Asher

I pulled up to the Club and parked my truck. I took a deep breath before getting out of the car. I knew Dad would be inside and pissed at me. Coach called him. He told me he would before I pulled out the lot today. I'm in deep shit and I'm not excited about it.

I get out of the truck and stretch a little. I feel cooped up in cars, cagey. I hit the gym often. Hard. It shows and makes it a bitch to get in and out of things these days. All that work serves me well on the field.

Off of the field.

I see red across the parking lot. Kelsey looks over at me with a smile as she heads inside. She wants to know me better. With her fiery red hair and fuck me lips and the clothes that barely cover anything, she's an obvious choice for me. Most days, I might just take her up on letting her show me how much she likes me inside of my the truck, but I don't have time right now, or really ever. She's hot, but I'd have to be drunk first. At least a little buzzed. Cheerleader or not, I like to chase, not the other way around.

Not right now at least.

I turn away, but not before I see her wink at me. I look because I'm human. She's slight, always has been, but I'm a big guy and like my girls curvy.

"Ash."

I follow the voice to see Kyle to my left. He's the pretty boy of our group, always has been since we were kids. He gets in trouble with it, but as seniors, we're years from settling down, so he does what he wants.

He gives me shit too because like he tells me, I'm built like a shed at six, six, and look like I'm much more likely to work construction at the country club my Dad owns than be its future owner.

"What's up, man?" I ask.

"I was about to ask you the same thing. Who died?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That face you're wearing. Not enough head lately?"

"Fuck you, man. Not all of us need it twenty-four seven," I say, starting to walk towards the entrance.

"Then you must not be getting it from the right girls."

I instantly think of Madison Rand. The girl I've wanted since sixth grade who's never given me the time of day, even if she had two watches.

"Guess not."

We head inside the club, and it's the same as it's always been. Opulent. There's money everywhere, but everyone is too classy to flaunt it outright. I'm sick of it.

"I got to go see Dad. I'll see you later."

"Now I get the why behind the face."

"Coach called him."

"No shit? Ouch. I'll keep you in my thoughts." Lily, one of Kelsey's friends on the squad, walks by us, a smile on her face. She moves her hips a little too, exaggerating the walk to make us look. It works for Kyle, but almost anything does.

He won't remember me in five minutes.

"Go ahead," I say, already walking away.

"Let me know how it goes man. We're meeting later."

He doesn't have to say Benny's. He doesn't need to. It's all we've done since we were too young to leave our homes on our own, but we did anyway.

I nod in response, but I know he's not even looking at me anymore. He's got Lily to chase.

The office where Dad hides out is up a staircase towards the backside of the club. I figured he'd want some place more obvious, overseeing everything from some perch, but he likes it back there. He gets to hide from the world, from my mother.

He's on the phone when I walk in, but these days, it's harder to find him without it. I take a seat at the chair across from his desk. I'm used to fucking up, but I'm still not looking forward to facing him head on.

Dad finishes up the conversation as he starts to stare me down before saying goodbye.

When the phone hits the desk, he says, "What's all this about, Ash?"

He's playing reasonable with me. Faking it obviously.

"I'm going to fix it."

"By Friday's game? It doesn't sound like you can, and I want to know why it's gotten along enough that the Coach is calling me about it. Do I look like I'm sitting on my hands in here waiting to clean up your messes?"

"No, sir."

"Then you tell me why I'm being called in to take care of shit that you're perfectly capable of handling. Your job is school. I don't make you work--"

"I'm fine with working."

"I don't care what you're fine with. Your job is to go to school, play ball, go to college, and take over this place one day."

I don't say anything. I've tried before, and it's never worked. My jaw twitches from clenching it.

"You're getting a tutor, you're getting your shit together, and I don't care if you live in the library until that happens."

"Yes, sir." The less I argue with him, the sooner we can exist far away from each other. He loves me, I think, but we don't get along, and any excuse I can have to get away from him faster, I'll take.

He acts like he wants the best for me, but it's about what he wants me to do for him, for Blue Hills Country Club, as if I asked to be his son and to be here.

I bite my tongue and feel like I'm coming close to biting off a chunk.

"We done?" Attitude slips into my voice, but I can't help it. I don't take shit from anyone, but I have to with him and it drives me crazy.

"I'm not kidding around, Asher. You get this handled or I will."

His threats have come so regularly, they're like a soundtrack playing in my head.

Some sick part of me doesn't want to disappoint him, despite the fact that making him happy would move me farther away from anything I'd want from myself.