The Rivalry

Her mother’s gaze turned to me and, shit, her stone-cold expression was impressive. “Shouldn’t you be off learning how not to choke in bowl games?”

Cooper snickered, but couldn’t be bothered to look up from his phone.

“Mom, you’re upset, I get it.” Kayla yanked the bow from her hair and tossed it angrily down on the coffee table. “But Jay’s my boyfriend.”

She’d put her hands on her hips, defiant, and declared it loudly for everyone to hear. I sucked in a breath, stunned at how easily she’d thrown the label on us. Even with all this shit going on, I couldn’t help but be thrilled she’d finally claimed me.

“Of course, I’m upset!” Stephanie stared at her daughter like she couldn’t believe it. “You’ve been lying to us for months, young lady. We raised you better than that.”

Kayla’s defiance took a hit, and her hands hung at her sides.

I’d wanted so badly to see her, but I hadn’t meant to fuck everything up. “Maybe I should go.”

Her mom brightened. “That sounds like a plan. Head north until you smell it, and then west until you step in it.”

Wow. Kayla had been telling me all along her parents were going to be difficult. Maybe I should have done a better job listening.

She frowned at her mother. “No, we need to talk about this.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Stephanie said. “You can’t date a guy from that school, and certainly not him.”

“Mom, you can’t choose who I want to be with.”

It felt like someone had sucked all the air out of the apartment. Kayla had been right. This was a disaster.

I came to my feet. If they needed time to get over it, I could give them that. Besides, I was more than a little nervous if they delivered her an ultimatum right now, I’d lose. She’d pick OSU over me.

“I’m going,” I said.

“No, you’re not,” Kayla fired back. “Sit your ass down.” She turned her focus back to her mother. “You’re being unreasonable.”

“Me?” she gasped. “I’m being unreasonable?” She looked around, maybe for validation. Her husband appeared angry, but said nothing. He sat stock-still, as if waiting for a ball to snap. Stephanie let out a grunt of frustration and flung her hands in the air before rising from the couch. “You know what? I can’t be here.”

“Mom, just wait a minute.”

But she wouldn’t. She yanked open the door and cast the angry words over her shoulder to her family. “I’m going to the car. Are you coming?”

Cooper got up and followed, tossing a sympathetic glance to his sister before disappearing through the doorway. Bob moved deliberately up off the couch, his hard gaze fixed on me.

“I coached here. I’ve seen players do all kinds of shit they think they can get away with because they’re in the football program. I don’t care what school you go to or who you play for. You do anything that’s not okay with my daughter,” his expression was scary, “I’ll bury you. Understood, son?”

I swallowed hard and nodded.

His attention swung to Kayla and softened. “She’s freaking out. I’ll give her some time to cool off, and then I’ll try talk to her.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

His heavy footsteps carried him out the door and it shut loudly behind him. The silence was painful, freezing all of us in place.

Kayla filled her voice with fake enthusiasm. “Well, that went great!”

I shouldn’t have ambushed her at the bar, but I told myself it was going to be fun. The ultimate challenge. I’d failed miserably, and it ate at me how her parents hated me on sight. They didn’t even give me a chance.

Chuck lingered awkwardly, like the dude had no idea what he was supposed to do. “They’ll get over it,” he offered. “It couldn’t stay a secret forever.”

Kayla’s mouth pulled to one side. “What about your feelings for Beth? You going to keep that a secret forever?”

She’d probably do anything to take the attention off herself, and I expected both Chuck and I to get whiplash from her abrupt topic shift.

All he did was scowl. “Don’t deflect.”

“Who’s Beth?” I asked.

“Some trombone he wants to get with.”

“We’re talking about a girl, right? Not an instrument.”

Chuck arched an eyebrow, signaling he was not amused. “I’m waiting for the right time. A sign.”

“What you’re doing is wasting time. Seriously, ask her out already.”

Was that fear in his eyes? “What if it’s a ‘no’?”

She shrugged. “Then you know. You’re the one always spouting off that ‘think positive’ crap.”

He shrugged out of his uniform top, exposing the white undershirt beneath, and hung the jacket over his arm. “I’m not going to take advice from you. You date a guy from Michigan.” He smiled at his own joke. “I’m going to bed, kids. Thanks for reminding me it’s alone.” As he walked past us, he sniffled like he was crying.