by Nora Cobb
Instead of sitting in the cafeteria, I grab a sandwich and head over to the field house to eat lunch. Coach Stanford has put a lot of work into scoring my scholarship to Notre Dame. Taking a bite of my sandwich and staring at the trees in the distance, I wonder if I can have a wife and child on campus. I have a lot more to think about now.
“You’re supposed to look happy.”
Looking concerned, Coach Stanford is standing a few feet away, scowling at me for looking like how I feel—confused.
I haven’t told him yet about the baby, but the way gossip flies around Montlake, I’m sure he knows about the proposal.
“I need to talk,” I reply solemnly.
He looks surprised but sits down beside me on the bench. We stretch our legs out in front of us and stare straight ahead. It’s easier to open up if we’re not staring at each other.
“Usually I have to drag it out of you,” he says. “What’s on your mind, Jacob?”
It hasn’t gone unnoticed that Coach Stanford has started calling me by my first name. It’s a small thing, but in Montlake, any sign of favoritism causes comments from the cesspit of envy. I wonder if telling Coach the truth will make him dump me, just like my old man did. I sit up straight and look at my hands, clenched in my lap.
“I proposed to a girl, Coach.”
I watch him from the corner of my eye, and Coach rubs the hard stubble on his chin with his hand. “So, I heard,” he replies. “There’s more gossip in this school than there is grass in that field. She’s a nice girl. The blonde kind that will hook you.” He rests a hand on my slumped shoulder. “Are you sure you’re not moving too fast?”
I still can’t look him in the eye. “She might be pregnant.”
His jaw tightens before he nods once. “I thought there might be something else going on to make you rush into it. I suppose you want my advice?”
I frown. “I know it’s a little late to ask for it, but I wouldn’t mind hearing what you have to say.”
Stanford pats my shoulder. “Jacob, the only time people need advice is when they fuck up. And even then, they rarely listen. Or worse, they listen but don’t do anything else.” He leans forward, resting his forearms on his thighs, and I mimic him. “I just hope I can give you some good advice.”
My plan is to do more than listen. “What am I going to do about school?” I ask. “I was thinking that I might not be able to go away.”
“You have a point. But let’s look at the long plan. If you go away for a year, then you transfer back to the East Coast with a year at Notre Dame that would look good on your transcript. Does the girl have family here she could stay with?”
“She lives with her uncle.”
“The two of you may want to sit down and talk to the uncle about your future together. Let him have some input since I’m guessing he’s going to support her during this.”
I shake my head. “I could get a job.”
Coach pauses, and tugs at his whiskers again. “You could, and you probably should, but you’re talented, and if you can just get through a couple of lean years, I’m sure it will pay off in the end. Do you want me to come with you when you talk to her uncle?”
I look at Coach, and my eyes meet his earnest gaze. His expression holds no scorn or judgment for my rash decision, and I wonder what he’s done for love. This is exactly how I had hoped things would be at home when I told my father that I wanted to go pro and not wear a suit and tie. I hoped for this kind of heartfelt encouragement, and finally, I found it at Montlake. The last place I would have ever looked. But I find it hard to express what I’m feeling in coherent thoughts. I still find it hard to go down deep and pull my emotions out of me, even with a person that obviously cares about me. I prefer actions to words, and maybe, that’s why I proposed.
“Yeah,” I reply, “if you don’t mind.”
He pats my back hard like he always does, hard enough to make me wince. “You have my number, Jacob. Give me a call.” He stands to leave. “And one more thing?”
“Yes, Coach.”
He points his index finger at me and wags it a few times while he speaks. “You come to me if you need any more advice.”
I smile. “Thanks, Coach.”
The burden of worry is starting to slide off me. I did rush in like a fool in love, but I didn’t want to end up cautious and alone.
I feel well enough to eat my sandwich. But then I look up and see two familiar faces quickly approaching. Of course, Lucas and Troy would head over to the field house to find me. I toss the rest of the sandwich in the trash and fold my arms across my chest. I know I pulled a sucker punch at prom, but I’m not making any apologies for what I did. I’m not settling for last pick in sharing Natalie.
Troy sits on my left and Lucas on my right. They fold their arms over their chests, and Troy sticks his legs out, crossing his ankles. We don’t look at each other, but it’s not the same as when I was with Coach. Despite it being a bright, clear day, the tension is bouncing off us. For a moment, they say nothing as we all stare at the crew working on the Page Center. We stare in silence as if we’ve never seen construction on a building before.
Lucas finally breaks the silence. “You want to tell us why you did it?”
No point in telling him to clarify. “Natalie needs a husband to help her raise her baby.”
“You mean my baby,” replies Troy firmly.
It’s quiet again. I’m not sure how to respond to Troy without punching him, so I don’t. Eventually, Lucas starts the conversation again.
“I thought we had an agreement,” he says. “We’re all in a relationship with Natalie.”
“But we all can’t marry her.” My voice is tight, as I hold onto my rising emotions.
“Why should you be the one?” asks Lucas.
“It can’t be either of you,” I snap.
Troy holds out his palms as if to push the tension away. “Why do you even think that?” he asks. “I was ready to propose to Natalie until you bulldozed in there. You call me sneaky, but what you did was downright devious.”
I look at him as if he’s the crazy one. “You had sex without a condom with the girl we all love, and you’re calling me devious?”
Lucas interrupts quickly. “Let’s stay on topic before this becomes a public freak-out because I won’t pull the two of you apart.”
Folding our arms over our chests again, our breaths are audible as we grab hold of our resentment and not each other.
I answer Lucas’ question. “So, Natalie should have to struggle on her own with a baby?”
“What makes you think she would be alone?” asks Lucas. “I would’ve married her if you hadn’t proposed.”
I scoff. “Neither of your families would have allowed it. Lucas, your father would never let you marry Natalie. And Troy, your mother would die before letting you do whatever you want with your life.”
It’s quiet again because I just pointed out the hard and obvious truth.
“It’s okay with yours, then?” asks Troy, refusing to look at me.
“You know my father has disowned me,” I reply. “He can’t do it a second time. And I talked to my mother about Natalie; she approves. In fact, she gave me her ring.”
The freshmen can be heard shouting all the way from East Hall as they run toward the cafeteria. Lunch is over for the senior class, but we stay right where we are, fuming on the benches. We sit in stony silence until Lucas speaks up.
“I still can’t help feeling betrayed by you, especially after all the shit we said to one another that day. I thought we all had an agreement.”
“I did too,” says Troy, his blue eyes hard and cold. “You know, Jacob, you act like I’m the competitive asshole, but sometimes, you really outdo me.”
“This isn’t a competition, Troy.” My tone is harder than his gaze. “This is life, and I wasn’t going to let Natalie worry about her future.”
“None of us were going to let her worry about the future,” replies Lucas.
<
br /> I scoff. “But you can’t do anything about it. I can.”
Troy shakes his head. “Don’t be so certain, asshole.”
I turn on him, and he faces me. “To do anything for her, you would have to give up your status. Not when you’re comfortable and secure, but right now when she needs help the most. Is that something you’re willing to do?”
“Yes,” he bites out, “I’m willing to do it, and so is Lucas.”
The answer is unexpected because I didn’t realize how serious they are. I can’t imagine Lucas being able to rough it in the world without a maid to pick up his dry cleaning. And Troy considers luxury a basic necessity.
“And what were your plans?” I ask.
Troy takes a deep breath as some of his outrage leaves him. “It’s not just for Natalie,” he explains, “it’s also for Vicki. I plan on taking full custody of my sister after I graduate from Montlake.”
Lucas and I look at each other in amazement. The tension plummets to below nothing.
“Your mother is going to flip,” replies Lucas.
“I know,” answers Troy, “and that means she’ll probably disown me.”
“Would your father allow it?” I ask.
Troy shrugs his shoulders. “Unfortunately, as much as I love my dad, he’s allowed my mother to get away with a lot of things. She’s been a verbal bully. I used to think that it was normal behavior until I started spending time around families that respect one another. I can’t allow that behavior anymore, especially towards my sister. Vicki really needs me.” Troy pauses for a moment, and I’m uncertain if I should touch him. Lucas and I wait until he can speak again. “My mother has interfered in our lives too much, and I’m not willing to let her run my life into the ground so she can impress her friends and enemies.”
It’s a lot to take in, and I just sit there thinking about what Troy has said. The dreams we had as kids don’t match the challenges we now have as men. I’ve misjudged his priorities. They’ve changed as much as mine in the last few months. He’s willing to go far to protect Vicki and Natalie from his mother’s domineering cruelty.
“And what about you, Lucas?” I ask, honestly wanting to know.
He sighs. “I’m tired of being played by the code. I saw firsthand the impact it had on Arielle.” He shrugs. “She wasn’t always like that. And I don’t entirely blame her for her crazy behavior. I may have been like that too, but I met Natalie, and I saw how I was being controlled.” He looks us in the eye. “I’m not doing it again, even if it means getting kicked out of the house. I’d rather be poor and sane than rich and hateful.”
Troy’s voice is heavy with sarcasm. “So, Jacob, you didn’t need to rush in and be the hero … again.”
I choose to ignore the dig because maybe I deserve it this time. But if Troy’s serious about marrying Natalie, she may change her mind solely because it’s his baby. I glance over at Lucas, and he’s squeezing his hand into a fist. We know that Troy has a greater claim to Natalie just because he forgot to use a condom.
“We should talk to Natalie,” Troy says, “And see what she really wants.”
I give Troy side eye, but he ignores me as he sits looking at the empty field.
CHAPTER 13
Troy
I can’t leave Montlake fast enough. I slam the door as I get out of my car and stare at my house. Jacob is full of shit. I wonder if he said all those things to stall Lucas and me. My intention since the day Natalie told me she was pregnant has been to marry her. I know that it will cause chaos and upheaval with my mother, but I’m already used to living with chaos and upheaval with my mother.
Barely looking at me, Vicki jumps out of my car, and power walks into the house, dragging her book bag behind her. That flannel shirt hasn’t been washed in days, and where is her brush? She’s unhappy about the amount of time I’m spending with Natalie, and I won’t tell her the reason. Even so, there’s no way I’m chauffeuring her back and forth to Arielle’s nuthouse.
I step inside the front door, and before I can even put down my books, my mother is on me.
“I heard an ugly rumor today.” Her casual tone is forced. Maya is dressed for battle in a black silk dress and sky-high red heels. She’s matched her lipstick and manicure to her shoes. All she needs is a henchman, and she’s ready to conquer the world. But for now, she’ll settle for me.
And I’m in no mood. “Just one?” I ask, “Then, you’re pretty lucky.”
“Don’t toy with me, Troy. I heard you were at prom with that girl.”
I press my lips hard together. I’d love to tell my mother that Natalie’s pregnant with my baby and see the pinched look on her face redden like a chili. But our baby isn’t a pawn in any power game.
I match her nasty glare. “I wasn’t hiding what I did at prom if that’s what you mean.”
“You shouldn’t have gone with her, Troy. You know I don’t like her, and that’s why you avoided telling me who you were going with.”
If my mother were a lawyer, she’d have to go back to law school because that’s no argument. “I wasn’t hiding. A lot of students went in groups and met their dates at the prom. I have things to do.”
The mail is on the table in the hallway, and I look through the letters. Instantly, I see why my mother has been waiting for me in the hall. There is a letter from the college that I applied to. It’s thin, and maybe, it’s a polite rejection letter. I tug at the corner, ripping the envelope open, so I can deal with more bad news.
It’s not a rejection. I’ve been accepted to Columbia. Despite everything that’s been happening, a smile spreads across my face. This means the world to me. My future is on track; I’m getting out of this house and not coming back. I turn and hold it out for my mother to take.
She reads it and smiles triumphantly as if she was the one who attended Montlake for the past four years and not me.
“This is wonderful, Troy.” Her smile is radiant. “Tomorrow, we’ll contact the school and talk about your major.”
She could’ve pushed me over with the tip of her dragon-red fingernail. Stunned, I stand motionless. My mother can’t think she’s going to micromanage my college career. Does she plan to shadow me in her high heels as I walk around campus? This won’t end until I end it.
“No,” I shake my head. “We aren’t doing that. Or at least, you won’t be doing that. I’m going on my own and making those decisions alone.”
She looks at me as if I slapped her silly.
“Troy, this is something that we need to discuss.” She takes a step into my personal space. “I know you’re disappointed about the wedding. You would’ve handled Arielle better than Dale Bellman’s son. But picking a major is a big decision, especially for a boy as determined as you.”
Boy? Even in her stiletto heels, she has to stare up at me. My body shakes at the thought, as if the physical motion will rid me of her. I need a clean break, and now is the time to get it.
“Mother,” I reply calmly, “you will remain here when fall semester begins, and I will not. I have no intention of even pretending to do the things you want me to do. It’s over, so stop micromanaging my life.”
My mother grabs my arm, and I pull it out of her grip.
“You ungrateful child,” she hisses.
“I haven’t been a child since I was ten. Maybe that’s why I’m so ungrateful.”
Her mouth tightens as she dives in for another dig. “You just can’t do whatever you want without there being consequences.”
“And what consequences are you thinking of?”
She smiles wickedly. “You just barely escaped a prearranged marriage, but Vicki’s marriage to Connor Buchanan is moving forward. Your little sister will marry the day after she graduates Montlake.”
The guilt I feel over Vicki’s future is apparent in my drawn expression. I haven’t done enough to shield my little sister from my mother, and I feel guilty for not marrying Cora to save Vicki. I might have if I hadn’t fallen for Natalie. But I ca
n’t marry Cora, not while Natalie is carrying my baby.
“Not so brave, are you?” She laughs at my obvious distress. “Maybe you should take back some of those hard words you said to me.”
“You’re not getting your way, not this time,” My stance becomes threatening as I lean toward her. “Not with Vicki or with me.”
My mother laughs again. “What are you going to do? Pack your little suitcases, roll them down the driveway, and run away to a cozy hovel in the woods? Troy, this is our world, and you’re right smack in the middle of it. As my only son, you will do as you are told.”