Page 19

Taylor

I miss Strickland University. For the first time in years, I’m ready to go back to the place I now identify as home.

We moved so often when I was a kid that I never knew where I fit in.

It was hard to make long-term friends. I never had an inner circle.

But now that I’m part of Drake’s world, I want to go back to where I belong.

Sitting in the kitchen with my mom, I stare out the window.

It’s sunny in California, at least thirty degrees warmer than it is back in Philly.

I hate cold weather. Even after living in Germany for years, I still can’t stand the harshness of winter.

Though, I know if I were there Drake would keep me warm.

For Thanksgiving, our family always rents a house for the week in Northern California so my dad and brother can hunt our turkey. Since high school, this has been our tradition. Shaun helps my dad with the meat, and I get the honor of making the side dishes with my mom.

My cell phone dings, and when I lift it from the table, a smile crosses my lips. Drake hasn’t stopped texting me since my plane touched down in California.

Drake: Can’t stop thinking about you…

Taylor: The feeling is mutual, buddy.

Drake: Can you talk?

I glance over at my mom, who’s cutting bread for the stuffing. My family makes everything from scratch. Even the turkey is fresh. My dad and older brother, Shaun, are out right now hunting for wild turkeys.

“Do you need any help?” I ask my mom.

She scans the counter in front of her and shrugs. “No, not yet. I’ll need you in a little while to help me with the potatoes.”

“Okay, let me know when you need me.”

Everyone in our family has to pitch in. As my dad says, No one eats for free.

On my way out of the kitchen, my mom’s cell phone rings. “Honey, can you get that?” She holds up her bread-covered fingers. “Got my hands full.”

With a nod, I answer the phone. Before I can say hello, my dad’s voice blares through the receiver.

“Claire,” he growls.

“No, sir. It’s Taylor.”

“Taylor.” He sounds out of breath. “Put your mother on the phone.”

“Is everything okay?”

“No, your idiot brother shot himself in the foot with his rifle.”

I gasp at his words. “Is Shaun okay?”

“What’s going on?” Mom says from behind me, wiping her hands on a towel. She takes the phone from me, a single tear streaking down her face as my dad tells her about Shaun.

A minute later, she hangs up the phone and rips her apron off, dropping it onto the counter. “We have to get going, honey. Looks like we’re spending Thanksgiving at the hospital.”

She grabs her car keys, and without taking a single thing with me, I follow her into the driveway. Thirty minutes later, we’re in the emergency room with my dad, who’s dressed head-to-toe in camouflage.

He stands as we approach, pushing his hands to his hips. Even after years of retirement, he still looks like a commanding officer. I never expected my dad to retire from the Marine Corps to work for a contractor, but my mom had begged him to settle down.

“Shaun needs surgery to repair the damage,” my dad says, embracing my mom in his arms.

She’s trembling, while my dad is as cool as a cucumber.

Nothing fazes him. He’s seen much worse in the field than my brother shooting his toe off.

My poor brother. As much as my dad tries, he will never make Shaun like him.

Shaun is creative and carefree, where my dad is a trained killer who doesn’t have a soft bone in his body.

After he releases my mom, Dad pulls me into a hug and kisses me on the head. He’s not as tall as Drake, but he has a few inches on me. We don’t speak. He merely holds me tight, as if he’s afraid something will happen to me.

After a few hours of hanging out in the waiting room, the doctor finally allows us to see Shaun.

He’s lying in a hospital bed, his eyes lidded from the anesthesia.

My mom comes up to his side and slips her fingers between his.

Shaun’s eyes fully open a few seconds later.

He blinks a few times and then smiles up at my mom.

I sit at the edge of his bed. “I can’t believe you shot off your toe.”

He forces a smile. “I don’t know what happened. I was adjusting the rifle, and the next thing I knew, I lost my footing and… well, you know what happened next.”

“It’s a freak accident,” Mom says.

Dad grunts, shoving his hands into his pockets.

I can tell what he’s thinking without him speaking.

He’s disappointed in Shaun. My dad is tough, and if you’re not as strong as him, he considers it a weakness.

That’s why I’ve always pushed people away.

The second I sniffed out what he would’ve considered a weakness, I walked away from that person.

Oh, shit. I forgot my cell phone on the table in the kitchen. Drake won’t admit it, but I know he gets worried when he doesn’t hear from me. I usually text him back right away, but it’s been hours since he asked if I could talk.

“What’s for dinner?” my brother asks with laughter in his tone.

My dad shakes his head, his expression devoid of emotion.

“We can eat in the cafeteria,” I offer. “It will be like old times at the chow hall.”

They’re serving turkey dinner in the cafeteria. No matter the circumstances, my family always makes it work.

Dad flashes a genuine smile for once.

After we eat dinner in Shaun’s hospital room, we stay until visiting hours are over. The doctor wants to keep him overnight for observation.

When we arrive back at the rental, I go straight for the kitchen. Drake’s texted me at least a dozen times. So, I send him a quick text.

Taylor: Sorry, spent Thanksgiving in the hospital. I’m okay. I’ll explain later. I hope your holiday was better than mine.

Drake calls me within seconds of receiving the message. He settles down once I tell him the story. I rest my head on a stack of pillows as we rehash the details of our days. I’m so exhausted, yet comfortable with Drake, that after ten minutes, I end up falling asleep with him still on the line.

Jackie elbows me in the side, knocking me off balance. My sneakers slide along the court, and I almost lose possession of the ball because of it. We’re on the same damn scrimmage team. What the fuck is she doing?

Giving Jackie a wicked look, I pass the ball back to Bex.

She’s the top shooting guard in the league, with far better ball handling skills than anyone on our team.

I don’t know why Jackie’s been pushing me around since we got back from the break.

This isn’t the first time she’s elbowed me on purpose and then flashed a cocky smirk in response to my anger.

Bex dribbles the ball, sweeping it between her legs as she looks for the open player.

Dodging the girl guarding me, I pivot my foot, my hands in front of me to intercept the ball.

With a quick dribble and roll to my right, I slip past my opponent about to make the layup when someone kicks their foot out in front of me.

I fall flat on my face, my chin hitting the court hard. An intense pain shoots through my skull, forcing my eyes shut. The ball rolls beneath the basket and hits the padded wall in the gymnasium. I blink a few times to regain my vision, and then Bex is standing above me calling my name.

She holds out her hand, which I gladly accept. When I rise to my feet, I have trouble standing. Clutching her shoulder, I suck in a deep breath, wondering what just happened.

“I think someone tripped me,” I say.

She grinds her teeth. “It was Jackie.”

“What is wrong with her?”

“It’s because of Drake. Apparently, she’s been telling everyone on the team you are his new whore and that he sees her on the side.”

“Are you kidding me?”

She shakes her head, helping me over to the bench. “I overheard her talking to Crystal and Dawn.”

Still somewhat delirious, I can’t even think straight.

Bex’s words make little sense. Why would Jackie do this to me?

I did nothing to her. Not unless you count dating Drake.

But he was fair game, never hers to claim.

I knew dating Drake would put a target on my back.

Though, I never expected my own teammates to hold grudges.

After practice, we hit the showers. I’m exhausted from jet lag, my schedule is still out of whack even after a week back on campus. The three-hour time difference hits me every time.

Jackie grips the edge of her locker, so I take this as an opportunity to pay her back for the shit she pulled on the court. Pushing on the door, I slam her fingers against the wall. She cries out in pain, stumbling backward as she grabs her hand.

Her eyes meet mine, and a fire brews behind them. “You fucking whore,” she spits.

I laugh in her face. “I know you tripped me because you’re jealous that I’m with Drake. News flash, Jackie, he’s mine. So cut the shit already.”

She snorts, a guttural laugh escaping her chapped lips. “He was with me before the break. Maybe you should ask your boyfriend where his loyalty lies.”

Intense emotions bubble up inside me, the rage monster wanting to take over.

My dad taught me martial arts as a kid to help curb my anger issues.

They bullied me for the few years we lived in Texas, and after I finally confessed the truth, my dad not only got the girl’s father transferred to another duty station but also taught me how to defend myself.

Memories of my past come flooding to me, crashing over me like breaking waves. My entire body trembles as I stare at Jackie. Luckily for Jackie, Bex is at my side, tugging me back over to my locker.

She cups my shoulder and spins me around to face her. “Tay, don’t let her get to you, okay? She’s nobody. Drake is with you, not her. No matter what she says or does, you know she’s just making shit up to piss you off.”

“I know… but why does it hurt so much to hear her talk about me… about him like that. I want to rip her fucking face off.”

“It’s not worth it,” she assures me. “You could get into more trouble than just thrown off the team if you fight Jackie.”

“Yeah, I know.” Furious, I blow out a puff of air. “She knows how to press all the right buttons with me. You know, Drake never even touched her. So, it’s not like he was all that interested in her. I don’t get why she’s so obsessed with him. That was two months ago when he sent her those pics.”

“It’s in the past,” Bex reminds me.

I nod. “I knew this would happen when I told him we could be together. That’s why I wanted to keep our relationship a secret. His life is too public. Everyone stares at me like I’m some whore, and now I have to hear it from my teammate.”

She taps my shoulder with her fingers and flashes a quick smile. “It will all blow over. Go hit the showers.”

If only I could believe this will all blow over, but I have a feeling the worst is yet to come.