Page 70 of Penalty Shots

"It's more than that, Keelan. I can take care of myself."

He steps in and crosses the room, kneeling in front of Stella and me. He plants the softest of kisses on his niece's head and looks up at me.

"You can do anything, Ri. I know that with all my heart. But I'm not going to let you do this alone. Do you understand me?"

His dark mocha eyes are glowing from the small slit of moonlight stretching out from the blinds. That look. So warm. So captivating.

But I can't let him.

I motion for him to take Stella, and he does, rising to his feet and gently laying her in her crib before turning back to me.

"Rina," he says my name—a broken melody on his lips.

I shake my head. "I'll be fine."

Then I turn and disappear into my room.

Rina, 18 years old

My mom slams my test onto the table in front of me. The classroom has cleared out and she asked me to stay back.

"Don't lie to me. You cheated, didn't you?"

I roll my eyes. "Are you serious? You don't believe in me that much, that the only way you see I can pass your stupid exam is by cheating?"

I push the paper back to her.

"You are in the bottom ten percent of my class, Katarina. And you expect me to believe that you just miraculously learned the material? Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"No, Ma. But I think you think I am." I grab my backpack and get up from the auditorium seat.

Keelan is probably waiting for me just outside the classroom, but I can't talk to him either, not after what happened with Jenny.

"Sit down, Katarina. We're not done here."

I huff out a laugh. "Oh, we're done here. You really have a lot of nerve, Ma. And I get it. I'm your only shot at a legacy, and I'm such a disappointment. Is that why you're trying so hard to get pregnant? So you can have hope that I'm not all this family has?"

Her face scrunches. "What on earth are you talking about, malcriada?"

"If I'm bad-mannered, Ma. Then I guess you can blame yourself. You haven't exactly set the best example."

I'm now stomping down the steps to get as far away from her as I can.

"Katarina, stop."

I do. Because if there's one thing I've been taught by the woman who just called me "brought up badly," is to respect those in authority.

And she's not only my professor. She's my mother.

I wait for her to walk over to me. "Just, be honest with me, Katarina. Did you or did you not cheat on this final exam?"

The audacity. The fucking audacity.

"The only cheater in this room, is you!" I spit out.

Her face constricts in utter confusion. "What?"

"I saw you. And Coach Wilson. I saw him rubbing your belly. You weren't even trying to hide." My voice shakes.

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