Camryn Quinn is finally getting what she wants...sort of. Moving into a dorm and away from her not so supportive father is a good first step, but like everything with him, it comes with strings. She must attend the college of his choosing for at lea...
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The sound of my phone buzzing wakes me up. I ignored it the first time, but when it started up again, I answered quickly.
"What's wrong?"
"You get your period or something?" Cal asks.
"Fuck off, Nine."
"You haven't talked to me in a week."
I curse under my breath. "Am I your fucking girlfriend?"
Maybe I have been avoiding him, but it's only because agreeing to help him has been more work than I originally thought. After spending more time with Camryn, I thought for sure her brother had it wrong.
Whatever issue she has going on has to do with the fight she and her dad had the other night. I shouldn't have even been there to see it, but Coach called me himself to invite me over. I think he felt bad for telling Cal about my mom, but he also promised to talk to me about when I'll get to start playing again.
It's like the whole fucking Quinn family has me by the balls. I couldn't say no.
"Come to karaoke night," Cal offers.
I've been pretending like everything is normal. Everything was normal until I saw Camryn crying in her room. I still don't even know what happened. One minute she was joking about my Tom Petty knee, the next she and Coach were screaming at each other.
I just sat there thinking about a new way to move the ball up the field, to get more receivers open. I wanted no part of whatever was happening. But then I heard the words "mentally unstable" being thrown around. I don't know who said them, but Camryn stormed out right after they were said.
It should have been a relief to have an answer to why Cal feels the need to look out for her, but I feel no better. If anything, I feel worse. Not because there is actually something going on with her, but for what I witnessed.
If I were struggling mentally, my mom sure as hell wouldn't yell at me about it. But Coach is Camryn's dad. He's called me the best damn tight end and a pussy all in the same breath.
I ignored Cal's nagging and instead asked about the money. I may have agreed to help him, but I haven't seen a penny. My mom got her first hospital bill yesterday. I was glad she just forwarded me the email instead of making a big deal about letting me pay for it.
I wish I could punch him in the face as he says, "Where's my update?"
"She sounds like she liked to rip my dick off and I'd really like to keep it." Cal is quiet on the other end, distracted by something. "She acutally told me to imagine fucking without a dick," I add desperately.
"Sounds like–'' He grunts a second before I hear the clang of metal on metal. After a moment of silence, he continues, "She's still the same old Ryn."
From how Cal is talking, I think what happened the other night is normal for him, for their family. Seems to me like he doesn't actually need my help. Sounds like he should be worried if Camryn ever stops threatening to hurt me.
"You're not changing your mind are you?" Cal asks.
I am changing my mind, but reality won't let me. "No. Just... give me something more."
When he asks what I mean I can't even tell him. I honestly don't know. This should be the easiest thing going on right now, except it's not. It's a hell of a lot harder than I imagined. I should just be able to leave Camryn alone, but she obviously needs a friend. Or a therapist, but it sounds like she might already have one.
"I don't know, Nine. Something I can use to make the time I do have to spend with her... I just need to get through it. No more injuries," I plead. I hope he doesn't ask why, because I don't have that answer either. I don't know why I care so much. I could probably lie to him every single week and say that Camryn is fine. Doesn't sound like he cares either way and bitchy seems like it is her normal.
"Fuck. Fine. She, uh, she hates shopping," he offers after I ask again.
"Not enough," I huff.
Cal grunts in return, but then adds, "She carries her camera everywhere she goes."
"That's a start." I could tell she's really into photography from the wall in her room. I've also seen the camera in her bag, she's just never actually brought it out. "What about football? Can I bribe her with field access?" I ask.
"You're a dumbass," Cal tuts. "She hates football. Loves the snacks though."
Fuck. I knew that. She told me one day when I was attempting to distract her from the biology we were supposed to be working on. She's told me a lot of things, I just don't think I was really listening until now.
