Page 80 of The Penalty

“Oh, God, Tyler. It’s true, isn’t it? You’re sleeping with that girl. She’s our daughter’s age!”

“She’s older than Kylie,” I add, which seems silly, but I just needed to put it out there.

“She’s a student! You could get fired for that. And she could get expelled. Kylie would be so fucking embarrassed.”

I rub my hands down my face. She’s not saying anything I haven’t thought about, but it sucks hearing someone else confirm what I was already worried about. “You don’t think I know that, Shae? I know everything that’s at risk here. I’m not an idiot.”

“You sure about that? Because from what I’m seeing, you’re sticking your dick in a twenty-something-year-old when there are plenty of other women out there your own age that would gladly fuck you.”

I shake my head. “It’s not just about sex.”

She freezes and starts to laugh. A hysterical, creepy kind of laugh. One she used to do all the time when we were younger to try to make me feel stupid. “Please don’t tell me you’re in love with her.”

I look away from her, not wanting to tell her anything about my feelings. She’s never cared about what I felt. It was always about her. She doesn’t get to take this from me.

“Tyler. She’s a kid. She’s got daddy issues, and you’re probably filling a void for her. You know this isn’t going anywhere, right? I mean, what’s your plan? You’re going to marry your daughter’s friend?”

“Yeah. Maybe I am. And like I said before, it’s none of your goddamn business.” I can’t deny that I haven’t thought about what our life would be like if McKenzie and I got married. I’d love to have my ring on her finger. I’ve often questioned if I’m slightly obsessed with her, but I don’t think it’s that. I fell fast and hard for McKenzie, but I think it’s because she’s always seen me as just a man. She doesn’t want my money or my status. She listens to me when I talk, and we have similar interests. She values my opinion just like I do hers. She makes me feel like I matter at something besides football. I didn’t realize how badly I needed that until I met her.

Shae shakes her head again in disbelief. “You have to tell Kylie.”

“I’m going to. I just need to find the right time,” I tell her.

“Well, you better find it and soon. Kylie is going to be so pissed, so you better think long and hard about this and make sure this is something you actually want to do.”

“I think about it all the time, Shae!” I whisper-shout at her so no one can overhear us. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. It just did.”

“You’re a fucking idiot. You could have any woman in the world, and you went for the only one you shouldn’t have?”

I sigh. Another thing that I beat myself up about. Why did it have to be McKenzie that I fell in love with? I’ve dated plenty of women in the past, but none of them were anything like her. None of them made me feel like I needed them by my side like she does. Case in point, I was dating someone last year when we made it to a bowl game. I didn’t buy a ticket for her to come to the game. I don’t even think I asked if she wanted to come. I didn’t care.

This year, I bought the tickets because I knew I wanted McKenzie with me. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, but it did, and now I’m dealing with it as best as I can.

“Shae, I don’t need this shit from you, alright? I know what I’m doing.” I don’t really, but I’m not admitting that to her. “All I ask is that you give me time to tell Kylie. I will tell her. I just need time.”

“I seriously can’t believe you right now. You’re willing to throw away your whole life for her?”

“She’s worth it.” Fuck, I am so far gone.

She rolls her eyes, and it’s like we’re teenagers arguing all over again. “Fine. I’ll keep your dirty little secret for now, but you better tell Kylie. And soon.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.” She walks past me and purposely bumps my shoulder before going inside. I know she’s pissed at me, but I really don’t care. I’ve done everything I could for her, and I’m not giving up my happiness again. Not anymore.

I take a deep inhale of the crisp air before I turn and head back inside. McKenzie is standing next to Kylie in the kitchen, but she’s staring at me with a questioning look. I mouth the word “later” to her, and thankfully, she seems to understand.

The rest of the night goes by pretty smoothly, other than several side glances from Shae every time I stand anywhere near McKenzie.

I’m more than ready to get out of the house by the time we’re giving hugs and saying our goodbyes. Kylie has a few more days in Georgia before she flies back, but McKenzie and I have to get back to work.

“Is everything ok?” McKenzie asks once we’re on the way back to our hotel.

“Um, yeah. All good. It seems I wasn’t as subtle as I thought I was about my feelings for you.”

She inhales sharply. “What?”

“Kylie’s mom figured out that something was going on.”