Page 36 of His Stubborn Girl

And even if I was willing to give it all up for her, which I would in a heartbeat, her mom was right. Torrin is young and naïve and she doesn’t know yet what she truly wants. She has a lot of life ahead. A lot of experience to have. And she deserves to have it all. I did my messing around. Dated girls. Fucked around. I got it out of my system and know exactly what I want now. But Torre… I’m the first guy she’s slept with. She’s caught up in the high, but when that high crashes, I’ll be the one left standing in the rubble with a broken heart. Better to face it now than later when I have no career, no family, and have lost the only thing that truly mattered.

“It’s over between us. We ended things tonight.” I ripped her little heart out and watched her run out of here in tears. “It’s better this way. For both of us.”

“I don’t know, man. I’ve never seen you as happy as you’ve been over the last few months. It felt like someone had body snatched you. And Torre was happy too.”

She was. She was a bubbly ray of sunshine. Smiling all the time. Dancing around here like life couldn’t get any better. We both were.

“Look, I’m not telling you what you should do. But if this is because of your parents, then I think you’re making a mistake. They’re in shock and need to process everything, but if they could see how happy you two are, I think they’d come around.”

It’s a nice thought, but I saw the look in my dad’s eyes. The hatred. Utter disappointment. The disgust. And Sheryll… She was a mother wanting to protect her cub from the monster. And I’m that monster. No. This is the way it needs to be. Time will pass, Torrin will heal, and eventually everything will be right in their world.

And me… First, I have to figure out how to keep breathing. Because right now I feel like I’m suffocating.

26

Torrin

“Hey, Torre!”

Sophie’s soft voice weeds through the wreckage of my thoughts, forcing me to open my eyes. I’ve been an awful friend. Sneaking around and lying to her when she opened up and poured her heart out to me, telling me everything that happened to her in the past. Things she never wanted to face. And I cowardly hid in my little bubble of love, rationalizing that every lie would keep that bubble from popping, but it just burst. And now my friend knows that I lied to her.

I clear the crud from my eyes, struggling to keep them open from the swelling. Forcing myself to sit up and face what’s coming.

“Are you okay?”

I shake my head, feeling like the dam on my emotions is about to break again.

“I know your parents are mad. It was a shock to them, but I think they’ll come around.”

That’s not what I expected her to say. I thought she’d be asking me why and how, and whether Lukas somehow groomed me. That’s what our parents think. That Lukas is a monster. He would never fathom to do such a thing. He was trying so hard to keep this from happening. He tried to keep his distance, but our hearts wouldn’t let it happen.

“They got what they wanted.” I wipe the tears. “It’s over between us. He ended it.”

“I’m so sorry, Torre. Maybe he just needs time to think. Maybe he’ll wake up in the morning and realize he made a mistake.”

Maybe. Maybe once the dust settles, he’ll come running back.

“So, you’re not upset with me?” I ask.

“Why would I be upset with you?”

“Because I’ve been lying to you for months.”

“But I understand why. I get that this wasn’t something you wanted to talk about. People can be cruel.” And she of all people knows that firsthand. “But I would never judge you, Torre. You’ve been such a good friend to me, and all I want is for you to be happy. And Lukas made you happy. You’ve been glowing these past few months, and now I know why.”

He made me so happy. I need to tell him that. I need him to know how much I love him. He made his choice, but he was under pressure and being called a predator. I can’t blame him for his reaction. I think anyone would’ve reacted that way.

But when I find the courage to pick up the phone and make the call, he doesn’t answer. And when I text him, he doesn’t respond. And the days go by. And the hope fades. And my heart gets crushed under the weight of the truth that deep down this is what he wants. It’s always been football. And it always will be.

27

Lukas

“And the Dallas Cowboys have made their first pick of the draft, and in record time. They’ll be taking Offensive Running Back Lukas Williams.”

It’s what I’d always dreamed of. Playing for the Cowboys in my home state. It should be a good fucking day. But I have no one to share it with. I wonder if my family even saw the news. Or if they even care.

My phone rings and there’s a spark of hope when I see it’s Sheryll calling. Maybe they were watching after all.

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