Part of me is also hurting for my dad because I know this is not easy for him, and that his position is impossible, but it doesn’t help make this any better.
“Am I too late?” An out of breath voice sounds to the right, and we all turn to see Brooks standing there, cheeks red from exertion, panting as if he’s been running.
“I mean sort of, y—” Hollis starts, but Brooks cuts him off, turning to Dad. “Coach. I need to talk to you. It’s important and it can’t wait. Um… Cillian too.”
What in the hell is going on?
“My office. Now.”
I’m not entirely sure that I should be here, but Cillian insisted I join them. I know it’s so he doesn’t have to face this alone. Ofcourse I said yes because right now, I just want to be here for him.
We all file into Dad’s office, and the door creaks loudly as he shuts it behind us.
While Cillian takes a seat in the leather chair in front of his desk, I hang back, leaning against the bookcase and cross my ankles, fingers curled around the edge of a shelf.
“What’s going on, Brooks? Talk to me,” Dad says quietly.
Brooks paces along the small space in front of the door, running his hand over the back of the dark blond hair along his neck before he finally comes to a stop, a frantic edge to his words as he begins to speak. “Ezra came to me last night. He was boasting about something he’d done, and he thought I’d be on board with it I guess because of the circumstances, but… I’m not. I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a piece of shit,” he says, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.
“Brooks, I’m sorry I’m not following. What’s going on? What did he do?”
He hesitates, opening his mouth, then snapping it shut before he flops down into another leather chair in front of the desk and drops his head into his hands, running his fingers through his hair roughly.
Unease shoots down my spine, a tight knot twisting in the pit of my stomach. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so on edge in all the years I’ve known him and that makes my anxiety spike.
Hesitation flickers in his gaze. “Ezra has been putting Adderall in Cillian’s water bottle before practice this week. That’s why he failed the piss test.”
I sway on my feet, only remaining upright because of my white-knuckled grip on the bookshelf.
Oh my God.
I bring my hand to my mouth to cover the shocked gasp that threatens to fly out of me.
As painful as it is to hear, a staggering sense of relief flows through me.
The truth.
It’ll set Cillian free.
Brooks groans, his shoulders falling. “Ezra’s my best friend, but fuck… sorry, Coach. I just… I can’t be responsible for someone’s whole life being taken away.” Lifting his head, his shoulders still hunched in defeat, his eyes flick to Cillian. “I might not be your biggest fan, but this is just too far. I haven’t been able to sleep. I can’t fucking eat. My stomach’s in knots since he told me.”
He looks back at Dad. “I should’ve said something as soon as I found out, and I’m sorry. I really am. I know that telling you is the right thing, but I’m going to lose my best friend for doing this. It’ll ruin his entire rugby career. He’ll be expelled too, and I’ll be responsible for that.”
God, how the hell could Ezra do this?
I’m just so angry, so in absolute disbelief that this is happening, I can’t even properly process the emotions running through me right now.
Ezra nearly ruined Cillian’s life by drugging him. And now Brooks has to ruin Ezra’s by turning him in.
Dad shakes his head, that vein in his neck bulging. “Son, if this is the truth, then you’re not responsible for anything. No oneis responsible for someone else’s decisions, and that is a decision that he made. A stupid, reckless decision. The only person you are responsible for isyourself. You can’t bear the weight of Ezra’s bad judgment.”
I can’t stop looking at Cillian, my hands aching from the need to reach for him. To make sure he’s okay. He’s completely still, his hands curved around the arm of the chair, his knuckles white. The expression on his face surprisingly blank despite what I know is probably happening inside him right now. I know there’s probably a small part of him that’s relieved we have answers for what happened, but there’s probably an even larger part of him that is so angry he’s seeing red.
Despite that, he keeps cool, his jaw grinding together as he keeps his gaze pinned on Brooks before moving it back to Dad.
Brooks finally nods, running another hand through his hair and tugging on the strands. “We’ve been best friends sincethird grade, Coach.”
I understand where Brooks is coming from, I really do. I can’t imagine having to be put in a position where you have to betray someone you love, someone so important to you. But this is not something you can just pretend you didn’t hear and move on from.
