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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We landed at the Minneapolis airport an hour ago, but are just now making our way into the hotel because some of the guys refuse to move faster than a snail's pace. And coach has been too distracted to give a fuck, apparently.
I can't blame him. If he's anything like me, he hasn't slept in days.
I've gone through the motions of the week only because I had to. Not going to class or practice weren't an option considering I'm still on scholarship. At least football has been a nice distraction. I've spent practically every free second at the training facility just so I don't have to go home. Every single place reminds me of Camryn. At least at the facility I have lots of ways to occupy my thoughts. It's why I'm sore as shit going into this weekend. I've lifted far more than I should leading up to a game, and spent too many hours in the sauna or cold tubs. My body feels depleted, but it's what I deserve.
Cal has ignored me. Coach pulled me into his office long enough to threaten my scholarship and everything I've worked for if I blabbed. If I didn't have my family counting on me, I might have told him to go fuck himself. But every time I think about his selfishness, it feels like I'm looking in a mirror.
"You broke this"
It wasn't her dad that earned those words. Camryn was counting on me too, and I let her down.
So it's been easier to keep to myself. Anderson asked if I was okay, but only because he watched Alyssa slap me across the face when I begged her to tell me where Camryn was. She didn't show up for any of our tutor sessions this week, and her phone has been off for days.
The only person I've talked to all week is my mom. And of course she cried when I told her the truth, but she was the other person cluelessly in the middle of the situation. "People don't exist for our enjoyment, Tay," she said through her tears. I couldn't stand the idea of hiding anything from anyone, but the words cut deeper than anything she's ever said to me.
And I deserved it. Just like I deserve the fact that she also hasn't called me since then. That was three days ago.
I pull myself off the shuttle one step at a time, working to not meet anyone's eye. One of the assistant coaches is waiting in the lobby to hand us our keys, and won't expect to see us again until our team dinner in a few hours.
Anderson's already in the room and watching something on his Ipad when I walk in. He doesn't bother to talk to me as I head to the bathroom to change my clothes, or as I slip on my running shoes. I should be resting considering we have a game in less than twenty hours, but I can't sit still. It was enough to sit through a flight, and then the bus ride over here. The more I keep myself moving, the less I feel.
I'm grateful the elevator is empty when the doors slide open. I slip my headphones on and swipe until I find my running playlist. I pressed the button for the lobby, but the doors slid open again on the third floor and I almost missed it. But something tells me to look up from my screen when the person waiting doesn't climb on right away. Camryn's eyes grow wide when she sees me, but the deep blue of them sends a refreshing wave of calm through my entire body. She doesn't move, but luckily my body does. Just as the doors begin to close, I lunge forward, and through them, until I'm standing with her.
I can't help the way I reach for her, and wrap my arms tightly around her body. I don't care that she's limp, she doesn't push me away. It's all the confirmation I needed.
