Allison gently rubbed his back and rested her forehead on his arm. “Your grandmother’s great.”
“I knew you’d like her. Hope it’s okay I introduced you as my girlfriend.”
Allison looked up at Tony. “That was maybe the best part of my day.”
Looking into her eyes, Tony felt his heart swell. He gently pinched her cheeks between the fingers of one hand and leaned in to kiss her lips. “The day isn’t over,” he whispered. He could feel her shiver when he locked her in his arms.
“You know you’re her world, don’t you?” she revealed.
“I know I made her life a hell of a lot harder.”
“You also made her life a lot better.” Tony’s brow knit as he leaned away to look at her. He knew his grandmother did the best she could. She never raised a boy before and Tony was a handful. He grew up on the streets, he was angry at the world and a rebel. It took until middle school for him to develop a meaningful relationship with his grandmother.
“It’s true,” Allison insisted. “Your grandmother just told me her life would have been empty without you.” She stroked his arm. “You gave her as much as she gave you.”
“She said that? I never knew. She’s—” He felt himself choking up. “If it wasn’t for her and my high school coach, I never would of gotten out of here.” As he looked at the schoolyard, an idea floated into his mind. He took his phone halfway out of his pocket to check the time display. Stepping away a little, he said, “I just had an idea.” Reaching for her hand, he said, “Come with me.”
»»•««
Tony pulled Allison by the hand, walking very quickly. With his long legs and wide stride, she had a hard time keeping up. “Where we goin’ so fast?”
“Sorry.” He squeezed her hand and slowed down a little. “My old high school. It’s just a couple blocks from here.”
“Why we goin’ there?”
“I need to see Coach Samuels.” Tony had two advocates growing up. One was his grandmother. The other was Brad Samuels, Tony’s high school football coach. He gave Tony a lot of one-on-one attention because he saw something in him.
Funny, Tony had expected Coach Fairchild to be just as supportive and encouraging, and maybe he was, but not with Tony. Seemed like Coach Fairchild ran out of patience with Tony before his very first practice. He’d seen the coach interact with other players, like Mason and Carter, and he longed to have that same kind of rapport, but that didn’t seem likely.
At the entrance to the high school, Allison and Tony presented their IDs to the security officer. Tony explained that he was a former student and asked to see Coach Samuels.
When Tony and Allison entered the gymnasium, a black man in his forties was scribbling notes on a clipboard while watching a couple dozen boys practicing layups at the basketball hoop. Tony pointed at him and leaned toward Allison. “That’s Coach Samuels.”
The coach spotted them out of the corner of his eye and slid his eyeglasses to the top of his balding head. He called to the boys. “Keep practicing, men.” He set the clipboard on a stool and met Tony halfway. “Tony Ramos!” He drew Tony into a bear hug, followed by a warm handshake.
Tony touched the small of Allison’s back. “Coach Samuels, this is my girlfriend, Allison Martin.”
“Call me Brad,” he told her, clasping her hand between both of his. “What are you doing here?” he asked Tony.
Tony glanced at Allison, then back at the coach. “I had an idea, Coach, and I need help pulling it off. You know Madison Elementary? I want to clean it up, turn it into a real playground where kids who have nowhere to go after school can learn football and other sports and be safe and supported.”
Allison’s eyes widened. “What a great idea,” she blurted out. Tony smiled at her before turning back toward the coach.
“Hmmm. Interesting. And your role would be?” Coach asked.
“Mentor. Trainer. Teacher. Whatever. I’d spend as much of my free time there as I can, but the thing is, I don’t know how to get this off the ground.”
Coach Samuels rubbed his chin. “Well, first we’d need the school district’s buy-in. Their community relations manager would need to get involved and we’d need permits from the parks department.”
Tony scowled. “Shit. Once they find out it’s me, they’ll probably say no.”
∙•∙
Allison looked at him with tears in her eyes. Brittany was right when she said he’s the first one to put himself down.
“Don’t give up.” Coach patted Tony’s arm. “I’m sure they’ll want to interview you and do background checks. That’s protocol for anyone working with children, but I wouldn’t assume they’d say no. I think this is a great idea, Tony.”
“Yeah?” Tony smiled again.
“Sure. I can’t think of a bad thing about it. It won’t be easy because of the bureaucracy, but if you’re committed to this, I’ll be happy to partner with you.”
Tony grinned from ear to ear. “I’m all in, man. What do we need to do?”
“Leave me your number and I’ll let you know about next steps.”
“Sweet!”
While Tony keyed his phone number into the coach’s phone, the coach asked, “How did you come up with the idea?”
Handing back the phone, Tony shrugged. “I was just thinking about my childhood and what I didn’t have. Then I thought about what I did have, and one of those things was you. You made a real difference in my life, Coach. I don’t think I ever told you but you were my inspiration to work harder. You made me believe in myself, and I want to do that for other kids who don’t have anyone to push them in the right direction. I want to do for them what you did for me.”
The coach pinched the bridge of his nose, as if he were trying to cut off tears, but Allison could see the emotion on the man’s face. He merely nodded and drew a deep breath. Then he pointed to the boys in the gym. “You can start now if you got a minute. Wanna meet the next generation?”
Tony looked at Allison who smiled and nodded. “Go ahead, sugar. I’ll wait here.” He looked at her for a long moment and she realized it was because she called him sugar. She wasn’t sure where that came from. It just slipped out and it actually felt right. Tony was the sweetest guy she’d ever known.
“Men,” Coach called out as he and Tony walked toward the kids in the center of the gym. He grasped Tony’s arm. “Wanna meet Tony Ramos, quarterback for the EFU Barracudas?”
Chapter Twenty
The rhythm of the evening rain falling on the car’s roof made Allison feel sleepy as they drove through streets of Bradenton toward the highway. It had started drizzling right before they left, so Tony put the top up. Two coolers full of food rested on the back seat, permeating the car with the aromas of an Italian restaurant.
With her head on his chest and her eyes closed, Allison could feel Tony’s heartbeat thumping under her ear. The scent of his lime cologne filled her nose, and the flashes of light from passing cars penetrated her closed eyelids. She was in a state of near nirvana as his arm held her shoulder while his fingers stroked her hair and his lips touched the top of her head.
It all felt so intimate, but not as intimate as it was going to be when they got back to campus. They’d be taking their relationship to a new level starting tonight. Allison was more than ready. She’d been thinking about it for weeks.
Suddenly her eyes jerked open. Tony must have felt her stiffen because he asked, “You okay?”
No. Actually, she wasn’t okay. There was big old elephant in the car and she’d been avoiding acknowledging its presence for a long time. If she had more courage, she’d have asked him about it on the way to Bradenton instead of confronting him about not wanting to sleep with her. But she was too chicken. Her stomach flipped as she slid out of his embrace and sat up straighter on her side of the car. If she was going to have a serious relationship with this man, she needed to know the truth. She bit her lip and said, “There’s somethin’ I need to ask you about.”
“Okay.”
“That girl.” Allison swallowed hard. She was certain he knew what she was asking, but he stared straight ahead. “I heard a girl accused you of um raping her.” She watched Tony grip the steering wheel with both hands. It looked like he was moving in slow motion, but that was because of her own anxiety. He didn’t answer, so she took a deep breath. “I have to ask. Is it true?”
∙•∙
Allison’s voice sounded small and shaky when she asked the question. His jaw clenched and he could feel a fire building in his gut. He couldn’t believe this was happening, not now, not after they’d been growing so close. She was the one person he thought would never doubt him. Obviously he was wrong. “Are you freaking kidding me?” he blurted out. When he glanced in her direction, her eyes were wide with what looked like fear. “How can you even ask me that?”
“How can I not?” she shot back. Her angry tone matched his.
“Damn it, Allison.” He pounded his fist on the rim of the steering wheel. “We just had this awesome day together, and you just finished telling me what a great guy I am. Was all that just bullshit?”
“No, of course it wasn’t!”
“No?” He quickly glanced at her. “Then what’s with the questions? I thought you knew me better than that.”
“I do! But the thing is, I know you now. I didn’t know you then.” She reached for his arm but he shrugged her off. “I’m sorry, Tony. I’m not tryin’ to upset you or anythin’.” She looked out the fogged-up window at the darkness. “You have no idea how hard it was for me to even bring this up, but I had to.” She turned to look at him again. “I mean, if we’re gonna be seein’ each other, we can’t avoid the elephant in the room anymore.”
He breathed out through his nose. “So, what if I don’t give you the right answer? Will it change everything between us?”
“Honestly? I don’t know.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her looking downward. “If you would have heard the things that campus security guard who questioned me said about you. She—”
Tony’s face grew hot. “Are you freaking kidding me? What the hell did she say?”
“She just told me to be careful, ’cause… you know.”
“What the hell is her name? Tell me her name,” he shouted. “Cuz if she don’t stop spreading rumors about me, I’m gonna shut her mouth for her.”
“Stop it,” Allison shouted. “That just makes you sound guilty.”
Tony cut the steering wheel hard, so hard that Allison had to clutch the seat and the car door to brace herself.
He swerved into a shopping center and drove like a maniac through the parking lot until the car screeched into a spot. He shut the engine, opened the door and slammed it behind him.
»»•««
She looked out the window and watched Tony marching away from the car. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. “Dayum. I can’t believe this,” she mumbled. That was not the reaction she expected from him. In fact, she’d never seen him this angry before. As for her, she was furious at him for storming off like that, furious and hurt. So, what now?
She pressed her nose against the window and peered through the raindrops to figure out where she was, but it was too hard to see. So she fished her cell phone out of her purse and opened the car door to get a stronger signal. She stood up and spotted a lighted sign on a storefront. “SunMart,” she said out loud. She entered the words “Sunmart Supercenter” into her phone to get a location. She closed the car door and leaned against it, not caring at the moment that her back was getting damp. The rest of her would be drenched before long too.
A loud clap of thunder sounded, causing her to jump. “Oh great, all I need right now.” She felt tears pool in her eyes as one of the best days of her life just turned into the worst. Don’t freak out, Allison. There’s plenty time to fall apart later. Turning around, she faced the car and looked toward the street for a road sign. She pressed an icon on her phone screen and “Milli” came up, the app with a million answers. A robotic female voice came through the speaker. “How can I help?”
Allison held the phone close to her mouth. “First, y’all can get me a new boyfriend. Then you can tell me where I can catch a bus from Cortez and Palm Road in Bradenton back to Eastern Florida University in Orlando.”
Without warning, a hand grabbed her arm and whirled her around. Tony pinned her against the car, an arm pressed against the car’s roof on each side of her body. Allison’s eyes were wide as she stared at him with the rain drizzling down on them. She felt more irritated than afraid. His eyes burned with something and she couldn’t tell whether it was rage or desire until he kissed her, pressing his lips against hers as hard as he ever had. In spite of her anger, she sank into the kiss. His hands left the car and pressed into her spine pulling her closer. She wrapped her arms around his body while Milli droned on about alternative bus routes. She clicked the power button to turn Milli off.
Tony’s lips trailed toward her ear and he kissed her cheek, whispering, “I'm sorry, Allie. I’m sorry. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
»»•««
The steady beat of the windshield wipers going back and forth and back and forth was the only sound in the car for the first fifteen minutes after they resumed their drive. Their hair and clothes were rain-soaked and the car now smelled like wet dogs in a musty old pizzeria. They were finally on the open road of the highway, but Tony and Allison weren’t cuddled up like they’d been earlier. No, this time, they weren’t touching at all.
Allison took a sidelong glance at Tony. He said he’d tell her anything she wanted to know, but right now he wasn’t talking at all. Was he stalling? Or was he waiting for her to ask a direct question. The suspense was killing her. “So, what happened?”
Keeping his eyes on the road ahead, he spoke calmly. “I didn’t rape that girl. I didn’t rape anyone.” He glanced over at Allison. “I mean, yeah, I slept with her, but it was her idea just as much as it was mine.”
“Then why do you think she said what she said?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I mean I saw her once or twice after she made those accusations and I asked her why she lied about it.”
“And?”
“She never really answered. I mean, maybe she wanted attention or something, though I swear I don’t know why anyone would want that kind of attention. The guys think it was because I didn’t call her after. Maybe I was too cavalier or something.”
“That’s a lot of maybes,” Allison said quietly.
“Maybe. But it’s the best I can do.” He tentatively reached for her hand. “I’m telling you the God’s honest truth, Allie. Do you believe me?”
He locked eyes with her briefly before facing front, and she knew he was telling the truth. She could see it in his eyes. “I do. My instincts always told me you were a good guy. I mean, you’re always good to me and respectful. I’ve never felt anything but safe when I’m with you, but—” Her words trailed off.
“But what?”
“I had to ask. I had to hear it from you. You’re not mad, are you?”
Tony brought her hand to his lips. “Not anymore. You just caught me off guard. I’m sorry I snapped, Allie.”
“It’s okay. Just don’t do it again,” she said with a small smile. “And don’t go runnin’ off either. That’s my job.”
Tony laughed a little. “I won’t run away if you don’t. And hey, for the record, I haven’t been with anybody since. I get not-so-random drug and STD tests every few weeks and I’m clean. I can show you the results.”
“I believe you.” Allison slid closer and leaned her head on his shoulder and stroked his arm. “I meant what I said this afternoon. You’re a good guy, Tony. I never told you, but the best thing that ever happened to me was when some guy stared at me during cheer practice and threw off my timing.”
“That was the best thing that ever happened to you? I messed you up.”
“Maybe. But you made up for it
a thousand times, Tony. You helped me practice for tryouts and you wouldn’t let me give up on myself. I mean, you really gave a lot of thought to figuring out why I had trouble with the routines.” Allison choked up. “If that didn’t happen, we wouldn’t have—” Allison was about to say “fallen in love,” but the timing didn’t feel right to proclaim her feelings for him, so instead she said, “we wouldn’t have gotten to know each other.”
Tony kissed her hair without taking his eyes off the road. “I didn’t know you felt that way. I still kind of feel bad about it.”
“Well stop.”
Smiling, he said, “Whatever you say, Nails. I like the way you always look on the bright side.”
She nuzzled into him. “Not always. But definitely more often since I met you.”
»»•««
Tony flipped on the kitchen light when they entered his fourth-floor dorm room. The room was hot and stuffy, so he turned down the thermostat on the wall. Blowing some air through his lips, he gripped the hem of his T-shirt and shook it out. Even though his clothes were mostly dry by now, he was beginning to feel the heat. “Takes a few minutes to cool down,” he told Allison.
Allison indicated the two coolers filled with food from Grandma Russo they had just lugged up to the dorm. “Um. Shouldn’t we put these in the fridge?”
Tony scratched his temple. “Oh. Uh. Yeah. Of course.” He clearly wasn’t thinking about food at the moment.
Allison opened both coolers and began to unpack them. “This is the baked ziti,” she said, as she read Barbara’s handwriting on the cardboard lid of the casserole. “It’s heavy,” she commented while handing the hefty container to Tony. “This one says meatballs. And this is the extra sauce for the meatballs. And one more. Here’s the lasagna.”
Squatting in front of the refrigerator, Tony gazed inside. “I don’t think I could get another thing in here if I tried.” He looked up at her. “I’ll divide this up so you can take some back to your dorm with you.” He squeezed his eyes shut and mentally kicked himself for making it sound like he wanted her to leave. He didn’t. He wanted more than anything for her to stay.
Roughing the Passer (Quarterback Sneak Book 2) Page 12
