by Tabatha Kiss
“With my help, Junior will go straight to the top just like I did,” he argues. “Don’t you want that for him? If you have this baby now, you’ll rob him of that and he’ll resent you for it.”
I force the sob down. “You know what, Dad? You’re right. Maybe he is just like you. Maybe I should spare this child a lifetime of missed birthdays and broken promises.”
“That’s enough.”
“No.” I stand up, ignoring my shaking legs. “I’m not finished yet. The truth is that you were a terrible father but Junior isn’t like you.”
“Yes, he is.” His lips twitch. “Don’t be naive, Eliza. Do you really think that he’s going to throw all of his dreams away… for you?”
The sob invades, triggering a truth that I can’t ignore. “I love him,” I whisper at the floor, trying to convince myself more than anybody how much that matters.
“That fades,” he says, calm and cold. “That’s a fact. A man isn’t remembered for the women he loved. He’s remembered for the victories he earned and the legacy he leaves behind. That doesn’t include you.” He turns away and grips the doorknob. “Monday morning. Pack a bag. You’ll be gone for a few days.”
I collapse before the door even closes, sinking hard onto the bed and crying until my entire body turns numb.
Chapter 27
Junior
I pull out my phone to check the time again. It’s four thirty-five. I have to be at the stadium in about twenty minutes to get ready for the game but Eliza was supposed to meet me here in the study room at four.
Where are you?
I send the text but I don’t expect a reply. She hasn’t replied to the last three I sent her since I got here.
There was something wrong last night, I just knew it. I could feel it in my gut all night long but I didn’t do a damn thing about it. And now she’s gone, ignoring my texts and I can’t think of a damn reason why.
I grab my jacket and rush down the stairs to the ground floor.
Eliza has a show tonight so she should be heading to Talon Hall now, if she’s not there already. I push through the crowds of gathering students and sports fans as I cross campus, all of them heading towards the stadium to witness the final game of the season — the one that determines our status in the regional championship, which was the other thing that kept me awake all night. I honestly don’t care much about that right now.
I have to find Eliza first.
I reach the quad with long, eager strides but I grind to a halt the second I see her just outside of Talon Hall.
“Ellie!”
She doesn’t acknowledge it but I know she’s well within earshot distance. Even her pace quickens — like she’s purposefully trying to outrun me. She grabs the door handle and throws it open, rushing inside and leaving me behind.
“Eliza!” I follow her in and rush across the lobby to cut her off. “Hey, wait a second…”
She halts with her head down, barely even glancing up at me. “Hey, Junior.”
I stare into her pale face, catching all the emotion as it bleeds from her ice-blue eyes. “Ellie, what’s going on? Why didn’t you meet me?”
She blinks and twitches around, glancing at any and everything other than me. “Sorry, I forgot.”
“You forgot?”
“Look, Junior, I really need to get backstage—”
I grab her arms to keep her in front of me. “Ellie, stop.” She deflates, heaving out the last of her breath. “I need to know what’s going on with you.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“Junior, please—”
“Ellie, look at me.”
She finally looks up, making eye contact for one fleeting, painful second. “I don’t think we should see each other anymore, Junior.”
Every muscle in my body flexes but it’s not enough to stop the deep, piercing pain in my chest.
“Why?”
Eliza closes her eyes. “I… just think it’s time,” she says. “I mean, we always knew it’d end eventually, right?”
I shake my head. “What happened?”
“Nothing happened—”
“Ellie—”
She takes a quick step away, knocking my hands off her arms. “Junior, we both have a lot on our minds right now. You have your game and I have my show, so can we just focus on those right now, please?”
She dodges around me before I can even respond, taking off towards the auditorium like a damn bullet.
“Ellie, what did I do?”
Her pace slows and she turns back for a second. “Nothing,” she answers, her eyes still locked to the floor between us. “Bye, Junior.”
I let her leave, keeping my eyes on her until she disappears behind the large double doors.
What did I do?
It had to be something I did, right? Girls don’t just break-up with you for no reason. There’s always a reason — something concrete that you can look back on that pinpoints the exact moment when things went wrong. An emotional linchpin that brings everything down.
Or maybe I’m not the one who pulled it at all.
Being with Eliza Pierce was always a risk and that risk had a face.
Cary Pierce.
I spin towards the exit as Grant steps into the lobby. “Grant!”
He glances up from the floor, his entire body weighed down with nerves. “Oh, hey, Lover Boy.”
“Have you talked to Eliza today?”
“No,” he says. “Not since dress rehearsal yesterday. Why?”
“There’s something wrong with her.”
He stands up a little taller. “How so?”
“She’s… distant. She won’t talk to me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with her,” he chuckles. “It’s opening night. You’re lucky I’m even forming complete sentences right now.”
“No, this is different. She just broke up with me.”
He pauses. “Okay, yeah, that’s weird.”
“I need you to go in there and ask her what happened, then text me what she says.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Grant, come on,” I argue. “This is important.”
“So is this,” he says. “I don’t expect a big jock like you to understand but what you’re asking of me is in direct violation of the code of friendship. If I did that, it’d be a serious breach of trust. I will not, under any circumstances—”
“I’ll let you borrow the Junior-mobile for a night.”
His brows twitch. “A weekend,” he counters. “Next weekend. Ty and I have plans.”
I nod. “It’s all yours.”
“Deal. Give me ten minutes.”
“Thank you.”
Grant heads for the auditorium and I pull my phone out of my pocket. It’s almost five now. I want to stay here and get to the bottom of this but I can’t exactly skip out on the game either.
I leave for the stadium, keeping my head down to avoid the constant cries of people screaming my name. Usually, this turns me on like nothing else. I used to make sure they noticed me but right now, there’s a not a damn thing that will stop me from getting to the locker room and out of sight.
What happened, Ellie?
Chapter 28
Eliza
My reflection stares back at me and no matter how much I try, I can’t wipe that judgmental gaze out of my eyes.
I focus on what I can control and that’s the show. I grab my make-up foundation and smear a thin layer on my skin. I draw thick lines around my eyes with black liner to make them pop under the stage lights. I swallow the lump down my throat to keep from crying and try not to think about how I just turned my back on the only love I’ve ever known.
Grant sits down on the edge of the vanity table. “Lover Boy wants to know what’s wrong with you.”
I sigh. “You talked to him?”
“He accosted me in the lobby. I feared for my life,” he jokes, laying a hand on his heart. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” I say, grabbing the lipstick from my make-up bag.
Grant snatches it from my hand and slides the bag away from me. “What’s wrong?” he asks again.
“Grant, we need to get ready.”
“We’ll get ready after. What happened?”
I take a deep breath but it doesn’t help. “Dad found out about us.”
He gives a slow nod. “How did he find out?”
“He found…” I hesitate. “He just found out.”
“Did you tell Junior?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
I heave an impatient breath. “Grant…”
“He said you broke up with him.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Because we can’t be together,” I answer. “We never should have been in the first place.”
Grant shakes his head. “Why are you letting this tear you apart? What aren’t you telling me?”
A fresh wave of nausea plagues me. I’ve felt it since last night; a slow burn inside that never quite seems to go away no matter what I do.
“Junior will never choose me,” I mutter.
“Choose you?” he repeats. “Over what?”
“Over football. Over everything — the fame, money. All of it.”
“That’s crap,” Grant spits.
“Is it?” I ask. “My dad chose it over me before. What makes Junior any different?”
“The difference is that Junior loves you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do. It’s written all over his fucking face.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway. He may love me now but who knows how long that will last?”
Grant sighs, his jaw flexing with sad frustration. “Eliza…”
“It’s already done.” I reach over his lap and grab the make-up bag off the next vanity. “We have a show to do.”
He reaches into his pocket for his phone as he slides down into his chair. “Well, for the record, I think you’re making a really stupid mistake, Eliza.”
“Noted.”
A really stupid mistake.
I would love to admit that I’ve made a mistake and race out of here to fall back into Junior’s arms but I can’t. Junior has wanted to play in the pros since he was a little kid. His family is expecting it. Who am I to take that from him? What kind of person does that make me to take away everything he’s worked so hard for and dictate the course of his life?
I won’t let Cary Pierce dictate mine anymore.
I’ll stay for the show. I owe it to the rest of the cast and crew to finish it. There’s a matinee tomorrow and then an evening show and then after that, I’ll leave. I won’t let Monday morning come, along with the shackles of my father’s demands on me.
Junior never has to know.
Chapter 29
Junior
My phone vibrates and I check it so fast, I nearly drop it on the concrete floor.
She had a fight with her dad.
I lean against the locker, reading it over and over again, allowing for it all to sink in but it never quite does.
There’s only one thing they could have fought about to make Eliza this upset.
He knows.
“Everybody gather around…”
Cary Pierce stops in front of us, his eyes scanning the team in their uniforms and he grins with pride.
“This is it, guys,” he says. “You’re one more win away from playing in the regional championship game.”
The team erupts, screaming and slamming their fists against the lockers. He raises his hand to calm them down.
“But to me… it won’t matter if you win or lose tonight because, in my mind, we’ve already won. The group of guys I met back in September isn’t in this room anymore. They were weak, they were losers. You are bigger, you are better. And tonight, you’re winners.” His eyes fall on me. “All of you.”
I look away, doubt coursing through me. Maybe he doesn’t know after all. If he does, he’s not showing it.
“This is as much of an achievement for me as it is for you,” he says, finally looking away from me. “I came to this school to make a difference and I’m pretty sure I did. Win or lose, the world knows who you are now. And they will not forget.”
The team bangs and shouts again, drawing a thick grin to his face.
“But still… I’d rather win, so let’s go out there and be winners, guys.”
I grab my helmet from my locker and follow the rough scrape of cleats across the floor as the team rushes for the field. Their enthusiasm pulses through me, forcing all doubt and fear aside and replacing it with powerful adrenaline.
I pass by the coach and he lays a thick hand on my chest to stop me.
“Hold on…” he says, adding pressure.
I fall back against the wall, feeling the power in his hand even beneath my pads.
The rest of the team passes by without notice and race outside onto the field along with Bob.
Once their shouts echo away, Cary Pierce looks at me and smiles.
“I’m proud of you, Junior,” he says, keeping his hand on my chest. “You’ve come a long way.”
I nod, absolutely torn between fear and admiration. “Thank you, Coach.”
“The night we met, I told you one thing. Do you remember what it was?”
“You said I had a legendary arm,” I shrug, letting my nerves get the best of my words.
He doesn’t react. “What else?”
“I’m sorry, Coach,” I chuckle, looking at the field. “I don’t remember.”
“I told you to stay away from my daughter,” he says, staring hard at me. It’s odd but this is the first time I’ve noticed that he and Eliza have the same blue eyes. “Do you remember now?”
His hand slides off my chest but I still feel the weight of it, along with the crushing heft of the last few months. Every kiss, every minute spent inside of her. All behind Cary Pierce’s back.
“I can explain—”
“You’re benched, Junior.”
My jaw drops. “What?”
“You heard me,” he says. “You’re not playing tonight. You can sit this one out.”
I look at the field again, listening to the thunderous cries of the crowd. “You can’t just not let me play — it’s the final game of the season.”
“I can and I will.”
“We’ll lose.”
“Good.” He doesn’t even blink. “Losing is good for you sometimes. Maybe having this championship pulled out from under you will make you think twice about disobeying me again.”
Every piece of me burns red. “She’s an adult,” I argue. “She can date whoever she wants—”
“Don’t you dare talk about her.” He steps forward, towering over me like a damn giant. “You’ve done enough scoring this season, Junior. Next season, you can try again.”
I shake my head. “This is bullshit. You have no right—”
“Stay the fuck away from her or I’ll make sure you never pick up another ball for the rest of your life.” He narrows his eyes. “Think about that, Junior. Is she really worth throwing your dreams away for?”
My vision blurs with spots of white. The crowd fades in my ears, leaving nothing but the pleasant memory of Eliza laughing in my bed.
“Okay, fine,” I say. “I’m dating Eliza but that’s not enough of a reason to let the team waste an entire season.”
“It’s not?”
“No.”
“Then how about this?” He lowers his voice, growling through a thin line between his teeth. “I’m benching you for letting me down, for letting this team down, but mostly, I’m benching you for knocking up my daughter.”
My heart sinks. “Wait — what?”
He points a stiff finger at the field. “Get out there, sit down, and don’t get up again until the clock strikes zero and the crowd boos your name… or you’re finished.”
Eliza.
She knew
. It was written all over her face but I couldn’t see it.
“Now, Junior.”
I pause, split between her and the team and everything in the middle. My feet carry me towards the field, slowly drifting on air and I don’t even realize it when I sit down on the bench.
Eliza Pierce is having my baby.
***
“Junior! Junior! Junior!”
At the start of the game, their cries were eager and excited. A lot can change in less than two hours.
Now, they’re angry and confused. They’re calling my name with seething hatred just like Cary Pierce wants them to and I have to sit here and take it or my life as an athlete is over.
I keep my head down, staring at the grass beneath me to avoid the eyes of the rest of the team.
It’s not their overwhelming disappointment in me keeping me in place on this bench. It’s not the plummeting scoreboard leaving me numb inside, nor the constant sound of my teammates getting trampled across the gridiron.
It’s her.
Eliza knew about this and she didn’t tell me. I like to think I know her pretty well and after ninety minutes of letting this sink in, I’m sure I know why she kept this from me.
She’s scared. She knows how important this sport is to me and how much opportunity I have now that Cary Pierce is leading me straight to the pros.
She met my family. She spent time in my childhood home. She knows I’d never get to the pros on my own and her having my baby right now could derail that into oblivion.
“Her existence made achieving my dreams a whole lot harder.”
Cary Pierce told me that himself in his office and I’m damn sure the bastard said the same thing to her when he found out. That’s why she broke up with me. It wasn’t because she wanted to. She thought it was the best thing to do for me and my future.
Well, I disagree.
I stand up off the bench and drop my helmet onto the grass.
“Junior.”
Coach’s bark carries over the rest of the fray. He stares at me with hateful side-eyes, firing a dark warning shot for me to sit back down.
I ignore him.
“Junior!”