Page 13 of The Penalty

“And where exactly are you sleeping right now?”

Shit. Shit. Shit. I’m a terrible liar.

“My car.”

Her eyes practically popped out of her head. It would’ve been comical if it didn’t involve me getting yelled at by my new friend. “Are you kidding me?”

I had to explain to her exactly how I got there and why. She started insisting that I would be staying at her house tonight. I tried to say no, but she wasn’t having it. Plus, the prospect of an actual bed was too hard to pass up. It’s been almost a week since I’ve been able to crash on someone’s couch.

That’s how I find myself pulling up to a house way larger than I was expecting. I’m not sure why I assumed the two of them lived in a quaint little medium-income home. But this is definitely not that. This is at least three times the size of my house back home.

It was a short drive here from the restaurant, and I asked myself several times if I should make up an excuse to not come over. I don’t want it to be weird if Coach Danvers comes home and sees me in his house. I’m bugging him enough at school.

I grab my bag from the passenger seat, lock the car, and head to the front door. This is my last chance to turn around. Before I ring the doorbell, I contemplate running back to my car and driving off, but I told Kylie I’d be here, and I really don’t want to let her down. I think she’s lonely in this big house on her own all the time, which is one reason she pushed so hard for me to come over.

One thing about me is I’m a people pleaser. I’d hate for my new friend to be disappointed in me because I chickened out.

Kylie answers the door decked out in La Vista U sweatpants and a T-shirt.

“Hey! How was work?” she asks as she escorts me inside. I try my best to be subtle about gawking as I look around, but it’s hard not to notice the marble floors, a beautiful staircase, and the classic black light fixtures. It’s gorgeous and not what I was expecting at all for Coach Danvers.

“It was good. A lot of people are in town for the game tomorrow, so I got some good tips.”

“Good!” She takes me into the living room. It’s large, but there’s not much in here. A big gray sectional takes up most of the living room, and a giant TV is mounted on the wall, but the walls are bare. I spot a few pictures of Kylie on the fireplace mantle, but that’s the only personal touch I can see. This room gives off more of the bachelor vibe I was expecting.

I walk over to one of the pictures and pick it up. It’s Kylie as a kid. Coach Danvers is in a Carolina Panthers jersey and is holding Kylie on a busy football field. He’s actually smiling, and damn, it transforms his entire face. His eyes are sparkling as he looks at Kylie. It’s amazing that he’s gotten more attractive with age.

I put the picture down and clear my throat a little, realizing that I’m drooling over my friend’s dad. Not cool, McKenzie. Not cool.

“So, you’re sure it’s ok for me to be here?” I ask, looking around again. “Coach won’t be mad?”

“Oh, no. I let Dad know you would be sleeping over tonight. He’s cool with it. He’d probably let me do anything I wanted, honestly. I think he’s scared that I don’t like it here.”

I nod my head, thinking back to the question he asked me yesterday. “Do you like it here?”

She shrugs. “Yeah. So far, anyway. It’s a lot different from where I grew up, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

I nod. La Vista isn’t anything like my hometown, either, even if it’s in the same state. “Will he be home tonight?”

She looks at her phone. “He should be home any minute, actually. There was a team dinner tonight since tomorrow is the first game.” I nod my head. “You hungry? I made Chicken Alfredo.”

“Oh my gosh, that sounds amazing. I ran out of Alessandro’s so quickly, I forgot to see if they had anything extra in the kitchen.”

“Come on. I’ll get you a plate, and then we can go to my room and watch a movie.”

After making me a plate, she leads me upstairs to her room. She shows me where the bathroom is and points to the room at the end of the hall, letting me know where her dad’s room is.

Note to self: don’t go down the hall.

Her room is decorated pretty simply. The queen-sized bed is all white, and a white dresser and a desk covered in books are along one wall. Twinkle lights are hanging on the wall above her bed, and a full-sized gold mirror leans against the wall. She has a picture wall showing off what I assume are all of her friends and family back in Georgia.

“This is nice,” I tell her, dropping my bag in a corner.

“Thanks. I’m still decorating it, but I like it. Dad’s been here for a few years but never got around to decorating. I figured I’d start in my bedroom and then work on the rest of the house.”

“It does seem slightly bare.”

She rolls her eyes. “I know. He said he bought this house because it was the first one the realtor showed him that was kind of distant from any neighbors. He likes his privacy. But it’s so big. Most of the rooms are empty.”