“She’s pretty bright, Dad,” I told him. This was a conversation I figured was going to happen, so I had already worked out most of it in my head. “She wouldn’t fall for the usual shit. It actually works out great because the other girls aren’t bugging me; Nicole’s doing the extra work I have for school, and I still have someone to suck me off. It’s perfect, really. Kind of like one-stop-shopping.”
I laughed and then held my breath, hoping he was going to buy it. He glanced at me sideways for a second, and the long shadow he cast under the bright lamps covered me.
“She looks clingy,” he said. “Fuck her and get rid of her. I want to be able to throw that shit in her father’s face.”
“It’s working out well, though,” I said again, hoping he’d drop it even though I knew he wouldn’t.
“Fuck her and dump her,” he repeated. “Or just dump her if she won’t spread her legs. I don’t want you distracted. The Messini will be here for the next home game. Get her out of the way before then.”
“Okay,” I said with a nod, “but it’s going to be hard finding someone else who can do all the homework.”
“Drop those fucking AP classes, then,” he replied.
“I’ll figure something out,” I said quietly.
I watched him drive off and then turned around and headed back to the field, trying to figure out what the hell I was going to say to Nicole. I probably could have told her the truth—she already knew a little—but I didn’t want to. I didn’t want her to know what Dad had said about her.
I shook my head, sending droplets of rain from my hair to the ground.
One thing was for sure, I wasn’t going to dump her tonight. I had an entire week before Dad returned home. If I had to end things with Rumple before then, I was going to make the most of the next seven days.
My phone meowed, and a message from Jeremy asked where I had gone. I quickly typed a response and jogged the rest of the way back to the stands.
When I got back to Nicole, I wasn’t in the mood for heading out with the rest of the team. She definitely noticed my change in demeanor even though I tried to cover it up as much as I could. Every time I looked at her, my Dad’s words were in my head: Fuck her and dump her.
I couldn’t do that—not to Rumple.
“Is everything all right?” she asked quietly as kids started climbing into cars and heading for a little late night party on the beach.
“I’m okay,” I told her. “It’s just too fucking cold for a beach party tonight.”
She eyed me, obviously not falling for my line of bullshit.
“What do you want to do?”
“I might just head home—I have to train in the morning.”
“You train every morning,” Nicole said.
“Saturdays are more intense,” I said with a shrug. “I train the most on Saturdays and Tuesdays.”
She looked me over again but finally nodded.
“Do you want to come over for lunch when you’re done? Dad’s heading on a fishing trip in the morning, but he’ll be back later in the afternoon.”
“That would be awesome,” I said, and I meant it.
Saturday morning I was up early for my run. I pushed myself harder as thoughts of the Messini brothers coming to watch me crept through my mind. I did my first mile in slightly under five minutes and then did the next two in six.
Too bad Dad wasn’t here to check my times.
After the run, I headed to the basement and hit the free weights. By the time I was done, I was completely wiped out and ready to pass out in bed before I even managed to shower. I couldn’t do that, though, because Nicole was expecting me for lunch, and I wasn’t about to disappoint her.
Not yet, anyway.
As I washed the sweat from my body, I tried to think about what I was going to tell her. Dad’s instructions had been about as clear as they could be—I had two weeks to get rid of my Rumple. If I didn’t…well, I didn’t even want to think about what he might do. Dad was really good at finding shit on people, and I definitely didn’t want to chance his looking into Nicole’s life in Minnesota.
Fuck her and dump her.