Chasing Football Dreams (Diner Girl #2)

Chapter Twenty-Five

"B urger. No fries. And coffee black,"

"Sure thing," I noted with a smile and headed to hand in the order.

"I am starting to think that you are addicted to your job," Brenda conceded when I joined her at the counter to top up coffee.

I shrugged. It was no big deal working my normal shifts. I am after all the same girl I was six months ago. Working a job to pay off my debt and eat. Even when Duncan can afford to take care of us both. It wasn't my desire to become a trophy wife. I wanted to say in charge of making my own money.

"You don't want me here?" I asked, fake batting my eyelashes.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Don't let me remind you that you are not too old to receive a beating,"

I covered my laugh and headed out to help the rest of the tables. Stopping in my tracks when Coach Shane stood in front of me. I left yesterday in a rush to get away from that creep he calls his best friend. I was aware that he would come and find me. I just thought that he would at least give it more than a few hours.

"Coach? Can I get you anything?" I asked, clearing my throat.

His eyebrow arched. "Coach?"

I shrugged, my eyes shifting from side to side as the jitters started to sink in. I just blew my only defense. Not even the offense can help me out of this sticky situation.

"From when are we back to you calling me coach?" He asked.

I jerked my shoulder. "I don't recall that I called you anything besides coach,"

His eyebrow arched higher, and it became all clear to me that I was digging a deeper grave for myself.

"Can we talk?" He asked, pointing at a table.

"I am working," I excused and headed to grab my order.

I avoided Brenda's gaze as I picked up the order. I made it my mission to find anything to do that would let me make me look busy, but Brenda picked up what was going on when she saw Coach Shane taking a table.

"Go, talk to him," Brenda urged taking the tray from my hand.

"I don't know if it is a good idea,"

"From when you are a coward?"

I scowled. "I am not a coward,"

I looked in the direction of Shane. He was sitting patiently waiting for me.

"Fine but can I take his order first since I have been avoiding him?"

Brenda clicked her tongue at me. "No, you go take a seat, and will get Cindy to come over to take your order,"

I untied my apron and handed it over to her before going over to his table. I gazed out the window not knowing if I could afford to look him in the eyes and lie.

“What happened, Zoey? What did Benjamin say to you?"

My gaze snapped to meet his questioning gaze. “It doesn’t matter,” I looked away, catching Cindy coming over.

"Hi, I am Cindy," She introduced herself. "You must be Zoey's father," She asked with an innocent gesture not knowing about the harsh truth lurking before her.

Coach Shane looked at me, nodding his head at her realizing that Brenda was the only one aware of my circumstances.

"You must be proud of her," Cindy said grinning.

Coach Shane exhibits his confusion making her explain. "Zoey is a top student and playing football,"

"He knows. He's my coach," I informed her.

Her mouth formed an "o" when she realized what was going on. "I am just going to give in the order,"

I nodded, softly thanking her.

"Zoey, you are my daughter. It matters what he said to you that unsettled you," His hand resting on top of mine.

I turned my gaze away, pulling my hand from his grasp to wipe a tear away from the corner of my eye.

"He only made me see the truth that no one is going to believe I am your daughter. Especially since I am an orphan. A nobody playing a game to take your money,”

“Is that what Benjamin said to you?”

I lowered my gaze not wanting to cause trouble. "What does it matter what he said to me? It's the truth. People is going to create rumors and make everyone believe that I somehow faked the blood tests. And that I am not your real daughter. I am a copy,"

"No,"

I raised my gaze.

"You are not a copy. You are her. You are my daughter. Screw the media and their false accusations. I am going to fight the system until everyone who took you from me suffers,"

"Your kidnap case is not going to be swept under the rugs,"

"But I don't want to cause trouble between you and Benjamin,"

"He only wants to protect me. He had to watch me go through the most difficult time I've had to deal with,"

"I don't want this," I muttered, dropping my gaze.

"What do you mean?"

I traced the bangle around my wrist. "I grew up without a mother and father. I had to grow up believing in miracles while reality knocked me down. I was bullied by the worst kind of people who think it is right to belittle a person who has nothing. I worked my ass off to get into college. I worked twice as hard to get the quarterback position,"

"I looked up to you. Had your posters on my walls and had people laugh at my dreams,"

"I would rather have people laugh at my silly dream than call me a con artist,"

"You are my daughter, Zoey, by blood. We can't change that fact,"

Tears flooded my vision. "But if I am your daughter. I will need to fight a different war that I don't want,"

"I just want to be the small-town girl with big dreams. I don't care about fancy cars, big houses, or name brands. I just want to be me,"

"We need to find the person who hurt us, Zoey,"

"Why? It won't change anything. Catching them won't rewind life and give us back what we lost,"

"Them?"

I paused as I grasped what I said. Shit.

"What do you mean by them?"

"It's only an assumption," I cleared.

"Can you elaborate?"

"And have you and mom gear up and tear down the town?"

A smile tugged his lips.

"What?"

He shook his head, his smile not going anywhere. "Nothing,"

He skimmed his hands across the table taking my hand between his. "Please tell me what is going on,"

I started telling him about my dreams about the man I vaguely see. I could see the strain of the news taking effect on him.

"How sure are you about this?" He asked.

I licked my lips.

"Zoey?"

"You are not going to like what I am going to tell you,"

"What is it?"

"There was a man at the orphanage with a file full of pictures. He was talking to one of the caretakers about how I've become a nuisance,"

His gaze firmly narrowed as he processed the information making me nervous. "What happened to the file full of pictures?"

I gulped my agitation down when his stern voice emphasized, that he had made the right assumption. "We took it,"

His eyebrows shot up in shock. "When you imply, we, you are referring to you and Eliza?"

I nodded sheepishly. "And the team,"

"Oh god," He sighed, pinching his nose.

My team never lets me do anything stupid alone. It's scary to know they will always have my back even when they are aware of the consequences.

"Did anyone see you or your teammates stealing any file?" He asked, starting to sound like a real father.

"No," We haven't gone back to the orphanage after our last adventure.

"Where are these files now?"

"At home," I answered.

"And we can't go to the police because it's stolen," He sighed.

"Why do I get the feeling that you don't want to get to the bottom of this?" He noted.

I shrugged. "Because the truth is not going to fix anything. It's going to cause more pain,"

"Why would you say that? What are you not telling me?"

I shook my head. "Can we just drop it?"

"No," He reached for my hand, but I moved my hand out of his reach.

"Zoey,"

"I said I don't want to do it. Stop forcing me," I almost shouted. "I don't want to hurt you any further,"

I watch horror transpire in his eyes. "Why would you hurt me?"

"I can't tell you because I don't even know what the hell is going on,"

"Zoey," Brenda's soft comforting voice soothed through the stricken planes of my shoulders. I turned away from Shane to hug her and let her shield me from the truth.

"I think that's enough now," Brenda said to Shane. "It's been hard on both of you, but this is not going to make anything right,"

I looked at Shane and the hurt in the eyes made me go over to him. "For eleven years I've tried to uncover the dreams in my head until it started making me see things that weren't there. I don't know what happened to me or who took me,"

"I don't want to chase fantasies that are going to stand in my way of living my life,"

"We can't have back what we lost,"

My eyes followed him when he got to his feet. "I just feel so powerless knowing that I let someone walk into my house and take you from me,"

I saw the conflict and guilt. "You couldn't have known," I hugged him, closing my eyes when I felt his arms snaking around my shoulders.

"Why don't you trust the police?"

I dropped my head back gazing up at him. "So many people are involved in my kidnapping. From the coroner faking evidence to the police writing a false report,"

Shane's forehead furrowed. "We need to find out whose daughter we buried seventeen years ago,"

I blinked when I grasped what he said. Someone's daughter has been buried in my place.