Broken Souls (Souls #1)

Chapter 22 - Destiny

It's June now.

Five days until my birthday.

I try not to think about it like I've always done. That day means the death of my dad. It means another year with him gone. It means another year where I won't ever hear the words, "Baby girl, I love you," murmured in my ear like he'd done in the hospital all those years ago.

I try to think about football rather than that. I try to think about how well Matthews' team has done. His team has played and won every single game so far, and I was there to witness each and every one. I watched as Matthews came alive on the field - and it was an absolutely beautiful thing to see. He played with the burning passion I had for the game on the field. My throat is always raw after the games from cheering so much and now that the sun is out my skin is beginning to get tanned from sitting on the bleachers for so many long hours.

Things have been going smoothly for us so far, except for the times when Matthews tries to push me to tell him more about myself - namely my family. He didn't do so at first, but now that we have been together for some time now he does. I detour the conversation every time the topic comes up, and I know that he notices so because a slight frown pinches at the corner of his lips whenever I do. He has told me about his Mother, Father and 'her' - the women who he dislikes and his father is marrying. I've barely told him anything as personal as he has told me.

...

Today Matthews and I are tossing around a football. At first it was just like any other school afternoon. It was normal. Comfortable. Nice.

And then everything went downhill by him just asking one simple question.

He tosses me the football and I run backward a few steps before I solidly catch it. I bring my arm back and throw it to him. I watch as the ball twirls in the sky and smile when he catches it with ease. I wait for him to throw it back but he never does. He just stands there juggling the ball from hand to hand.

"What's wrong?" I holler, "Toss it back."

"Why don't you tell me anything about your parents," he says softly. If it weren't for the little wind to carry his words over to me I may not have heard what he said.

My body freezes and I swallow hard. "I tell you some stuff," I say.

"You have told me their names, but that's it. Elizabeth and Benjamin."

"There isn't anything else to tell," I manage to say.

"I think that there's actually plenty more."

"No," I say softly, but I'm not sure that he hears.

"Are you afraid to tell me something about them? I wouldn't think less of you by anything they've done if that's the case."

"It's not that," I croak.

"Then what is it?" He asks, his voice raising.

I stay silent. It seems like the best thing to do. I don't even really know why I don't tell him to be honest, but I can't tell him that.

He twirls the football in his large hands and then pitches it to me with ease. I catch the ball but don't throw it back, instead I hold it close to my chest. He walks over to me and looks at me from beneath his long, dark eyelashes.

"Life's like a game Destiny. You have to be willing to take risks."

I press my lips together to prevent myself from speaking.

"You have to be willing to take chances." He pauses and licks his lips. "And most importantly, you have to play with others." He runs his fingers through his hair and says, "You can't play the game all alone. And that's what you're doing right now." He slips the football out from between my hands and takes a step back. "You need to let people in," he whispers.

Then, without another word he turns his back and walks away while I stand still in the empty field with his words swirling and tumbling around in my head.