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Cliff has been working under him since we graduated high school. I can’t imagine what he’ll do now. Cliff loves this ranch, but I can’t imagine continuing to work it will be easy.
Still, this is Cliff. He wouldn’t want to start something fresh and new like I would. That’s not him.
CHAPTER 39
The Struggle
Trevor
Four months later…
I takea sip of my beer with a frown on my face. This party is the last place I want to be. We won the game, but even at 8–1, this season hasn’t felt right to me.
I’m not as excited as I used to be. Not that I’m not playing amazing. I need to put all this pent-up anger somewhere.
I haven’t spoken to Lynn in months, not since that night. She came to my uncle’s funeral but stayed at her daddy’s side. I didn’t get a chance to say a word to her as I remained with Cliff and was dealing with my own grief.
I’ve wanted to call, but I also want to give her space to do her thing. She’s the one who said she’d see me next summer. I’m respecting her wishes. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.
“Hey, Trev,” Corinne says as she comes over to stand with me and my teammates.
I groan. If she’s here, that means my ex is somewhere around here too. I don’t know why I thought I’d catch a break tonight. Donna has been on my ass all semester, wanting to get back together.
I’m not interested. Corinne has been coming to campus more and more. I’m not sure what that’s about and I honestly don’t care.
“Hey, Corinne,” I say to be polite like my mama raised me to be.
“You guys were great out there. The game-winning touchdown, you were showing off,” she says with a wide grin.
“That my boy was,” our QB says as he comes over and clamps a hand on my shoulder. “I’m hoping the Cowboys are watching. Wouldn’t that be awesome? We both get drafted there and take this show on the road.”
I slide my gaze to Patrick and give him a smile. I still haven’t told anyone this is it for me. Now more than ever, I know it is. Cliff has been struggling back home. My cousin needs me.
After graduation, I’m headed home to help out. I think having me there will help Cliff to heal and move forward. It will give him someone to lean on, if nothing else.
His mama’s health hasn’t been the greatest in the last two months. That’s why I asked him up this weekend. He needed the break.
I glance across the room and find him with red cheeks and nose, talking to some guys. He’s wasted. I shake my head and look back at Patrick.
“Yeah, that would be something.”
I feel bad as soon as the words leave my mouth. His eyes light up and I can almost see him dreaming it up. He’s a shoo-in for the draft.
“You looked amazing out there. I could totally see you and Patrick going in the first round. Top three picks, in fact. It’sgoing to be so awesome,” Donna purrs as she comes over and stands beside me.
I fight not to roll my eyes. I’ve heard this out of her mouth for the last four years. It’s one of the reasons I broke things off. Don’t get me wrong, Donna is pretty. She’s very pretty with her dark-brown hair, green eyes, and curvy body.
She’s attractive until she opens her mouth. That’s when you want to gnaw your arm off to get away from her. The mean, catty, and insensitive shit that has come out of her mouth over the years have been astonishing.
Donna wasn’t like that when we met. I mean, I knew Corinne from back home. That’s actually how I met Donna. Donna had spent a summer with Corinne and we’d flirted a little.
The next year, I ran into Donna at freshman orientation. I had forgotten all about her to be honest. I had even brushed her off, given the fact that Corinne was her cousin. I hadn’t been the biggest fan of hers in high school.
However, after a few drinks and the high of my freshman year as a football star, still wet behind the ears—Donna pounced. The next thing I knew, we were dating. I’ve broken up with her plenty of times and she always finds a way to worm her way back in.
I look down at my beer and place it on the nearest surface. I won’t be enabling that cycle tonight. This time, I’m done with her once and for all.
“There’s still plenty of season left. Anything can happen,” I mumble.
