Page 67 of Strong Side

“You’re lucky that’s all I broke, you manipulative, money-hungry piece of shit.” I stand next to Taylor as Dad stands up straight. His eyes go wide when he realizes I’m not about to come to his aide. “I don’t know why you’re here after the stunt you pulled at the bonfire the other night.”

“I—”

“Save it,” Taylor snaps. “They told me what happened, and I don’t give a fuck about your side of the story. For years, I have watched you berate and belittle this man. Yourson.You’ve not only done it to him but to your wife and everyone around you.” Dad’s eyes darken with rage as blood continues to pour from his likely very broken nose. “You were once a man I admired. Someone I called not only a teammate but a friend. But this”—he waves his hand up and down in my dad’s direction—“this isn’t someone I recognize.”

I feel Rocky come up behind me, and he doesn’t waste a second threading his fingers through mine. Dad’s eyes dart toward the gesture before refocusing on Taylor.

“For four years, I haven’t been able to say a word because I’ve been Clayton’s Coach, but as of thirty minutes ago, he is no longer my player. And I’m not going to let you soil what should be another incredible day for him. So”—Taylor takes half a menacing step toward Dad—“you are going to leave now. And if you’re not gone in the next fifteen seconds, I will not hesitate to break another one of your bones.”

“Clayton…”

“Uh-uh. You don’t talk to him. Leave, Charles.Now. Before Imake you leave.”

Without another word, Dad spins on his heels and shuffles through the sand toward the parking lot. I don’t know when I’ll see him again or if we will ever be able to mend our relationship, but I can say with complete confidence that I’m not upset as I watch him walk away.

Taylor sighs as he spins to face us, shaking out his hand. “Clayton, I’m sorry.”

My mouth hangs open for a moment before an uncontrollable laugh bubbles from my chest. “Sorry? That was amazing! I mean, I know I should probably be appalled that you just decked Dad across the face, but that was totally epic.”

“Yeah, Coach. That was totally badass. I just wish I would have recorded it,” Rocky adds. Taylor huffs an incredulous laugh and rolls his eyes.

“Come on, you two. We have one more interview, and then the night is yours.”

We’ve been at Jack’s, a sports bar right off the beach, celebrating with friends, family, students, and members of the community for several hours now. “Sweet Home Alabama” is loudly playing as Emerson and Liliana down another round of shots. They’re not the only ones, though. There are more people in this bar drunk than not, with Rocky and I both being well on our way.

Liliana leans over and whispers something in Emerson’s ear, and Rocky and I watch as his entire face turns a comical shade of pink. I look over at Rocky, laughing, only to find him clenching his jaw in irritation. I roll my eyes and pull him from his stool, not wanting him to get sent to jail for murder on such a special night.

“Come with me,” I shout over the music.

Rocky looks from me to his sister. “I don’t know if—”

“Baby, your parents are literally right there. They’ll keep an eye on her.”

He looks back at me deadpan. “You mean the same parents who are currently doing Jägerbombs with Jackson? Yeah, they’ll do a great job.”

I bark out a laugh as I watch Big Joe and Cassandra down their shots and make a mental note to have breakfast delivered to my apartment tomorrow morning for them. “Come on, ya big baby. Come for a walk with me.”

I don’t give him much of a chance as I pull him through the bar, with him mumbling and grumbling behind me. We’re only walking through the sand for a few minutes before we’re only a couple of yards away from the rising tide. Stopping, I toe off my sandals and set my phone, keys, and wallet on top of them. Rocky raises a brow at me and I just smile. Relenting, he does the same and grabs my outstretched hand. We walk until the cool, salty water is resting at our ankles. The sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline, mixed with the muffled music blaring from Jack’s, is the perfect soundtrack to end the most perfect day.

Rocky and I stand hand in hand in the water as we look out at the Gulf before us. “We really won,” his deep voice says softly.

I turn my head to look at him. His dark curly hair blowing in the breeze, his full lips that I could never live another day without kissing, his emerald eyes that I could get lost in over and over again, and his walnut skin that I want to spend the rest of my life exploring. What started as a partnership by happenstance, one once filled with animosity and misunderstanding, is now filled with so much love that it has woven its way into the very marrow of my bones.

It’s a partnership I want now and always.

“Yeah, Baby. We won.”

1. Work Song - Hozier

43

Epilogue

Rockwell

Six Months Later

Hand in hand with Clay, we walk out of the tattoo shop. A dull ache throbs over my heart from the ink I got, an exact replica of the one Clay got all of those months ago. The poor guy who was going to be tattooing me looked nauseous at the thought of matching tattoos, but once we explained what it meant and that it was my Momma’s handwriting, I swear the big man shed atear.

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