Page 16 of The Comeback Pact

CHAPTERSIX

West

Aidan pauseshis video game when I walk in. He’s leaned back in his desk chair, his left leg propped up on his bed. He scans me from head to toe, smirking. “So?”

I shrug. I really don’t know what to think about the last couple of hours. Well, all day actually. When she jogged back to her place at the end of her run, me hot on her heels, she walked right up the walkway without looking back. I called out that I expected her to be in the weightlifting room at seven a.m. tomorrow, but she didn’t respond.

She didn’t…respond. That never happens to me.

I don’t know where I stand with McKenna Knowles.

Aidan tilts his head. “You couldn’t pull it off? You’re West Brooks, dude.”

I flip him off, then go to my closet to grab a towel. This will be my third shower of the day, but once again, my shirt is sticking to me with perspiration.

“Before you do that…” Aidan hedges.

The tone of his voice has me peering over my shoulder. He runs his hands through his hair. “Your mom called. She wants you to call her.”

My teeth grind together. An avalanche of emotions hits me all at once. Love for my mom, of course, but at the same time, there’s a hesitancy there, too. “You shouldn’t have given her your number,” I remind him.

“What kind of awesome roommate would I be if your family didn’t have access to me?”

“Normal?”

“Just call her.”

“Yeah, yeah.” If my mom’s calling instead of texting, something is up. Checking my phone, I see she tried to call me while I was jogging with Kenna. Well, jogging behind her while she ignored my existence.

I picture my mom all alone in that two-bedroom trailer, stressed out and chain smoking. It could be worse. She could be stressed out, chain smoking, and dealing with my father.

My stomach clenches as I walk back out of the room I share with Aidan in the athletic dorms. The long hallway is lined with doors on the left-hand side that lead to other athletes’ rooms. On the right, though, is where I’m headed. Pushing the bathroom door open, I can hear at least one shower running, so I let the door close and head to the lounge area instead. Luckily, no one else is in it, so I sit in an empty chair next to the small table and dial my mom.

The room smells like burnt toast. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool they have a little kitchenette with a seating area on this floor, but it always smells like burnt food because college students are the worst cooks.

Mom answers after three rings. “West…”

It’s not her panic voice, but it’s not her just-checking-in voice either. “Hi, Mom. You can’t keep calling Aidan,” I say stiffly. “I was just out for a run.”

“He told me.”

“Okay…”

She takes a deep breath, and there’s a waver in it. Instantly, I’m on high alert. I’ve watched this woman go through some shit, and I’m overly protective of her because of it. At the same time, I’m dealing with my own shitbecauseof her, so it’s this weird mix of responsibility and wanting to put distance between us.

“He called me.”

My jaw snaps shut.Hecan only mean one person. My abusive, fucked-up sperm donor. I don’t even like to use the wordfatherbecause that would mean I’m actually related to him. That a part of him actually lives on in me, and I cannot deal with that.

The mere mention of him puts me right back in that tiny, dingy trailer. There wasn’t enough room for all three of us with his anger acting as another entity, taking up all the available space.

My world closes in, vision blurring, heart pounding. I take a deep breath and hold it, releasing it slowly.

“He said he’s tried to call you. He’s blaming me for the fact that you’re not calling him back.”

When a number kept popping up on my phone, I wondered if it was him. The majority of people close to me understand I don’t talk on the phone, so they don’t even try. He wouldn’t know that because we may be blood related, but we’re far from close.

“Why are you answering his calls?” I shoot back.

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