The Quarterback’s First Love – Episode 37
Maddie twisted Thompson’s wrist until he cried out. Years of cheer training gave her balance, and anger supplied leverage. “Don’t touch me,” she said, forcing him back.
The landlord called her a filthy name and raised his free hand. Cameron crossed the hallway before the blow fell, catching Thompson’s arm without aggravating his own injured shoulder.
“What’s going on?” Cameron asked, though the answer was obvious. Thompson recognized him and changed tone immediately. Fame accomplished what decency had not.
He claimed Sister Elizabeth owed rent and Maddie attacked him. Kiara and two staff members contradicted him. Cameron asked to see the lease, repair receipts, and eviction notice.
Thompson refused. “This building is mine. I can do what I want.” Cameron looked around at the leaking ceiling and frightened children. Ownership had become another excuse for cruelty.
“How much is the property worth?” he asked. Thompson’s anger shifted into interest. Sister Elizabeth warned that buying him out could cost a million dollars.
Cameron called his agent and requested verification of the title, debts, and fair market price. Unlike Linda’s briefcases, the proposed payment would not purchase a person’s obedience; it would remove leverage from someone abusing it.
Maddie still objected to an impulsive million-dollar decision. Cameron agreed to due diligence. “If the numbers work, the building goes into a charitable trust. Not my name. Not yours. The children’s.”
Thompson demanded immediate payment. Cameron offered a conditional contract at the verified value, provided inspections revealed no hidden liabilities. Otherwise, the home’s attorney would challenge the eviction and report his proposition to police.
The landlord paled. Witnesses filled the hall, and Maddie still held her phone recording. He agreed to the sale process and left beneath Cameron’s warning never to return alone.
Sister Elizabeth thanked them, but Maddie insisted the trust include independent oversight. Charity without accountability could become the same power structure that allowed Linda to manipulate records.
Cameron admired how she transformed rescue into reform. He had offered money; she ensured the solution outlived his attention and could not be weaponized later.
They spent the afternoon reviewing files with a legal-aid attorney. The orphanage had grounds to recover repair costs and possibly damages. Thompson’s supposed million-dollar leverage weakened under scrutiny.
Kiara asked whether Cameron would return. He promised tickets to Central’s next home game and invited the children to a team practice once his shoulder healed.
On the drive back, Maddie thanked him for arriving when she needed him. Cameron replied that she had already handled Thompson before he intervened. “I didn’t save you,” he said. “I backed you up.”
The distinction pleased her. Their relationship no longer repeated a knight-and-damsel fantasy. They protected each other in different ways.
At Central, Coach Reynolds examined Cameron’s medical clearance. He could participate in noncontact warm-ups but not take hits. The season opener was days away, and the backup quarterback was Brett.
Brett heard the news and smiled for the first time since Campus Clash. If Cameron could not play, the starting role would return by necessity. He began telling teammates the transfer star lacked toughness.
Cameron refused to rush recovery for pride. Maddie supported the decision, though she knew Brett would treat patience as weakness. A championship future mattered more than one game.
Then the team doctor called with updated imaging. Cameron’s shoulder was healing faster than expected, but a final stress test would decide whether he could start. Brett overheard and left practice with a plan to ensure Cameron failed it.