That wasn’t the place you wanted to be when someone came after you. I should know.

Loosening my grip, the splintered wood clattered to the floor.

She jumped at the sharp sound when only our breaths broke through the gentle murmur coming from the auditorium.

“Bay.” I stepped forward.

She flinched, covering her head and face with her hands. Protecting herself.

I’d done that. Nausea flooded through me, and it was hard to stand, let alone look at her. I turned, faced with myself in the reflection of the mirrors lining the row I’d backed her down.

I bolted from the room, bursting through the other set of doors that led to the hallway. The cool air did nothing to stop the churning in my gut and chest. It felt like an animal was trying to claw its way out of me, ripping me apart with each breath.

Sprinting to the end of the hallway, I braced my shaking hands on the sides of the trashcan and puked, retching so hard my eyes hurt. A throbbing, thundering wound opened bright and bloody, ripping through my stomach, streaking a jagged path across my heart.

Sneakers squeaked on the school floors. The sharp squeals sounded like when Knox and I were late for practice.

“There you are, son.”

My blood turned to ice cubes in my veins, but it wasn’t my father’s voice.

Coach jogged toward me with sweat pouring down his face and a red flush in his cheeks. “You okay?”

I stood frozen, unable to even nod with puke dripping from my lips. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. The sour, pungent bile filling my nose.

“You don’t look so well.” Concern creased the coach’s brow. He braced his hand on the wall like he’d run all the way over from his office. Had he?

Pulling a handkerchief from his inside jacket pocket, he handed it to me. “Listen, go home and get some rest.” He squeezed my shoulder.

“The news is they’re sending over the paperwork for you today.” His smile widened. “I’ll get it to you as soon as I have it. Sleep and get over whatever this is.” He gestured to my slowly collapsing body.

“You’re lucky the college is into forgiveness and second chances. This time tomorrow, you’ll be the newest signed recruit to Notre Dame.”

My dazed look must have been interpreted by him as shock. It was, but not because of the dream I’d been afraid to hang onto finally coming true. No, it was because the reality of who I was had finally shown itself.

Monster. Just like my father. Worse, because I don’t think he’d ever even loved me. I was never more than a kid he’d been saddled with. But Bay. I loved her. Love her. And I’d destroyed the beauty she’d brought into the world.

“The offer deadline for the coaches was noon today and no one emailed. But then I realized I hadn’t gotten any emails since yesterday. I turned everything off and back on, and there was an email at 11:59am. Sorry for the scare.”