Page 167 of Saving the Halfback

“You enslaved my soul.Ididn’t even know who I was anymore. I knew nothing of myself.” Nolan showed me. He showed me how to be Bailey.

“You chose me. You had every opportunity to tell your parents. You had every opportunity to tell me no and leave. You kept coming back to me. You kept coming back for more, time and time again. You wanted it so badly, you did everything to keep it secret, so we could continue.”

I took a step forward, toward him, pain and anger swirling in my chest, the rage within growing. “I was afraid! I lost everyoneI loved, and I was afraid. You didn't have to hurt me. You could have loved me and protected me, but you chose to tear me apart for your own amusement.” His smile enraged me. “YOU LIED TO ME!” I screamed.

Only… Ed had disappeared, and suddenly, I was staring at myself in the floor-length mirror. My amber eyes filled with hot liquid as I gazed at the child before me now. “You lied to me.” My voice was barely audible as I spoke to myself. “You lied to me and told me I needed him. You lied to me and told me it was okay to endure the pain because feeling his acceptance was worth it. It wasn’t. Every day, I wanted to tell my parents, but you talked me out of it.

“You lied to me.”

Tears ran down my face.

“No,” I choked out on a sob. “I lied to myself.”

“Bailey?” Dad’s voice called from the stairs.

I jumped, clearing my throat. “Yeah?”

“Come downstairs a moment. The boys have something they want to show you.”

I quickly took a few deep breaths and wiped at my eyes and cheeks to compose myself before leaving the room.

“What is it?” I asked, confused by my dad’s enthusiasm while we walked outside together.

“Just go out to the barn, they’re there. They have a surprise for you.”

“Okay?” I walked out to the barn and poked my head in to see Ethan, Lachlan, Chase, and Nolan standing together outside a stall. “Apparently, you guys have something for me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Chase spoke first. “We know you have a lot going on right now, and we think we’ve found the cause of one of the issues.”

“Oh?”

“You know how you hear the barking all the time?” Chase asked.

My smile immediately dropped. “What do you mean?”

“Ethan and I were working in the back field before we left for the tournament. The field runs along the new property, near the creek.”

“Yes…” I took a small step into the barn.

The guys were all grinning and excited, but I was wary. “Your mom said that property went through foreclosure. The old owner died, and they moved all the animals off the property to different sanctuaries.”

“Well, all but one. They couldn’t catch him. His collar says ‘Pops’,” Ethan said. He was leaning against a beam, arms folded loosely across his chest as he nodded to the open stall. “Go see.”

I walked over, hesitating because everyone’s attention was on me. Inside the stall was a large white dog. His body seemed frail for his large size, his eyes aged with wisdom, and even though his fur was white, I could see the grey around his eyes and his muzzle. He was absolutely filthy; he’d obviously been living outside for a while.

I slowly started shaking my head. Even though the dog before me was a stranger, when his gaze met mine, all I could see was Marley. Sweat broke out across my back, causing me to shiver. My stomach churned painfully as my fear spiked.

“We figured Pops really suits him. He looks old. I think he was a farm dog, so that’s why it was hard for him to leave when he got loose,” Nolan said.

His voice was muffled, as if I was hearing him from underwater.

“Baby, you okay? You look pale.” Lachlan reached for me, but I pulled away slowly, my eyes barely moving as my brain tried to comprehend what was happening before me.

“Take him back,” I whispered.

Ethan appeared confused. “B, we just thought, with Marley gone—”

At the mention of Marley, something inside me snapped, and finally, my brain kicked in. I cut Ethan off, screaming frantically. “Take him back now! He has to go back!”

---