Chapter 185: Ruined - Cole

"Are you okay, man?" Luke looks at me, and I can see the stress behind the concern in his eyes. I know he's scared that I'm going to freak out.

The team administration is running around trying to blow out fires, that damn asshole Mark Daniels once again trying to ruin my life.

What did he mean that Coach is my biological father, though? My father is in jail, a piece of shit for a man. A murderer, that is who I was spawned from, and I'm still trying every single day to not be like him.

I just want to get home now, the joy of winning completely ruined. The team manager asks me if I want to go back to the interviews, but I decline. How the hell am I supposed to sit there and smile after my whole damn life was turned upside down?

My mother's murder was never much of a secret, anyone could go and search it and find out what happened. What wasn't public, was my involvement, that I stabbed my father, that information is sealed because I was a minor. The court said I did it to try and help my mother and out of self-defence.

The truth is, I'm still struggling with that. I always thought I did it because I'm a monster just like him.

I want to get the fuck out of here now. Go back home and to my girl. Holding her makes everything better.

It feels like the whole team is looking at me differently when we eventually board the plane, like they don't know who the fuck I am, the same way I'm questioning everything.

Coach hasn't talked to me since that allegation was made. He's part of the team trying to damp down the sensation it caused, but Mark Daniels knew exactly what he wa doing. We just won, we had all the media attention on us. It was the perfect time to stir something up.

Why? In the back of my mind I know that allegation had to come from somewhere.

The shit part is, there is a whole damn parade waiting for us when we get back to school. Am I just supposed to smile?

Can it even be possible? How in the hell would my mother even know Coach? And the person who probably would know something, is Kamila. They shared everything with one another, and now she's passed on, too.

The school either doesn't give a shit about what is happening and what is going on online, because as soon as our bus hits the campus, people are out on the streets cheering for us.

"You know that reporter is just full of shit." Luke nudges me. "For some reason he has it in for you, don't let it get to you and enjoy this. We worked our asses off for this moment."

He's right, of course. We did work our asses off to bring the trophy home.

"Please text Monet." He holds his phone out to me."She's really worried about you."

I need to get my phone fixed as soon as possible. Not being able to talk to her when I want to is torture.

She says that she's waiting for me in the text, that Amy said there is still a huge celebration at school and she's trying to get them in so she can see me sooner.

So I hold onto that. That I will see her soon, and I smile when people ask for a photo, talk to the kids like I always do.

Coach is definitely ignoring me after we get to the banquet hall, like he can't even look me in the eye. Why is he not addressing the rumors?

Instead, his wife is there, smiling from ear to ear. The only one that looks as remotely as bothered as me is Amy when her and Monet join us.

My girl is in my arms, the familiar scent of her shampoo calming down my nervous system.

"You good?" She asks me, sporting the same look that Luke had. "There were like a ton of reporters when we got off the plane."

Amy looks at her parents who are talking to sponsors. "Have you spoken to my dad? Why would that reporter say something like that?"

"I honestly don't know." I can feel Monet stiffen in my arms, and I look down at her in suspicion.

She's avoiding my eyes, as if she's hiding something from me.

The whole day can't get over soon enough, and luckily they don't call me to make a speech, probably knowing I'm still reeling from the press conference. I'm strung as tight as a bow when when we eventually get my truck where I left it on campus, and we drive home in silence, the complete opposite of how I thought this day would go.

"You're not telling me something." I say as soon as we step into our apartment, ignoring the banners and balloons that she put up to welcome me home.

I briefly look at the banner that reads Congratulations National Champion, wishing that I could rather have fucked her up against the wall wearing my championship jersey, but my insides feel raw, like I'm not who I thought I was.

She takes a deep breath, fear in her golden eyes.

Is she scared of me? Is she scared I would do something like my father did?

"Before I say anything, please know I did what I did for your own good." She starts, and my heart skips a beat.

"What did you do?" She wouldn't ever betray me, would she?

"I was just waiting until after the season was over." Monet holds her hands up, trying to explain something to me that I know nothing about. "I didn't want it to mess with your game, I know that winning was important to you."

Yes, because I'm weak. I'm still that six year old boy who doesn't know how to deal with big life events.

"Just spit it out, please." I don't recognize my own voice, because I know that if Monet was keeping something from me, it is something big and life-changing.

"Wait here." She looks scared as she goes into our bedroom, but I follow her, watching as she rummages in the closet, her eyes pained as she walks slowly back to me.

"I found this in the basement after Mom died." She holds a picture out to me, and I take it from her with a shaking hand. "I still don't know what it means, but I looked through every box, every nook and cranny to see if there were any other clues, but I found none. Just that picture."

I look at the two people in the photo with a frown. It's definitely my mother, and next to her, a man that has a lot of the same characteristics as me.

A man that is not the one currently sitting in jail for killing my mother.

A man that eerily looks a lot like Coach Murray.