Page 67 of Breaking Free

“I don’t know. Will I be playing?” Trevor asks, a little bite in his tone.

“Now you know it’s all dependent on your performance at practice. You’re good, Campbell. Just distracted, I think.”

He looks at me briefly. “Right. Well, I think I’ll be good.”

“And I’m always good,” I say with a wink.

Coach shakes his head, and then does a double take as he gazes behind me. “Camila?”

I jolt around at the sound of my mom’s name and sure enough she’s strutting this way with a bag in her hand.

“Liam,” she says with a small smile. “How nice to see you.” Her eyes find me. “Hey, Dom. Who’s this?” Her eyes bounce to Trevor who wears a look of confusion.

“This is Trevor.”

She looks at me before giving Trevor her attention. “Hi, Trevor.”

He smiles. “Hi.”

“So, how are you?” Coach asks her, his head doing the sympathetic tilt.

“I’m doing okay,” she answers with a nod. “Day by day, you know?”

He nods, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s good to hear. You know you can let me know if you ever need anything.”

“I appreciate that,” she replies with a grin. “I’m just thankful you helped my boy here.”

“Of course,” he says. “Well, I guess I’ll get out of your hair. See you boys tomorrow.”

Once he’s gone, Mom lingers. “So…” her eyes bounce between me and Trevor and I know she’s wondering if this is the guy I was talking about. “I was just heading down the street to the bakery, then I’m heading home.”

“Okay, I won’t be out too late. I have more homework to do.”

She smiles at Trevor again. “Nice meeting you.”

“You too,” he replies.

After she’s gone, he stares at me with furrowed brows. “So your family does know Coach? And he did help you get on the team? Is that why you’re in my spot?”

I sigh, not wanting to fight about this. “It’s not like that.”

“That’s funny, because I literally just heard the conversation. They seem to have a pretty decent relationship, and he helped you. How else did he help you if not by making sure you played on his team?”

“Don’t make this into something it’s not.”

“Then fucking tell me what it is.”

“Yes, he helped. So did my coach back at Grand Valley. I told you my dad died. They helped get me transfered.”

His anger is palpable. “I think it’s much more than that. You didn’t even start at Grand Valley, and now you get here where the coach has some sort of relationship with your mom, and now you’re starting. You didn’t even try out.”

I inhale deeply through my nose, trying not to get upset. I can understand how it may look, but I don’t like the insinuation of my mom and Coach being in any sort of relationship. “There was no guarantee I’d be a starter, they just wanted to make sure I stayed on the team. My other coach felt like I needed it. The discipline. The distraction.”

His eyes narrow on me briefly before he looks away. “Sure.”

I sigh, standing up. “Okay, well, believe what you want, Campbell. I’m only starting because I’m better than you.”

He shakes his head. “Just perfect.”

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