Chapter 20
Trinity
It was Thursday, which meant practice was light, and rehab was taking place this afternoon. We have our first away game on Saturday, and the team will travel to Georgia tomorrow.
Julia motioned her hand in my direction. “Krew needs his shoulder checked.”
I nodded, squirting some sanitizer on my palms as he walked over to the bench.
“Hey, Krew.” I glanced at my clipboard. “Shoulder bothering you?”
I figured it had. Whether Krew wanted to admit it or not, I could tell by his throw that something was off.
“Just a little tight.” He lowered to the bench, still remaining eye level with me since he was six foot four.
Krew wasn’t like the rest of the guys. Don’t get me wrong, he was a leader, but he was quiet. Didn’t party, never saw him with a girl, and always remained focused on the game. I respected him for that.
“Let’s check it out,” I murmured as I let my fingers dig into the skin along his outer bicep.
I learned a couple of great techniques from Julia and I’d been itching to try them.
The human body was resilient. It was something I’d always found interesting.
The rigorous things we put our bodies through.
Especially the depth of the training and physical exertion athletes endured.
The way the body can be severely injured, but with the right care, determination, and techniques, become even stronger than before.
I got to be a part of that miracle. That rehabilitation.
“This hurt?” I pressed my thumb at the front of his shoulder. His wince was not as subtle as he thought. “You’ve been icing regularly?”
His blank expression told me no.
“Twice a day.” I lifted his arm to rotate his shoulder. “I want you working with the bands more as well.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he grumbled as I rotated it the opposite way.
“How’s the arm?” The voice from behind me had my stomach clenching.
I tried to keep my posture relaxed, but I assumed I let something flash across my face because Krew flickered his eyes to me before he looked over my shoulder at Preston.
“Sore, but I’m good. Plan to ice more and Trinity wants me working with the bands.”
“Sounds good.” He didn’t get any closer, but I could still smell him. Why do all hot men smell like that? “Meet me in my office tomorrow morning. I want to go over a few things before we leave for the airport.”
“Sure thing, Coach.” Krew lifted his chin, then his eyes went back to me. “You okay?”
“Fine,” I said quickly.
I was fine. I wasn’t still thinking about last night when he thought Jagger was at my house for reasons that would never happen. I saw the look on his face. The set in his jaw. Just because neither of us voiced this thing between us didn’t mean that it didn’t exist.
And what he told me about his mom. About what he went through. It made him seem more human, and not just a hot jock. It knocked down a piece of my carefully placed barricade and I’d been suffering the consequences since I laid my head on the pillow last night.
“Go ahead and go in there to Julia. She’ll get you set up,” I practically pushed him off the table, marking down his information on the clipboard before I placed it back in the holder attached to the wall.
“Thanks, Trinity. Have a good night,” he called when he left the room.
I blew out a breath, glancing around at the rest of the guys, who spent the majority of the afternoon cutting up. No one was paying any attention to me.
With a few quiet steps, I escaped to the supply room, where the washer was located. I threw in a load of towels, then flicked the light off before I turned to leave. I barely made it out of the doorway when I collided with a muscular body.
“Whoa.” Preston’s hands gripped my hips on instinct, the touch sending a jolt straight down to my toes.
I glanced up at him, my breath catching in my throat as his blue eyes locked on mine.
“Sorry,” I breathed out but didn’t move.
Why couldn’t I move?
“No problem,” he rasped, his fingers tensing slightly against my joggers.
Tension swirled between us like an angry whirlwind, the force almost unbearable. But the wind-storm came to an abrupt stop when I heard my dad’s voice in the distance. I jumped back like I’d been burned, his voice growing louder before he rounded the corner.
“There you are.” He smiled. “I wanted to tell you that Julia has done nothing but brag about you. Says you’re a natural.”
I gave him a smile, trying to ignore the man next to me, who managed to remain as if that moment wasn’t breaching the code of conduct.
“You have plans tonight? We leave early tomorrow. Travel days are always exhausting,” my dad said as he reached out and squeezed my shoulder.
“Yeah. Just going home. I don’t work the next three days. Thankfully, Landry is working with my schedule.”
He frowned. “You’re working at Laces Out?”
“Yeah…” I trailed off at the look of horror on his face.
“Sweetheart, I told you that if you needed anything, to let me know. I’ve got your housing and utilities covered. Along with anything school related. I’d be happy to help you with groceries.”
I could feel embarrassment hit my cheeks because Preston was still standing there, seeing how I was basically a twenty-three-year-old freeloader.
“Hey, Pres.”
Thankfully, Wesley waved him to his office and Preston stepped away, but not before shooting me a concerned glance.
I was so relieved I could cry. But my father didn’t read my silence as embarrassment.
So he continued. “I mean, you shouldn’t have a car payment, right? Or did you trade it in since your first year at Baldwin? That was one thing your mother and I agreed on.” He chuckled. “Buying your car for you and paying for your college education.”
Wait. What?
“Dad…”
He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, tugging me to his side before planting a kiss on my hair.
“I wanted you to be able to get your education without any overhead. I know sending those checks didn’t make up for me being gone, but it was the least I could do.
Take the financial burden off of you and your mom. ”
His words began to sink in, along with a nauseating feeling rooted deep in my gut.
He paid for my school? Then why the hell did I have student loans…
The realization hit me with a physical force, the ugly truth slapping me right across the face.
“Coach Maxwell.” A woman in a navy pant suit glided down the hallway, a smile steady on her face.
I’d seen her around and we met briefly earlier this week. She was the assistant to the head of the athletic department.
“Do you have a minute?” she asked.
“Of course.” My father released me. “You good, sweetheart?”
No. No, I am not.
“Yeah.” My throat tightened, my voice straining. “I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”
My feet moved mindlessly. The journey to my car, then to my house, was barely memorable. Just blurs of lights and street signs. When I finally stumbled inside my front door, I shakily picked up my phone and dialed my mom.
“Trinity,” she answered. “Ready to ditch Texas yet?”
I closed my eyes. “How could you do that to me?”
Silence.
“What are you talking about?” she asked, her voice shockingly hesitant.
“I’m talking about the money Dad sent for my college. For my car!” My voice rose as my emotion spiked.
“Calm down,” she hissed. “Why are you yelling?”
“Because you took it, didn’t you?” My voice shook.
“Trinity, listen. I did what I had to do to survive. The child support stopped when you turned eighteen and I…”
A strangled laugh bubbled from my throat. “Thought you’d cash the checks he sent for my school and watch me work three jobs for four years. Work myself to the bone to pay for everything while you sat on your ass.”
There was no answer. Unbelievable. I shook my head, tears finally trailing down my cheeks. I should have known. I remembered her always talking about how good business was when she became a travel agent. I had just started my freshman year and she got her new job.
“I was paying bills, Trinity. Taking care of you. I was owed that money,” she snapped.
“I was an adult and lived on campus!” My voice cracked again. “You’ve gone too far this time, Mom. Too fucking far.”
I ended the call and tossed my phone down onto the couch.
Tears continued to stream down my face as I stormed to my room and snatched my running shoes from my closet.
I hadn’t picked back up on my running routine since I moved here, but I had the urge to get out.
Run as far as I could until I didn’t feel this betrayal so deep. From my own mother.
After tying up my strings and setting my watch, I took off, with no destination in mind.