Page 41 of Tell Me I'm Enough

She laughs, and her cheeks turn pink. It’s fun to make girls squirm a little. There’s this satisfaction in it.

“There’s a party tonight,” the brunette says, butting back in and trying to claim some kind of territory here. “You should come by.”

“I’ll see.”

I won’t. I’m beat, and I have early classes tomorrow. Spring break did me in, and I need a minute to recover.

“Let me get your number so I can give you the details, at least.”

Smooth, I’ll give her that.

“Give me your phone,” I tell her. I know I won’t text her back, but I hate making people feel rejected. I know the feeling all too well.

In the locker room, I strip down to my boxers, wanting to change into something less sweaty and outside-smelling for theweight room. As I’m pulling my gym bag out, one of our linemen, Alec, slams into my locker, pretending it was an accident and laughing.

“What’s up, rookie of the year? We haven’t tired you out enough to go running back to the Little Leagues yet?”

“I don’t get tired,” I tell him, shoving the locker door back open and pushing him out of the way.

“How’s it feel to knowDaddybought your spot here on the team?”

Most of the guys are cool on the team, but then there’s, of course, still the few that can’t get over their own jealousy. And it would probably bother me if it were true, but theactualtruth is in all the hours, blood, sweat, and tears I’ve put into this sport over the years.

Like I said, I don’t have a desire to go pro, but sports have always been an escape for me, a place to put my anger and frustration, especially after my mom died. So, yeah, my dad’s name might have put the light on me, but my talent kept it there. This is my only form of therapy, and I put it to good use.

“Well, the return policy is pretty strict, so no refunds, and no take-backsies,” I tell him, shrugging.

A couple of the guys around us snicker, but Alec doesn’t seem to find me funny.

“Some of us have to grind our asses off to get our spot here. You have money signs by your name and just get handed a spot.”

“Yeah? You think last names and dollar signs run good plays and score touchdowns?”

“They open doors,” he retorts.

“Doors don’t catch 150-yard passes, last time I checked.”

He turns to walk off, mumbling under his breath. “Can’t stand rich, entitled, pretty ass boys who think they’re better than the ones whoactuallydeserve their spots.”

Reese shoots Alec a look as he walks by. “Watch it,” he warns.

“Nah, let ‘em talk,” I say, smiling. “You can have my last name if you take the rest of my life with it,” I yell over to him.

Alec shouts back over his shoulder, “I’ll take the fancy cars and opportunities…you can keep whatever childhood trauma you’ve got plastered on your forehead.”

It shouldn’t sting…but it does.

I just let it roll off as he walks away, grabbing my stuff and changing.

In the weight room, I push another plate onto the bar and slide onto the bench as Chase gets ready to spot me.

“That’s a lot of fucking weight, man,” he says, going to stand behind my head. “Who pissed you off?”

I lift my hands to the bar and arch my back to get into a press position.

“Just need some free therapy, that’s all.”

He chuckles. “You could affordrealtherapy, you know.”