleaned up. I better not hear any more stories about you getting in trouble or carrying on around campus.”
I nodded seriously then turned and ran to catch up with the others. None of them said a damn word when I walked in the locker room, not even Curtis.
“Hey, fellas. Good practice out there.”