Page 57 of Broken Ties (Rixon High 4)

Aaron

“Aaron, come in here please,”Mom called in that voice. The one where I knew she was about to try and pull her guidance counselor crap on me.

With a heavy groan, I made my way into the kitchen, hardly surprised to find her and Dad seated at the breakfast counter.

“Come sit, we want to talk to you.” She tapped the marble top.

“What’s up?” I narrowed my eyes, although I had a pretty good idea what was going on.

“Jase called.”

“Of course he did.” My jaw ticked.

“He wanted to check in and make you sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine.” I shrugged, sliding onto a stool.

“Son, we know how important Pittsburgh was to you but it’s just one college. There are others—”

“We all know that’s not true,” I mumbled. “It’s not like when you were in senior year Dad. There’s isn’t a line of scouts all wanting a piece of me.”

Good, but not good enough. The words rattled around my skull.

“Just hear me out for a second, okay?” Mom said. “Your GPA is good, sweetheart. If you focus on academics, you could broaden your horizons and once you’re there and settled you could try out for the team as a walk-on.”

My fist curled against my thigh. “I haven’t worked this hard to be a walk-on, Mom. I still have options. I still have Connecticut and Iowa. There’s still time.”

They shared a look that had my stomach dropping. “You don’t think I’ll make it, do you?”

“Now, Aaron, that’s not what we’re saying.” Dad held up his hands. “Keep putting in the work and who knows what might happen. You’re a Raider, Son. Any team would be lucky to have you.”

“Asher!” Mom snapped, and I reared back.

I’d seen them argue before. When you loved as fiercely as my parents did, tempers ran high sometimes. But they rarely argued about me and Sofia.

“What? He wants this, babe. There’s still time. We’re only three games into the season. Let’s not be hasty.”

“Hasty? He’s hanging his entire college future on a call that might never come, Ash.” She let out an exasperated breath, her eyes softening with apology. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, I am. I wanted this to work out. I did. But we have to be realistic. And I’m concerned that you’re so blinded by landing a football scholarship you’re not seeing the bigger picture. Football isn’t everything.”

“It is to me,” I said. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted. You think I don’t know I’m not the best player on the field? Trust me, I know. I have spent years watching my teammates shine. Wondering what more I can do to improve my game. I work so freaking hard, and this was supposed to be my payoff.” My chest heaved with the weight—the truth—of my words.

“It was supposed to be my time to shine…”

“Aaron, Son, there’s still time. And Mom’s right, if the call doesn’t come, we can ask Jase to put out some feelers and see about getting you a place as a preferred walk-on. You know tuition isn’t an issue. The scholarship isn’t important.”

But it was important to me.

“He doesn’t think I’m good enough.”

“Who?”

“Coach. I asked him outright and he hesitated. He fucking hesitated.”

“Language,” Mom chided, and Dad laid his hand over hers.

“Jase is almost twenty years into this job, Aaron,” he said. “He knows how recruiting works. And he knows that sometimes things don’t work out. You’re a good player, Aaron. A team player. Not being recruited out of high school doesn’t define—”

I bolted off the stool, the metal feet scraping against the tiles. “Spare me the pity speech, Dad. I’m going out.”

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