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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I can't tell if my plan backfired or not. She hasn't cried in at least thirty minutes. She even laughed—at me of course—when we got back in the truck. It's the comeback of the century compared to the car ride earlier.
But now that I finally have my answer about what the hell yesterday was, I can't blame her. For the Dark Day, for not going to her family. For any of it. I mean, I've known her dad for longer than four years. He started recruiting me when I was a junior in high school. It means he came to Texas to watch me play right after his wife died.
Thinking back to that visit, I see nothing but the smile on his face when he congratulated me on three touchdowns. The firmness in his handshake never once let up when I verbally committed to his program in the living room of our house before he left.
I had no idea what he had just been through, or that twelve hundred miles away his daughter was slowly dying inside.
I knew Coach's current wife couldn't be their mom just given her age. I just assumed it was a divorce situation. The death of his wife didn't need to be advertised, but it's never once been mentioned. I can't even remember seeing a news story about this even though it's normally the kind of story every sports news site would have been all over.
I wish it didn't, but it makes more sense now. Why Camryn showed up drunk, but also why she couldn't just let her brother and dad in. I've always known there was something off about Cal, but now I know he's just a selfish piece of shit. I thought Camryn and Coach just didn't agree on some things. Now I know it goes so much deeper than that.
What I still can't figure out though, is how in four years they haven't been able to move past this. Death would only bring my family closer together, not drive a wedge between us. But it's like they think that ignoring it will make all their issues go away.
I should have seen it after dinner at Coach's house. I should have known something was up and kept myself far, far away. I probably should have figured it out after Cal sold such a convincing story about a sister with a history of issues, but nothing to worry about now. If he saw her as such a problem, I should have known that there was more to the story. Except all I saw was the dollar signs.
But I didn't know Camryn like I do now. I don't think I really knew her until last night, until today. I wasn't looking for it, and she obviously doesn't like to share what she's really feeling.
How the hell do I keep taking his money now that I do know her?
How do I stay out of it? I'd have to go to the head of the student success center and beg for a new tutor, or go to Coach directly and ask him to pull some strings. But if I do that, he'll know something is up. The last thing I want to do is cause even more problems in their family.
I'm in over my head. I have to just keep telling myself I'm doing what feels right, what how I think my mom would handle things if it were my sister. How I would want things handled if I was in a crisis like Camryn obviously was, or still is. I have no clue at this point.
