Page 34 of A Game as Old as Time

He bent down and began picking up her books.

“And he---” She paused, trying to block the images out of her head. “He raped her!” she blurted. Gunner froze. “He raped her and then left her all alone, someplace she’d never been!”

He jerked upright, shock visible on his face.

“And my dad…” She backpedaled to the exit, her eyes still searing him. “My dad went to the athletic director, the police, and the dean to try to get something done!” she yelled down the aisle. Her books looked small in his hands. “You know what they told him? They told him that my sister had been drinking, that it was probably consensual.”

She stopped, overcome by the memories of her sister explaining what happened, between sobs, while her father sat in disbelief.

“They said they would look into it after the football game. They wanted my dad to coach the quarterback that had just raped his daughter!”

Her voice broke, and she took a long, shuddering breath.

“So, he quit,” she continued quietly. Gunner finally stood up with her books in his arms. “He gave up his dream job and moved us across the country so my sister would never have to be near another arrogant, self-centered monster.”

She shook her head and threw her hands out by her side.

“So he took this job, thinking that this school and community would be good for us.”

And what a dumb decision it was.

She peered around the auditorium and waved her arms one more time.

“But like I said, Gunner,” she opened the door and paused briefly, “you are just like all the other football players he has ever coached.”

She pushed through the double doors behind her and took off toward the main entrance. The tears she had been fighting were finally starting to stream down her face.

**********

“Gunner!” Peyton’s voice jarred him back to reality. He realized he wasstill holding the plate of food.

“Yeah?” he asked softly, turning to her.

“Are you going to the fundraiser for Dad’s scoreboard on Saturday?” Peyton pointed to the flyer on the refrigerator.

“I can’t,” he said shortly, moving toward the stairs.

“You can’t?” She moved in front of him. “Tony wants this to be perfect, and the whole football team will be there.”

Perfect.

He shook his head, trying to move around her.

I can’t do this.

The tightness in his chest was making it tough to breathe. He could not take another lecture, especially after what he had heard earlier in the auditorium.

Raped.

He kept saying it over and over.

I’m nothing like that guy.

He felt his sister grab his arm.

“No Gunner, you have to---”

He jerked away. The force sent his sister tumbling back against the granite countertop.

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