Chapter 13
Theo
Between school and football—and trying to make a potentially life-altering career decision—I’d been too busy to give much thought to the mysterious note Penelope had found. The official job offer from Carolina had come in, and I’d responded to let Kevin know I needed some time to think it over.
The salary was a distinct check in the pro column. I’d about fallen out of my chair when I’d read that part. It was really good money.
But somehow that didn’t make the decision easier.
Wednesday night after practice, I’d run into my brother Garrett. Instead of taking the opportunity to get some brotherly advice on whether I should take the job in South Carolina, I told him about the note Pen had found. But hey, he’s a sheriff ’s deputy. That’s totally his area.
He’d agreed it was odd, but it wasn’t enough to open an investigation. That was the answer I’d expected, but mentioning it to him ahead of time meant he couldn’t get pissed at me later for not telling him.
I was free to investigate.
More accurately, we were free to investigate. Me and my new roommate.
That was a curveball I hadn’t seen coming. I’d hoped she’d get rid of Sean—sooner rather than later—but it hadn’t occurred to me that I’d wind up being the one to give her a place to land.
And while living with her was unexpected, I wasn’t complaining.
We got along great. We were work besties for a reason, and it wasn’t any different at home than at school.
Even though I told her it wasn’t necessary, she insisted on sharing her meal-prep lunches with me.
Sure did beat my boring sandwiches. And there was something about her being there that was just… nice.
Let’s skip over the part where I found myself staring at her bedroom door late at night, a sense of longing tugging at my chest and a very annoying hard-on keeping me awake.
Didn’t happen. We were just friends.
Thursday after practice, the temperature was dropping and the sun hung low in the sky as I watched my team head to the locker room.
We were having a good season, but I’d worked them hard.
Winning could spur good morale and make the next win more likely, or it could make them cocky, thinking the next win was guaranteed.
I was not in the business of turning out cocky athletes.
But they were rising to the occasion, like I knew they would.
I said goodbye to Coach Lewis and was about to head to my truck when I realized I had no idea what I’d done with my phone.
Damn it.
It wasn’t in any of my pockets, and I didn’t find it in the locker room. So I went back to my classroom. Apparently I’d put it in my desk drawer. At least I hadn’t lost it. And I’d remembered it before I left for home.
My gaze drifted to the art room as I locked my classroom for the night. Penelope had already left for the day. I wasn’t sure why I was thinking about her. I’d see her at home.
I cracked a smile, thinking about how we’d successfully put sticky notes on everyone’s lunches in the fridge—with the wrong names. We’d kept mostly straight faces as we watched our coworkers’ confusion. A simple prank, but funny.
Ignoring the strange tug of longing in my chest, I headed to my truck. As soon as I got in, the real thing weighing on my mind burst in, like a loud, unwelcome guest at a party.
The Carolina job. I needed to make a decision.
My mind went through my list of pros and cons as I drove. The pros were significant. It was a great opportunity. But the cons were real, too. Particularly the distance.
Someone who wasn’t close to their family might not understand why that was such a barrier for me.
But it was. My family was the ones who’d been there for me.
Who’d really had my back when my life had fallen apart after my injury.
I wouldn’t have admitted it when we were kids—or maybe even young adults—but my brothers were my best friends.
And living in the same town, being around for them and their growing families really meant something to me.
On the other hand, the job was an incredible opportunity to do something new and even amazing.
Somewhere along the drive, I realized I wasn’t heading in the direction of home. As if my intuition had taken over, I was on the road to my parents’ place. Seemed like I ought to follow the gut feeling, so I kept going and eventually turned up their gravel driveway.
The windows glowed with soft light. I sent Pen a quick text to let her know I’d be home later. Seemed like the thing to do.
The door to their house was unlocked, so I went in without knocking.
“Hey, Mom? Dad?” I called.
Dad’s voice came from the kitchen. “Yeah.”
I went down the hallway lined with photos into the kitchen.
Dad stood dressed in a dark green flannel shirt, the sleeves cuffed to his elbows, washing his hands in the sink.
He glanced over his shoulder at me but didn’t say anything.
Just finished rinsing his hands, turned off the water, and grabbed a towel to dry them.
“Where’s Mom?” I took a seat on one of the stools.
“Knitting group.” He finished drying his hands and set the towel on the counter. “There’s leftovers if you’re hungry.”
“No, I’m good. I…” I trailed off, not quite sure what to say. “I’m actually not sure why I’m here.”
With a grunt, Dad nodded, as if that made perfect sense to him.
He went to the fridge and pulled out two beers. I smiled a little as he popped off the caps and handed me one of them. He took a long drink and so did I. Then he leaned against the counter with his beer in hand and raised his eyebrows at me, as if to say, Go ahead.
“I got a job offer. Offensive coordinator at the university level.”
He nodded in acknowledgment.
“It’s wild. They came looking for me. Reached out over the summer, wanted me to come out and visit the campus, talk to them about the position. So, I did. I didn’t tell anyone. I guess mostly because I didn’t think it would go anywhere.”
“But it did.”
“Yeah, it did. They offered me the job.”
“You haven’t said where.”
I let out a breath. “Yeah. I know. That’s because it’s at the University of South Carolina.”
Dad nodded slowly for a moment, then took another drink of his beer. I took a long pull of mine.
“Are you going to take it?” he asked, finally.
“I don’t know.”
“What does your gut tell you?”
“That there are a lot of good reasons to take it. And a lot of real reasons not to.”
“Like what?”
“It’s a great opportunity. Really good money. A chance to take my career in a new direction, work with more advanced athletes. But it’s in South Carolina.”
“Is that the main drawback?”
“Yeah, but it’s a big one. Tilikum is weird as hell, but I love it here. I was feeling pretty settled. In a good way. And I’ve got nieces and nephews, and we both know Luke’s gonna get married. I want to be here for all that, you know? I don’t want to be like—”
I stopped myself before I said my brother Reese’s name.
Maybe I’d just realized what had been bothering me. My brother Reese had disappeared nearly twenty years ago. He’d missed…every-thing. Annika moving home, the end of the feud with the Baileys, weddings, babies—he was missing all of it.
“You don’t wanna be like Reese,” Dad said, echoing my thoughts.
It was strange to hear him say my brother’s name without the slightest hint of emotion in his voice.
My siblings and I avoided talking about Reese, especially around my parents.
It was an unspoken agreement that he wasn’t a safe topic of conversation.
I suppose I’d expected Dad to spit out his name like a curse word, or at least grumble about him.
“No, I don’t want to be like Reese. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re all pretty pissed at him.”
Glancing away, Dad nodded again. “Yeah. I was, too.”
“You’re not anymore?”
He hesitated for a long moment, his eyes unfocused. “No. I’m not angry. And if I’m honest, I’ve always been a lot more pissed off at myself than I ever was at him.”
I stared at him, my mouth slightly open.
I didn’t know what had happened when Reese left.
It was one of those things we just didn’t talk about.
At the time, I’d been too wrapped up in my own stuff to understand the full extent and impact of what had happened—that Reese had gone and broken off almost all contact with our family.
Dad cleared his throat and took another drink of his beer. I knew him well enough to know the topic was closed. It wasn’t going to do me any good to ask him what had happened between them, or what he meant by being pissed at himself about it. If I did ask, he’d probably just grunt and walk away.
“It’s not the same,” he said, his tone decisive. “If this job is what you want—hell, even if you’re not sure it’s what you want, but you know it’s worth pursuing—then you should take it. What’s the worst that can happen? You hate it, realize you made a mistake, and come back.”
“Come back a failure? Twice?”
He met my eyes and pointed at me with his beer bottle. “Watch it. You’re no failure. And if you’re worried about what the gossips around here would say, fuck ’em. Their opinions don’t mean shit. You get to decide what’s important to you.”
I smiled. Any time my dad decided to string more than a few words together, he made you listen. And he was right. I was only a failure if I quit, not if I changed course.
“Thanks, Dad. You don’t think Mom will be upset?”
“She’ll have feelings about it. But you know as well as I do she wants what’s best for her kids, even if it’s hard for her. Besides, who says you can’t visit?”
“Yeah, that’s what planes are for.”
“Exactly.” He took another drink and put his bottle down. “Look, if this is a good opportunity, and you want the job, you should take it. If it’s not, then don’t. Simple.”
I nodded again and finished my beer. “Good advice. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
He took our empties and put them in the recycle bin. With a grunt and a nod, he left through the back door, probably headed to his shop to tinker with something.
I lingered on the stool for a few more minutes, his words running through my head, before going back to my truck.
There was one factor I hadn’t mentioned to my dad, mostly because I wasn’t sure what to say.
Penelope.
Why did she make me hesitate? I wouldn’t leave her high and dry. If I took the job, she could stay in my house. I’d already thought about keeping it as a rental. It would be perfect. I’d give her a good deal and she wouldn’t be stuck in the tiny spare bedroom anymore.
Work would be different. If the tables were turned, and she was the one leaving, I’d be pretty bummed about it. So it stood to reason that she’d be disappointed if I left. But was that a reason to stay? To say no to a great opportunity?
Like I’d told myself already, Pen and I were just friends. The fact that she’d left her shitty boyfriend wouldn’t change that. Being roommates wouldn’t change it, either.
I knew what I needed to do—what I wanted. I wanted that job. I wanted the challenge. Dad was right, it was simple. I was making it complicated, but it didn’t need to be.
It was a good opportunity. A great one, even. It was worth taking the chance. Sure, moving away from my family—and Penelope—was a downside. But I could visit, especially in the offseason.
I got out my phone and typed a reply to Kevin’s email, accepting the Carolina offer.
That was that. I’d finish out the school year at Tilikum High School, and then I was moving to South Carolina.
Now I just had to tell my family. And my best friend.