Page 43 of Redemption
“MJ,” he says, stepping closer and finally looking me in the eye. “I’m just—I don’t know. There’s a lot of pressure right now, and I was angry. I’m sorry.”
I try to fake a smile, but it’s wobbly. I need to get out of here before someone sees me break. There’s a lot I can handle, buthaving others witness my breakdown so that it can be turned into gossip later might kill me.
“You know what? It’s fine, L. I get it. I—I got to go.”
Then I’m walking away from my brother with a broken heart that hurts more than any boyfriend could ever deliver, and as I walk, I hear the voice that I sometimes dream about asking, “What’s wrong with MJ?”
I don’t dare turn around because if I do, I might do something embarrassing, like run back into his arms and beg him to fill the pieces of me that seem to be missing.
Chapter 14
Mallorie Jade
I’ve thought about Tanner since he left my office in the middle of the afternoon. What he said about his spot on the team bothers me. I feel like the kid needs some help, but I don’t want to jump head-first into a situation without knowing what I’m getting into. I need more information about this kid before I decide how to approach this situation with him.
So, in order to find out what I want, I’m going into the lion’s den—or better yet, the Lily den.
Her office door is open, and she’s sitting at her desk, shoulders pulled back with perfect posture. Glasses sit on her nose as she reads, and I rap my knuckles on her door frame to announce myself. Her eyes flick from the monitor on her desk up to me and then back to her computer.
“Come in,” she says without looking back at me.
I grit my teeth, trying to hold back some snarky comments. All day, I’ve seen her be open and friendly with the other staff members and kids, but with me, it’s been like a frozen tundra. Hayes said they aren’t dating, but if her attitude is any indication, it’s not from lack of trying on her part. She sees me as the competition, and if I were a better person, I’d put her mind at ease—let her know that there’s nothing between Hayes and me. But—I’m not the bigger person, at least not when it comes to Hayes.
A small part of me whispers it’s because I still care about him, but I squash that part of me like a bug as soon as it comes to mind.
“What can I do for you?” She asks, still engrossed in whatever is on her screen.
“I would like to speak with you about a student.”
Her eyes flick to me again, but this time they stay, assessing me.
“Which one?” she asks.
She cares about her students. Her whole demeanor softens when she asks. In a different lifetime and situation, maybe we could have been friends. But in this lifetime, she hates me because she thinks I’m her competition with Hayes, and I dislike her because—well, I’m not exploring that.
“Tanner Sylvis.”
She sighs, and the knot in my stomach grows bigger.
“What happened?”
“Nothing. He just came to my office for some pain medicine today. He had a headache. I noticed in his chart that he’s prone to getting them. I just want to know if I’m missing a medical diagnosis in the chart or if you can tell me anything else about him.”
“He’s a good kid.” She’s quick to jump to his defense.
She chews on her lip, and I wait because she clearly has more to say. But when she doesn’t continue, I say, “Okay. I didn’t ask if he was a good kid, though. I’m looking more for medical history.”
“Well—” she hesitates. My brow furrows. I don’t understand why she’s hesitating so much. Despite my dislike for her, I didn’t expect her to be one that would beat around the bush. “Last football season, he got a major concussion. He started having headaches at school often enough that we asked his mom to come in to see what we could do to help. When he came in,though, she acted like there was nothing wrong with Tanner. Without her cooperation, there wasn’t much the school could do except make her aware of her son’s problems. She didn’t want to hear it. I’m not sure what else has been done to help Tanner.”
“Does Hayes know this?”
She hesitates, reluctant to answer me, and I hope she tells me he doesn’t because if she tells me he does and the boy is still playing, I’m not sure I’ll be able to look at him the same way anymore.
“Since Hayes was just hired—and is still learning about his athletes—probably not. Plus, Tanner passed his physicals.”
“And you think it’s a good idea to hide the headaches from a coach?” I don’t bother hiding the anger simmering just below the surface. It’s reckless for her not to have told Hayes this.
“As I’ve already stated with a clear physical and his mom’s permission to play, there’s not much we can do.” Lily’s on edge, fingers clenching at the wood on the front of her desk.
