Destiny (15 page)

“Olivia
doesn’t want to speak with you, Eric,” she said.

“Please.
I almost had a child with her. I wish I had a do-over. I wish I could tell her I
wanted that child, and I wanted to be able to marry my best friend. I’m leaving
tomorrow, and this is my last chance. Don’t take that from me.”

“It’s
her choice, and she told me not to let you in when you came over.”

“Then
if it’s all right with you, I’m going to wait on the porch until she changes
her mind. Please tell her that I’m here.”

After
she had gone back inside, I waited patiently on the porch. As day turned into
night, I felt less patient. It appeared that Olivia was never going to talk to
me. I didn’t leave, though. I sat on that porch waiting for the woman I loved.
Even if she didn’t talk to me, I wanted to know that I had done everything I
could at the end. At three in the morning, I heard the front door creak open as
I was just starting to doze off.

“I
can’t sleep knowing you’re out here. What do you want?” Olivia asked.

“To
tell you that you’re wrong.”

“You
sat out here this long to tell me
that
!
I know I shouldn’t have thrown my child away. If that’s all you came to say,
then just go.”

“I
was wrong, too. That part of what happened wasn’t your fault. It was mine. I
should have supported you. Most of all, I should have let you know that my
dream life has always involved marrying you and having a family together. I was
stupid to act like that was holding me back from something. The only thing you
were wrong about was throwing us away. Even if I’ve messed up beyond what
deserves forgiveness, you’ll never find someone who loves you like me. You’re
my everything
. You always will be. A day doesn’t go by that
I don’t think of you. One never will. I know I’ve screwed up, and I know that
you can’t forgive yourself or me right now, but some day you
will
be able to. When that day comes,
I’ll be everything you’ve ever needed and more. I’ll love you the way you
deserved to be loved.”

“Eric,
it’s over. That’s not going to change.”

“You’re
wrong. I’m leaving tomorrow, and so are you. This chapter of our lives is over,
but I’ll find you again some day. No matter how many times you push me away or
something pulls us apart, I’ll always come back to you. If I have to wear you
down, I’ll make you see that you belong with me. I know that’s probably not
going to happen right now, but I
will
make
it a reality.”

“Why
are you doing this? Do you have any idea how hard it’s been to let go of you?
You are the
only
boy I ever loved,
and we screwed things up so badly. We can’t repair this, Eric, and every time
you pretend we can, it breaks my heart a little more. I miss us, but
the
us
I knew is
gone. I don’t doubt that a part of you will always love me because a part of me
will always love you, too. I need to bury that part of me right now, though.
Let me do that.”

“Okay.
You go your way for now, and I’ll go mine. We’ll live life as if none of this
ever happened. I want you to understand something, though. I’ll find a way to
make this right at some point. I still love you. I always will, and if I have
to spend the rest of my life giving you reasons to love me, then I will. Some
day you’re going to live with me in that big house on the lake, and all of
these problems will be a world away. I promise,” I said and wrapped my arms
around her. Then I gave her a gentle goodbye kiss. It was the saddest kiss I
had ever been a part of. Every emotion that was put into it spoke of how much
we were walking away from.

As
I pulled away and walked back across the street, I knew what I was leaving. She
was the best friend I would ever have. Looking back, I wish I had turned
around. Maybe if I had refused to take no for an answer, she would have changed
her mind. She could have gone to college, and I could have gone with her. We
would have gotten a little apartment eventually and lived out our college days
together. That’s not what happened, though. I kept walking away from what I
knew was right. The next few years would be filled with a lot of walking away
from the right thing. Unfortunately, I still had some growing up to do and some
mistakes to make before I could even see her again.

Chapter 15

A Deal
With The Devil

Fall

There
were a few surprises awaiting me when I got back home. My sister had gotten
really serious with a guy, and he had moved into her place. She wanted me to
stay with them, but I thought it would probably be best to let them have their
privacy and get a dorm room. My college was paid for anyway, so I figured why not?
I didn’t know it, but the guy I was rooming with would change everything about
the next few years. After my sister had helped me move everything in and she
was gone, it was just
us
. I had heard his name all
around campus. He was some big time recruit for the football team. The only
experience I had with a football player hadn’t ended well. I was a little
nervous to be rooming with him.

“Hey,
I’m Emmitt,” he said as we were putting our things in place.

“I’m
Eric. It’s nice to meet you. I already knew who you were, though.”

“How?”

“I
think everyone around here knows you. You were a five star athlete in high
school. No one knows for sure what position you’re going to play here, but word
is that you’re going to get a crack at the starting quarterback job first.
You’re supposed to be a savior around here. Some think you’ll get the football
program back to its glory days.”

“There’s
no pressure, though,” he said sarcastically.

“Oh,
none at all
. I’ve just heard all
about you even though I try to avoid anything to do with football. I’m sure no
one else has unrealistic expectations,” I joked.

“So
why is that?”

“What
do you mean?”

“You
said you try to avoid anything to do with football.”

“Oh,
let’s just say I had a bad experience with a football player and a girl. It
ended with punches being thrown.”

“Did
you get the girl?”

“Kind
of. I stole her from him.”

“Then
what are you complaining about? You know not all athletes are the same, right?”

“Of
course. Well, what are you going to school for? I know you can’t be here just
for football,” I said.

“I
don’t know what I’m here for. I’m still searching for a purpose. I’m taking
general courses until I figure it out,” Emmitt said with a hint of doubt.

I
could tell that he didn’t want me to stereotype him as the dumb jock
who
was only there to play football. That’s exactly what I
was doing, though. I couldn’t let him know that, so I said the nicest thing I
could think of.

“Don’t
worry about it. I’m sure you’ll figure it out, and if not, most people here are
convinced that you’ll be playing professional football soon anyway.”

He
nodded, and we talked about other things for a few minutes. Then it was time
for me to go to class. Throughout the day, I sat in boring lectures that mainly
consisted of safety instructions due to it being the first day. During my time
that day, I spent most of my energy thinking about Olivia and everything I had
left back in Wisconsin. Was this the right place for me? I didn’t think so.
When I left my last class, I gained a whole new perspective on the University
of Miami. A man stopped me just outside the door.

“Hey,
can I talk to you for a second?” he asked.

“Sure,
but what is this about?” I asked.

“We
don’t need to talk here. I’ve got a restaurant downtown off of main. It’s called
Flynn’s. Find me there,” he said and started to walk away.

“I’m
going to need more information than that if you want me to show up.”

“You
won’t be sorry if you do. Trust me. Ask for William when you get there.”

As
he walked away, I had a lot of doubts about going to see him. Something seemed
shady about this whole thing. Then again, how could I not go? I wanted to know
what was going on, and the only way to find out was to hear it straight from
him. Without wasting any time, I found my car and started driving over to
Flynn’s restaurant. On the way, I got an unexpected phone call, however. It was
Olivia.

“Hey,”
I said.

I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
I had no idea why she would call. For all I knew, she still hated me.

“Hi
. . .”

“It’s
good to hear your voice. How is Wisconsin?” I asked.

“It’s
good. It would be better if you were here.”

“I
can transfer next semester if . . .”

“No.
I think you should get your education there. You have a scholarship and a life
in Miami. I called you to say that I’m sorry.”

“For
what? I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“No,
you’re not. You reacted poorly when you found out I was pregnant, and I acted
like it was the end of the world. When I found out, I reacted badly, too. I
should have given you time to get used to the idea of a baby. I definitely
shouldn’t have let my mom talk me into an abortion. This was my fault. I threw
away everything we had. All you did was try to salvage it.”

“It’s
still salvageable.”

“I
know that. The time isn’t right, though. You have things to do there, and I
have a purpose here. I’m in pre-med classes, and that’s going to take up a lot
of my time. I just wanted you to know that you should find me after school if
you’re unattached. Realistically, I know you won’t be, but I hope our story
doesn’t end with what happened in the summer.”

“It
won’t. I promise. I’m so glad you called.”

“I
am, too. I just wish we had talked about this sooner.”

“I
agree. Are you sure you don’t want me to come home?”

“You
are
home, Eric.”

“Home
is wherever you are.”

“Stay.
Get your education, and maybe some day we can see about that house on the
lake.”

“I
hope so.”

Just
as I was pulling up to the restaurant, we got off the phone. Suddenly, what William
had to say didn’t matter. There was hope with Olivia. That was enough to make
me feel like all was right in the world. I walked into Flynn’s with an entirely
new perspective. Life had so much potential again. I had no idea how true that
statement was about to become. I asked for William, and I was directed to a
back room where he joined me. We were brought drinks.

“I’m
not twenty-one,” I said.

I
really wasn’t opposed to drinking, especially when it was the high-dollar wine
we were being brought. I just wasn’t used to an adult giving me alcohol.

“You’re
eighteen. You’re old enough to make money, vote, and fight in a war. You can
drink. I have a business proposal for you, Eric,” William said.

“I
don’t understand. How do you even know who I am?”

“You
room with Emmitt Brown.”

“And
that means what exactly?”

“I’m
going to tell you some things you can never repeat. If you do, I’ll deny every
word of it, and the university will conveniently drop your scholarship.”

I
nodded for him to continue, but I didn’t like where this was going.

“We
were able to get Emmitt for a reason. Everyone knows that the best college
athletes are paid, and he had a lot of offers. We outbid the competition,
though. We offered him a four-year $800,000 package to play for us. He
accepted, and there has been a hype around this university that hasn’t been
seen in over a decade ever since. It was money well spent, but there’s a
problem. Things like this can get people like me in a lot of trouble. I’m a
booster for Miami. I own nearly a dozen businesses in the area, and money is
no
object. Because of this, I help out
the university every year. This time, I landed them the biggest prospect in
years. I need a way to funnel the money, though. I asked some people who work
in the university to do me a few favors. I wanted them to find me the perfect
man to funnel the money through. You’re a business major in Miami, and you’re
rooming with Emmitt. I would say that makes you the perfect candidate.”

“I
don’t understand. What could I possibly do?”

“It’s
simple. On the books, I’ll have you working for me here at the restaurant. As
far as the government will be concerned, you’ll be a high paid manager at the
most exquisite place in Miami. We’ll set up an account for you and deposit
money in it every week. Emmitt will also be given an account. After you get the
deposit, you’ll go online and transfer Emmitt his share of the money. His share
will equal $200,000 at the end of the year, and yours will equal up to $50,000.
What do you say?”

“There
has to be a catch. You’re not giving me $50,000 just to transfer some money.”

“You’re
right. I’m not. You’ll also be responsible for keeping him in line. Emmitt is
the most talented kid I’ve ever seen. He got into a lot of trouble in high
school, though. He doesn’t come from the best background, and sometimes he
doesn’t know how to keep his nose out of trouble. You’ll make sure he does. As
long as he stays on the straight and narrow, you’ll keep getting your check.”

“What
about taxes?”

“I’ll
take care of the taxes for both of you at the end of the year. Think of this as
tax free money that no one ever has to know about.”

“I
can’t. I’m sorry. It wouldn’t be right.”

“What’s
so wrong about it? Emmitt is going to earn Miami millions. Doesn’t he deserve
to get his share?”

“I’m
not disputing that. It’s illegal, though.”

“Do
you always follow the rules, Eric? Let me show you what your future could be.
You’re a business major. I’m giving you an opportunity to work with a superstar
athlete right now. Do you know what that could lead to? You could end up being
this kid’s agent when he plays professional football. I’m not even mentioning
the fact that he’ll be able to introduce you to more athletes like himself. By
the time you graduate, you could be on your way to being a millionaire.”

“I
still don’t know.”

“Take
a day to think about it. Here’s my card. Call me when you decide to do the
right thing. $50,000 could do a lot for a college student.”

I
left that restaurant feeling a swarm of emotions. I
could
use that money. Then again, what did this make me? My parents
had gone to prison because they were involved in crooked things. Was I becoming
them? I shook my head as I drove away. I had decided. I didn’t think there was
any way I could do this. When I got back to my dorm room, all of that changed,
however. Emmitt was waiting on me.

“Hey,
Mr. Flynn called me. He told me about what he asked you to do. I just want you
to know that you don’t have to. This isn’t your problem. If you decide to do
it, though, I can make it worth your while,” he said.

“What
do you mean?”

“I
need you to understand something. I didn’t come from a rich family. I didn’t
even come from a family that had enough. I know that what I’m doing is wrong,
but I could get injured tomorrow and have to walk away with nothing. I see a
way out, and I’m taking it. Mr. Flynn’s going to pay for me to play, and I’ll
have a future because of that. Things don’t stop there, though. I’ve read all
about college superstars who get approached daily with offers for cash to show
up at certain events. It’s all done under the table, so no one has to know.
I’ll let you manage all of that and take ten percent. You can make what he’s
willing to give you and some extra off of our little endorsements. If you do a
good job and all of this stays under wraps, I’ll even let you represent me when
I play pro football. What do you say?”

“I
can’t believe I’m even considering this. If I agree to funnel the money for
you, I need you to agree to some terms.”

“Anything.”

“First,
I don’t need you getting into trouble or telling anyone about this.”

“Done.”

“No,
I’m serious. I’ve heard about your past, and if you’re going to make me look
like a fool, then I don’t want any part of this.”

“I’m
not going to blow this.”

“All
right, there’s one more thing. I want you to introduce me to every friend you
make on that team or any other team on this campus. If I’m getting into things this
deep, then I might as well go all the way. I’m a business major, and
representing some high-profile athletes might be in my future. You look out for
me and introduce me to potential clients, and I’ll look out for you every step
of the way.”

“You’ve
got it.”

At
that point, I grabbed the phone and called William. He was thrilled that I had
accepted his proposal. He said it was the best decision I ever made. It didn’t
feel right, though. I had this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Still,
maybe it was necessary. I kept telling myself that my future with Olivia was
still on track. I would buy that spot of land overlooking the lake and build
her dream house. Some day we would live there together. That future could start
right there. I was getting cash for almost nothing and building a future career
that could make me millions. Even if it was wrong, it might just get me the
right result at the end of it all. Just as I was about to get off the phone
with William, he stopped me.