After the Game Read online

  barbecues and parties for our group of friends over the years and were involved in the school functions. Or they had been. Before.

  “Hello, Mrs. Young. Good to see you,” I replied.

  She smiled, and it was genuine. Not bitter or angry like I would expect. After all, I was friends with the Lawtons. I had taken their side. I had been happy to see Vance leave town last week. Everyone said he was a ticking time bomb. I wasn’t a family friend. At least not anymore.

  “Tell Coralee I said hello.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I replied. Then for some reason I can’t explain I blurted out, “I saw Riley and her daughter yesterday.” Why those words came out of my mouth I wasn’t sure, and I would do anything to cram them back in and walk away.

  Lyla smiled. “That Bryony is a sweetheart. Riley is so good with her. I hope you said hello.”

  Again, no judgment or anger in her words. She was sincere. Mom had always liked Lyla.

  “I gave them a ride. It was storming and they looked to be out for a walk.”

  “Oh yes, they walk to the park every day when I get off work. Riley stays with her grandmother until I can get home to take care of her. Bryony loves the outdoors, so Riley likes to get her out every day.”

  Even though everything in me hadn’t believed Riley two years ago, right now I believed her mother. Riley did appear to be a good mom. And the little girl had loved her. She was taking care of her grandmother, too. The doubt was there now. What if we’d all been wrong?

  “You take care, now. I’ve got to get home and start supper. It’s time for Riley to do her online schooling, so I’ll need to watch Bryony for her. Don’t forget to tell your mother I said hello,” she said with a wave, then went past me.

  I didn’t move right away. My brain was going in several directions. More than that, though, there was a sick knot in my stomach. The person who had suffered hadn’t deserved to at all.

  Finally I turned and headed for the checkout with my milk. I had a football game to concentrate on, but how could I? When Riley Young was taking online courses, raising her daughter, and caring for her grandmother while the town shunned her?

  I needed to go talk to Riley. I had to clear my head and my conscience. Maybe she was ready to tell the truth. She’d changed, obviously. This new Riley might just tell me we were right. That she’d accused Rhett unfairly.

  Pulling out my phone, I sent a text to Nash letting him know I needed to cancel tonight’s plans to watch game clips. We needed the whole team together anyway for it to do any good. I’d get them all together tomorrow night.

  Then I scrolled through my contacts to see if Riley’s number was still there. It was. Chances were the number had changed, but I thought I’d give it a chance. I paid for the milk, then headed outside with the phone pressed to my ear.

  The “number you are trying to reach is no longer in service” message came through like I’d expected, and I ended the call and put the phone back in my pocket. Only other option was to go by her grandmother’s. I’d do that after dinner.

  Worst that could happen would be that she wouldn’t want to talk to me. But knowing Riley, I doubted it. Confrontation was obviously something she handled well. She’d taken on the whole town when she’d accused Rhett.

  Words my mom had said when it all happened still rang in my head. It sure takes a lot of guts for a girl to accuse a guy of rape. Especially a Lawton. Don’t see why she’d tell that if it wasn’t the truth. Think about that before you jump to his defense.

  I had chalked it up to my mother liking Lyla. But there was a truth to her words. They made sense. So if she was right—if Riley wasn’t lying—then what?

  The guilt of that possibly being true almost kept me from going. Almost.

  My need to know the truth outweighed my fear we could have all been wrong.

  If I didn’t have the milk, I would go talk to her now. But it was time for Mom to cook dinner, and she needed milk. I’d have to wait.

  Want to Take a Drive?

  CHAPTER 7

  RILEY

  I had just tucked Bryony into bed when the doorbell rang. This was the only time of the day I got to take a break. I didn’t have to take care of Grandmamma, and my schoolwork was finished. I would have a few hours to myself before I went to sleep. So the doorbell ringing meant company, and I didn’t want anyone visiting.

  Yes, that sounded selfish, because it was probably someone here to check on Grandmamma, but I was just being honest. I wanted peace and quiet. It was what helped me unwind.

  “Riley, it’s for you,” my mother’s voice called out. That I hadn’t been expecting. I never got company. Ever.

  “What?” I replied, thinking I had heard her wrong.

  “You have a visitor,” she replied.

  Okay, well, then maybe I had heard her correctly. Who in the world would visit me? I knew it wasn’t a Lawton, because if it were, my mother wouldn’t be so calm. They’d never get through the door. I was almost positive there would be yelling. I headed for the door, trying to guess who this could be, but no one came to mind. When I turned the corner and saw Brady Higgens standing in the living room, I froze. Why was Brady here?

  “Look how tall he’s gotten,” Mom said, smiling as if his visit were the best thing in the world. She didn’t realize he was here to talk about Bryony and what he had heard. She thought he was being friendly. Everyone always thought Brady was just being the nice guy.

  “Why are you here?” I asked, not wanting to do the small-talk thing.

  “Riley.” Mother’s tone was that of a warning. But I just didn’t care.

  “I’d like to talk, about things,” he said in his I’m nice, just trust me voice.

  “It’s not your concern,” I snapped back at him. He was Gunner Lawton’s friend. They were tight, and I didn’t trust him at all.

  “Riley,” Mother said, trying to get my attention. I was ignoring her. This was my problem. She needed to back out of it.

  “It’s okay, Mrs. Young. I deserve this. I wasn’t nice to Riley two years ago, and I took the Lawtons’ side,” he said, glancing at my mom, then back to me. “But I’d like to talk to you now. Understand. Listen.”

  I didn’t need him to understand or listen. Who the hell did he think he was? I would ask him just that if it wouldn’t send my mother into a fit.

  “My life is good. I don’t care what you or anyone else thinks or believes. I stopped trying to convince anyone of anything a long time ago. Just leave. Let me be.”

  “Riley, that’s enough. I’d like to speak to you in the kitchen,” my mother said in a stern voice. I wanted to tell her no, but I wasn’t stupid.

  I spun around on my heel and stalked to the kitchen. She whispered something to Brady and I rolled my eyes. She was buying his nice-guy shit just like everyone else. Ugh. It made me sick.

  “I cannot believe the way you are acting. That boy came here because he believes you. He saw Bryony and he wants to talk to you. Make amends. Why can’t you let him? He could be a good friend. You say you don’t need friends, but you do! You more than anyone I know needs a friend. That boy in there is a good one.”

  My face felt hot from the anger boiling inside me. “That boy in there,” I snarled, pointing my finger in the direction of the living room, “turned on me and called me a liar two years ago. He was supposed to be my friend, but he never listened to me. No one here did. Why would you think I’d give him a chance now? Because he wants his conscience cleared? Well, boo-freaking-hoo. I do not feel bad for him.”

  Mom shook her head and dropped her hands from her hips, but there was a softness in her eyes. “Honestly, Riley, when are you going to let all this pain and bitterness go? Yes, you were hurt in the worst possible way, and it breaks my heart to think about it. But you were given a beautiful gift from it all. You know that. You’re a wonderful mom and you are so strong. But you are holding on to this pain and keeping others out. That’s not a good example for Bryony. You need a friend, sweetheart. It
’s time to let someone in, and from all I know of Brady Higgens, he’s a really good kid.”

  Well, crap. That was low. Bringing Bryony into it. I made sure never to let her ears hear about the past and what I went through. I wanted her safe from all that. I did everything I could to make her life happy and complete.

  “That’s not fair. Bryony doesn’t know any of this.”

  Mom shrugged. “Maybe not, but she sees your body language. She will one day realize that you’re carrying bitterness and hurt. And that you build walls around yourself. She’ll learn to do the same.”

  That was what broke me. If she was right, and my mother was rarely wrong, I couldn’t live with myself. I was in self-preserve mode. It wasn’t an easy life, but after what I’d been through, it was the only way I could deal. I didn’t trust easily. Or at all. But that didn’t mean I wanted Bryony to live like me.

  “But why Brady? How does my telling him anything change that? He’s not going to become my buddy. He’s got a football team to worry about, and a college scholarship. My talking to him does nothing.”

  But ease his guilt, I finished in my head. Which I still thought was unfair. I wanted him to feel guilty. He should.

  “You don’t know that. Give him a chance,” my mother replied.

  I’d go listen to him simply because if I didn’t, my mother wouldn’t shut up about it for weeks. Possibly months. I didn’t want to hear Brady Higgens’s name again after tonight. He might not be at the top of the list of the people I hated, but he was on the list.

  “Fine,” I sighed in defeat and turned to go back to the living room, hoping Brady had just left.

  He hadn’t.

  There he stood with his hands in his jeans pockets, looking my way. Our eyes locked, and I saw uncertainty there. He still wasn’t sure if he believed me. I didn’t care if he did. I didn’t care if anyone did. That was all history.

  “We can talk, but not here. I don’t want Bryony waking up and hearing anything.”

  He nodded. “Understood. Want to take a drive?”

  No. I wanted to go soak in a bath and forget he had come over.

  Continue On with Your Crown of Sainthood

  CHAPTER 8

  BRADY

  Riley looked like she was preparing to walk through a fire. She did not want to be out here with me, and she definitely didn’t want to be getting in my truck. I’d heard most of their conversation through the thin walls. Not that I was trying to, but Riley was talking loud, and she had been pissed.

  The way she had talked made me believe her even more. That had been as convincing as it got. She had moved on and wanted to put this behind her. The fact that her mother said she needed a friend made my chest hurt. I’d never been without a friend. But Riley had lived the past two years without one.

  I went to open her door for her, and she jerked around and glared at me. “I can open it.”

  Okay, then. Apparently my mother was wrong. Opening car doors for females didn’t make them melt. At least not all of them. It pissed this one off.

  She climbed inside and slammed the door before I even got to the driver’s side. Once I was inside she turned her head to look at me. “Let’s get this straight. I’m doing this to shut my mother up. You do not deserve this. I shouldn’t have to sit through it. But I am. If I don’t, my mom will nag me about it for weeks. I don’t have the time to listen to that. So get to the point. We can do it sitting right here. This shouldn’t be a long conversation.”

  I thought about ignoring that and starting my truck, but I decided against it. Being seen driving around with Riley in my truck would lead to questions I didn’t want to answer. People seeing my truck in their driveway was easier to explain. I could say my mom sent me over with food for the family since they’re having a tough time with her grandmamma. That was believable.

  Did that make me sound like a wuss? Yes, it did, but one thing at a time. I was here and that was something.

  “I was still fourteen when all of this happened. Which made me young and stupid. I believed Rhett because he was my friend’s older brother, and the rest of the town was so outraged I figured they must be right. I didn’t question it. And . . . maybe I should have.”

  She let out a short, hard laugh. “Maybe you should have.” She repeated my words and laughed again. “I seriously don’t have time for this,” she said as she reached for her door handle.

  “Wait. Please. Just . . . give me a minute. I’m trying to say this right.”

  Sighing, she dropped her hand from the handle. I had a small window of opportunity here. She was no longer interested in getting people to believe her. That much was obvious.

  “Let me ask you something, Brady. Why are you having a change of heart? Because you saw Bryony? Because wouldn’t the girl you all assumed I was when I left town have slept with any guy from here to Arkansas to get knocked up?”

  She was giving me an opening. I took it. “No. Because seeing you with her made me question everything. You’re a good mom. Bryony loves you. You’re taking care of your grandmother, homeschooling to get your diploma, and you could have given her up for adoption or even aborted her, but you didn’t. All those things say a lot about your character. They don’t say you’re a lying, careless manipulator.”

  There. I’d said everything I was thinking.

  She didn’t reply right away. I was preparing myself for some smart comment, but it didn’t come. Instead she stared out the window toward her house. I waited for her to either try and leave again or say something.

  “I’ve told the story so many times I’m sick of telling it. No one believed me but my parents and the police. And then the Lawtons got in the officer’s ear, and he turned on me too. I was young and terrified of sex. Why would I lie about it? That’s what I never understood,” she said before turning to look back at me.

  “You know the story, Brady. You heard it two years ago like everyone else. It hasn’t changed. But I have. I’m not naïve anymore. I grew up.”

  I believed her. Every word. The pain in her eyes was clear even with nothing but the streetlight illuminating her face. The guilt inside me grew, and I wanted to hug her or apologize or do something, but she wouldn’t accept it.

  “I’m sorry,” I finally said.

  She gave me a small half smile that tilted up one corner of her mouth. “Yeah, well, you’re the only one.”

  And she was right. I was the only one. The others would believe Rhett forever. It made me sick to think about how power and popularity could ruin others’ lives.

  “If I could convince them, I would,” I told her honestly.

  She laughed again and shook her head. “If anyone else said that, I wouldn’t believe them. But you’ve always been the hero. Continue on with your crown of sainthood and go about your life. I made it through hell and was rewarded with that little girl sleeping in there. She’s all I need.”

  When she reached for the door this time, I didn’t ask her to stop. My question had been answered. My guilt wasn’t relieved, and I knew it never would be. Just like she would never forget the pain this town put her through.

  “If you ever need a friend, I’m here,” I told her as she stepped out of the truck.

  She didn’t laugh this time, but I could see a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Sure you are, Brady. But I’m not a charity case. I’m strong, and I don’t need anyone.”

  As she walked back to the house, I watched until she was safely inside before I started my truck. Tonight I hadn’t made myself feel better, and I realized that was exactly why I had come here to begin with. I had wanted to ease my mind.

  It had done the opposite.

  I was more weighed down than before. Riley was a good person. Life had been unfair to her. This town had been unfair to her. She’d been raped by an older guy, then ridiculed when she needed support. I had been one of those who turned on her. I couldn’t change the past, but I was going to change the future.

  Riley Young was going to be my frie
nd. I wasn’t sure how I would make this happen, because she obviously didn’t like me. Hell, I doubted she had even an ounce of respect for me. But I would make it my mission to earn her friendship just like I had earned her hate. The girl we had all turned against hadn’t crumbled. She had found a strength inside herself and survived. I admired that. I wanted to believe I was that strong. But if I was faced with a real crisis in my life, would I be able to overcome it like she had? I didn’t want to doubt it, but I did.

  Human Nature Isn’t Always Pretty

  CHAPTER 9

  RILEY

  Mom was smiling at me when I walked back into the house. She thought she had achieved something. All she’d achieved was Brady getting to ease some guilt. I’d probably never see him again unless it was in passing