Page 130 of Their Greatest Strength

It’s almost hard to believe that I was able to help with that. Plain Jane Blakely Monroe has made a difference in the sports world. I wouldn’t have bought it three months ago.

The line at the concession clears out, and I step up, ready to order when the air shifts. A rock settles in my stomach like a bad omen, and I flash an apologetic smile at the concession worker before stepping aside. It’s almost like I know who I’m going to see before I turn around.

“Blakely?”

Pain steals my breath. Her voice is the same as it was five years ago, only lighter, like without the weight of us, she’s happier.

Hiding my emotions behind a blank mask, I turn around to face my mother.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask before she has a chance to open her mouth.

She looks as terrible as she did the day she left, with her hollowed cheekbones, thin brows, and pale green eyes. Her jacket is puffy, missing a zipper, and most likely stolen.

The resemblance she has to me is uncanny. It’s enough to pissme off all on its own, as if I don’t have a million other things to be mad about first.

“Is that really how you want to greet me after five years apart?” she asks.

“I don’t want to greet you at all, so I’d take what I’ve offered if I were you.”

“Alright, fine.”

I lift my brows pointedly. “So? What are you doing here? How did you even know about the game?”

“I’ve been around. And this is where you went to school. Nathan was always playing football. Figured this was a good place to look for you.”

“I’m surprised you even remember any of that. You were high so often that you spent weeks calling him Nathanial.”

She purses her lips and glances away. “It’s there. In bits and pieces.”

“Good for you.”

“Well, I see there’s no love lost here,” she jokes gruffly, looking at me again.

“Does it really matter to you? What do you want? Money?”

“You always were the smart one out of you and your brother.”

Anger bubbles beneath my skin. “I don’t have any money to give you.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Scoffing, I steal a look toward the field to make sure there isn’t anyone coming toward us. There isn’t anyone.

“Do you think you left me with a trust fund when you took off? I’ve been raising your son on my own. Sorry that money’s a bit tight right now.”

“That was before, Blakely. Things have changed for you now.”

My hackles rise as I piece together what she’s hinting at. “No, they haven’t.”

She slides her hands into her jacket pockets and sighs. “I sawthe video of you, honey. All it took was one Google search to learn everything. You’re not being truthful with me right now.”

The video of me telling off the reporter, most likely.

“My husband’s money is not my money. And it certainly isn’t anything that I would give to you. So, if that’s what you came for, you can leave now.”

“Nathan is only fifteen, sweetie.”

“You don’t have to remindmeof his age,” I spit, my restraint starting to slip.

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