“You have nothing to apologize for. He only wants what’s best for you.” Though I believe this to be true, it doesn’t help ease the sting.
“It’s still not okay.”
“Can we please focus on something else, anything else, until we have to leave in a few hours?” I request, desperate for a change in subject.
Everyone agrees, but there’s a stain on our earlier happiness. The hard set of my brother’s jaw tells me this isn’t the end of the discussion for him either.
Fabulous.
#Chapte52
UofJ411: I guess we should all be bowing down to the queen now that we get to keep @CasaNova87 on the team for another year! #GoForTheRepeat #Kaysonova #FootballRoyalty
*picture of Kay and Mase kissing after the national championship game*
UofJ411: Our boys are really about this whole “cheering for cheerleaders” thing. Congrats on the 1st place for the White Squad and 2nd for the Red Squad @UofJCheerleading #WonderWhatWouldHaveHappenedIfSheCheeredForUs
*picture of the guys and Kay posing with Em and Quinn after the UCA College Cheerleading Nationals*
UofJ411: Hanging with the Alphas #HowDoIGetAStandingInvite
*picture of Kay and Em leaving the AK house*
#Chapter53
The weeks following the national championship and my announcement to not declare for the draft have been filled with tension. Not necessarily for Kay and me—I still feel solid about us as a couple—but there is this strain that keeps nagging me.
I haven’t spoken to Brantley since he came spewing his vile bullshit in front of Kay’s family three weeks ago. I’ve seen Mom at The Barracks on the weekends I’ve tagged along with Kay when she coaches, but she’s been all mum’s the word. I’m grateful for it because she is not the person I should be taking my frustrations out on.
The person I’m most impressed with is E. Though they still officially call Baltimore their home, he and Bette have split their time between their house there and the Dennings’ family home in Blackwell equally now that the season is over for the Crabs. Whenever I’ve been at the house with Kay, he hasn’t once held Brantley’s actions against me.
Still…
I haven’t been able to let go of how easy Liam Parker is getting off for daring to hurt what’s mine. Most people wouldn’t consider a six-figure settlement getting off easy, but when he should at the very least be waterboarded for what he did, I do.
I decided to take matters into my own hands and did something that will probably make Kay want to rip my balls off if she finds out…
I pressed JT for more information about Carter King. No one ever went into great detail about the guy, but from the little bits and pieces I’ve gathered, he controls a lot more than just the street racing scene in Blackwell.
“You sure you wanna do this?” Trav asks from the Shelby’s passenger seat as we stare up at the warehouse-looking building JT told me is Carter King’s home base.
I look over at my best friend, not at all shocked he insisted on coming; he’s my ride or die.
“Yes,” I say with conviction. What could potentially happen after this is something I’ll worry about later, but I figure it’s better to ask Kay for forgiveness than permission if it means settling this score.
I pull up the collar of my coat to help protect me from the bitter winter air as I exit the Shelby and approach the three-story building. JT texted that Carter is expecting me, so at least I have that working in my favor.
King answers my knock and leads us through the same garage area Kay and I used the night we fought when I crashed one of his Royal Balls, only this time his Corvette is parked alongside the Camaro. He waves a keycard in front of a sensor at another door, and this time we step into what can only be the residence side of the building.
Unfortunately for me, I’m too lost in my own head to really appreciate how nice it probably is. Instead I blindly let him guide us to a wet bar setup in the corner and settle onto a barstool.
“I gotta ask.” King reaches into a mini fridge, pulling out and popping the tops on three beers before sliding two across the bar to Trav and me. “Are you positive this is how you wanna play it?”
The fact that anybody I’ve clued in on regarding my plans has questioned me should give me pause, but I’m too determined to see this through to back down now. It’s