Frayed: A Small Town Sports Romance (Willow Springs Series Book 1)

by Laura Pavlov

  “Up,” she said to each of us.

  House of Pain belted out the lyrics to “Jump Around,” and we shook our asses and danced until we fell back on the couch in a fit of laughter.

  It worked every time.

  I mean… my boyfriend still cheated on me. My future was in complete shambles. Everything I thought I knew was turned upside down. It was all still there. But laughing with my girls helped ease the sadness that sat heavy on my chest.

  And the lingering feeling of hope still resided there.

  Stronger than ever.

  We said our goodbyes and I made my way upstairs. Daddy and Clem were already seated at the large farmhouse table in our kitchen. I stopped at the sink to wash my hands and dropped to sit beside my father. Mama carried over the basket of cornbread and set it beside the coleslaw.

  “So, I just got off the phone with Lila.” Lila, a.k.a. Mama T, was my mother’s best friend. They’d been joined at the hip for as long as I’d been alive, and apparently since they were little girls. Here we go. Nothing got past Mama T. “She tells me you broke up with Alec?”

  I dropped my napkin in my lap. That sure didn’t take long. I hadn’t even had a bite of food yet, and here we were talking about it.

  “Did something happen?” Daddy asked, and I looked up to see his sympathetic gaze. Mama showed no signs of empathy, in fact, she appeared angry.

  “Yeah. Um.” I thought about Alec’s request. But I was done catering to him. If he was going to run home and tell his mom I broke up with him, he’d have to deal with me sharing the reason it happened. “Alec cheated on me with Karina James, of all people.”

  I forked a bite of barbecue chicken and took my time chewing it. Waiting for the uproar to start.

  “I’m not surprised. Men have been putting themselves first for years. No offense, Daddy-kins, not you.” Clem spoke first.

  “None taken, Clemmy. And I’m sorry to hear that,” Daddy said. “I’m sure it hurts.”

  I nodded. “It definitely makes me question everything.”

  “Pfft.” Mama rolled her eyes. “Please. Let’s not overdramatize this. He’s an eighteen-year-old boy. It’s a phase. Don’t make it a thing.”

  My jaw dropped and I stared at her with disbelief. She was actually defending him after what I’d just shared?

  “Mama, you’re actually a big part of the problem. Do not tolerate unacceptable behavior from the man. It’s our time to say no more. To stand together. March together.” Clem was on her feet, fist-bumping the sky, lost in a cause that far exceeded Alec Taulson. And I loved her for it. Loved her for always having my back.

  “Clementine, sit down and eat your dinner. No one is marching. Teenage boys have been straying since the beginning of time. Alec and Addy will get through this. I understand why you’re angry, but it will pass. You’ll be back together by the end of the week, and I’m sure he’ll clean up his act.” She reached for her glass of wine and took a sip, before winking at me.

  Winking at me.

  As if Alec had just toilet papered my house or played a prank on me.

  “Mama. Alec fucked another girl while he was dating me. Is that not registering with you?” My body startled as the words left my mouth. I’d never cursed in front of my mother, and I was certain I would pay a hefty price for doing so, but damn if it didn’t feel good.

  “Yes,” Clem shouted. “This is the year of the woman. Amen, sister. He doesn’t get to get away with this. It is time for men to sit back and listen to our voices. No means no. Enough means enough. Suck it, Alec Taulson.”

  My sister sat back in her seat and took an oversized bite of cornbread as the table sat in complete shock over both of our outbursts.

  “Everyone needs to settle down,” Daddy said, looking between Clem and me.

  “Settle down? I will not allow that language at my table. Adelaide, clear your place and excuse yourself. You may spend the rest of the night in your room.” Mama’s hard stare landed on me. Normally I’d be in tears to see her this disappointed in me. But I wasn’t. I was still trying to tamper down my anger that she was siding with Alec after what he’d done.

  “Don’t threaten me with a good time, Mama. I’m done here.” I carried my plate to the sink and stormed out of the room.

  I heard Clementine chanting in the background. “It is time. You go, girl. We are done being silenced.”

  I tried not to laugh. Such a strange mix of emotion. I was so angry I could spit nails, and I fought back the desire to break out in a fit of giggles at the same time.

  I heard my mother scold Clementine and send her to her room as well, and I slammed my door before dropping down on my bed.

  The door flew open. “Proud of you, sister. I always wondered what you were doing with that tool. I know he’s Mama T’s son, but I was sick of everything always having to be his way. It’s your time to shine now. And your light is so bright, Addy.”

  “I love you, Clem,” I said, swiping at the tear that ran down my cheek.

  “Love you more. I better go before the warden comes up and finds us conspiring.” She closed my door and I laughed.

  I thought about her words. Did everything always have to be Alec’s way? Maybe. But I was at fault too, if that were true. I had a voice. And it was damn well time I started using it.

  I moved to my desk and opened my computer. I searched for information about the journalism program at Texas University. It was only a few hours away from Willow Springs, and it was one of the most prestigious colleges in the country. I probably wouldn’t get in, but there was no harm in trying.

  I was done being told what I should do.

  It was time to start doing what I wanted.

  And I wanted to be a journalist. I wanted to write. I wanted to learn.

  I wanted to attend a university that would challenge me.

  I pulled up the application and got to work.

  The next morning was very chilly in our house. Not because the heat wasn’t on or because it was a crisp fall morning in Texas. The iciness came from Mama, who barely acknowledged mine or Clem’s presence. Daddy rubbed her back when he entered the kitchen. He gave us each a half-smile.

  The poor man was between a rock and a hard place. He adored my mother, and he loved his daughters. So, keeping the peace was his only hope of survival.

  “Are you not speaking to us, Mama?” Clem asked. I had to give it to her. The girl had balls larger than life.

  Mama dropped to sit at the table as we each took a slice of French toast off the platter and started eating. “I’m just trying to cool down, Clem.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re angry. I get it, Addy dropped the infamous F-bomb, but you were angry before that. If Daddy cheated on you, would you be okay with it?” she asked.

  My father coughed and spewed his orange juice across the table, and I covered my smile with my hand. Mama reached over and rubbed his back before facing my sister again, while Daddy used his napkin to clean up his mess.

  “Don’t be silly. We’re married. Addy and Alec are kids. Kids do dumb things sometimes. It doesn’t make Alec a bad person.”

  “No. But it does make him a bad boyfriend. I’m sorry that you and Mama T are so determined for us to be together that you’re overlooking my happiness. It’s sad, really.” I pushed my food around my plate as I had no appetite.

  My mother’s face paled and she glanced at my father, who looked away. He knew it was true. This obsession they had with us being together. I understood my mother’s loyalty to Mama T. They’d been best friends since they were in preschool. More like sisters, really. Mama’s parents struggled financially, they worked a lot and were never around. She was an only child and she’d spent a lot of time over at Mama T’s house when they were growing up. Mama T’s family lived on the posh side of town, whereas my mom’s family had a small house on the other sid
e of the lake. She’d told me many times that Mama T’s family had stepped up when no one else did, even helping her apply to college where she’d met my father. She said she’d still be living in a shack on the wrong side of town if it weren’t for Mama T and her family. And they’d decided a long time ago that their kids would get married someday and make them a family for real. It had started out as more of besties dreaming of their future, but somewhere along the way, it had become serious. My mom always did whatever Mama T asked of her, and I think she honestly believed the friendship would be over if she didn’t.

  And stepping back and looking at the situation, I realize that what Alec and I shared was just a comfort level. A history. The thought of him and Karina being together didn’t make me sick to my stomach the way it should. It made me sad that he’d lied to me and didn’t have the respect to tell me that maybe we’d outgrown one another. We didn’t have the passion that a young couple should have for one another. And it hurt. I’d lost my best friend. But I knew in my gut that I hadn’t lost the love of my life—because I hadn’t found him yet. And shame on my mother for not expecting me to be treated with more respect and love.

  “Adelaide Charlotte,” Mama said, pushing to her feet and coming over to reach for my hand. “Your happiness means everything to me. I thought Alec made you happy.”

  “Maybe he did for a while. But clearly, we had issues, or this wouldn’t have happened. And I’m not devastated or broken. I’m—”

  “Angry? Appalled? Disgusted?” Clem asked from across the table and my father covered his mouth with his hand to keep his laughter at bay.

  “Sure. But mostly, I’m hopeful. Maybe even a little relieved. That’s not how I should feel after my boyfriend of over three years cheated on me, right?”

  My mother nodded. “You may be feeling some of those things as a coping mechanism. I believe you and Alec really love one another. You’re just young,” she said, pushing my long hair back from my face.

  “And you’re blinded by this weird obsession.” I shrugged.

  “Let’s see how things play out. You have every right to be upset with him right now.”

  She didn’t get it. She wasn’t listening.

  She never listened.

  “What are you doing here this morning?” I asked, suddenly wondering why my sister wasn’t at practice. And this conversation with my mother was pointless and I was done engaging with her about it.

  “The state meet is Saturday. No more double practices. And our run after school will be short this week.” She picked up her plate and set it in the sink. “I’m riding with you today.”

  “Perfect.” I pushed to my feet, dropped my plate in the sink and grabbed my jean jacket and my keys, before slipping on my booties. “Let’s go.”

  My stomach wrenched and twisted. I didn’t know how it was going to be at school today. Clem and I pulled out of the driveway and she reached for my hand. “Don’t be nervous. You didn’t do anything wrong. Alec should be nervous. And don’t worry about Mama. She’ll figure it out.”

  “Thanks for always having my back, Clem. I’m excited to see you race this weekend.”

  “I’m actually nervous. I’m a freshman. I’m just lucky to be there,” she said. Clem never got nervous. That’s how I knew she cared. She wanted to do well. This was her passion. I thought about starting the basketball cheer season after Thanksgiving and I cringed. The idea of standing up there with Karina, of cheering for Alec. It made me nauseous.

  “You’re going to kill it.”

  “I’ll try. I wonder if Mama will come?” Clem asked as we pulled into the school parking lot.

  “Daddy and I will be there for sure. And I’ll talk to her and try to get her to come.”

  “She never misses your games when you cheer. But she’s only gone to one of my races. Isn’t that weird?”

  My chest tightened. I never realized how much our mother favored my activities. But that was only because I always did what she wanted. “That’s because Mama T is there, and they both cheered for East Texas High. I don’t even like cheering. And the thought of seeing Alec at the games, and Karina at practice. I don’t want to do it anymore.”

  We sat in silence and I turned the car off.

  “Then don’t. You’re about to graduate high school, Addy. It’s time to start doing what you want.”

  I nodded. “How did you get so wise?”

  We stepped out of the car, and she laughed. “I was born this way.”

  The sound of a motorcycle rumbled beside us as Jett pulled in the spot next to my white Volkswagen convertible Bug and Clem and I stood there staring in silence.

  He pulled off his helmet and his dark hair was tousled on his head. He wore faded jeans, a white T-shirt, and a black worn leather jacket.

  Oh my god.

  I couldn’t look away.

  “Hey, Ace. What’s up, Clem?” he asked before he winked at us and walked right by.

  “Now that’s a boy I’d bend all the rules for,” Clem whispered.

  I cracked up. “Stop it. Let’s go to class. No more staring.”

  “Uh, you were staring too. And don’t look now, but Alec is heading our way.”

  “Hey, Addy, can we talk?” he asked. He had dark circles under his eyes, and he looked sad. I hated seeing him this way, but there really wasn’t anything to discuss.

  Clem growled and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, my little wolf. Go to class. I’ve got this.”

  “Love you,” my sister said before shooting a glare at Alec and walking away.

  “Jesus. I guess you told her what I did.”

  “They all know, Alec. You told your mom I broke up with you. My mother wanted to know why. I wasn’t going to cover for you after you threw me under the bus. Besides… it happened. We all need to move on.” I was surprised he didn’t know already. Surprised that Mama hadn’t called his mom and told her what happened. This was a first. Maybe our fight had actually made her think about things.

  “Fuck. I can’t believe you told them.” He ran a hand through his hair.

  “And I can’t believe you fucked Karina James,” I said before turning on my heels and walking away, leaving him standing there with his mouth gaping open.

  And it felt… good.

  The days of me being polite were long over.

  I was ready to figure out who I was, and there’d be some people who wouldn’t like it.

  And I was okay with that.

  Chapter Ten

  Jett

  I stayed after school to meet with Coach Stephens as we had a conference call with Coach Devo from Texas University. We went over the verbal agreement once again, which was everything I’d hoped for. A four-year full ride, but I wouldn’t sign my letter of intent until February per NCAA policy.

  “You sure you want to stay in Texas?” Coach Stephens asked as he clapped me on the shoulder on my way out of his office.

  “Yeah. I don’t want to be far from Ma and Gram.” They’d both sacrificed everything for me, and I needed to stay close. TU offered everything academically that I wanted, and it got me out of Willow Springs.

  “Well, it’s a top-notch education, and a damn strong football program. Coach Stephens has helped a lot of kids continue on to the pros out of his program.”

  I nodded. I would be happy to be playing for a Division I football program under one of the best college coaches out there. But I had a long-term goal, and I certainly wasn’t basing it around a pipe dream. Very few college quarterbacks went on to play in the NFL, so I was covering my bases. If it happened, it would be an unexpected surprise. Hell, the fact that football was going to pay for a college education I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford—it had already far exceeded my expectations. But I was going to ride this wave, get my degree, which would allow me to call the shots about where I lived and how I lived
my life.

  “That sounds good, Coach. Thanks for your help.”

  “Players like you come around once in a lifetime for high school coaches like myself, Jett. It’s truly been an honor to watch you grow into the player you are, as well as a fine young man to boot. You were just named one of the top three high school quarterbacks, not just in Texas, but in the country. So, prepare for a battle. Several schools are going to try to sway your decision but stay true to yourself and what you want for your future. I’m here if you need me.”

  “Thanks, Coach. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

  “It’s been my pleasure. Come back and see me next week and let me know if anyone gets aggressive. I’m guessing you’re going to have a lot of persistent coaches trying to sway you.”

  “I’ll keep you posted. See you next week.” I made my way out of the locker room and saw Jax and Shaw at the drinking fountain in the gym. They both played basketball for East Texas, and I paused to give them a bro hug.

  “Dude, remind me why I thought I should play two sports this year? I’m tired as shit from football season, and Coach Peters is riding my ass already,” Shaw said.

  “You gettin’ old, brother?” Jax burst out laughing and slapped him on the back.

  “If getting old means I’d rather be hanging with Coco than run up and down the court with your stank ass, then yes. I’m getting old.”

  “Stop whining, you pussy-whipped motherfucker,” Jax said.

  I shook my head and tried to hide my smile.

  “All right, call me later. I’m out of here,” I said.

  As soon as I turned, I saw Alec fucking Taulson heading my way with a scowl on his face. “Stay the fuck away from Addy, do you hear me?”

  “Of course, I hear you. Everyone within a hundred feet can hear you, dickhead.”

  His gaze narrowed and he pointed his finger in my face. “Stay away from her. She’s off-limits.”

  Was this guy for fucking real?

  “Shut the fuck up and get your fucking finger out of my face, Taulson.”