Page 103 of Resilient Love

He lets out a huff, stepping out of the way and opening the door wide for us to pass through.

Or, to letmepass through, rather. His foot shoots out, physically stopping Rafael as he halts in the doorway, his large frame shaking with suppressed terror. I don’t even blame him. My father is a big man, and he can pack a punch, both literally and metaphorically, with his big personality.

I sidestep my father, whose grimace seems to waiver, but maybe that’s just me being hopeful, and step back out onto the covered porch.

I peek up at Rafael, who has a bead of sweat rolling down his temple, tugging on his hand, I help him uncement his feet from the wooden planks.

He follows me into the main dining room in the front of the house. The table is set with a colourful red bouquet ofCeibospilling onto the white tablecloth.I’ve only ever seen those flowers in one place.

Rafael must be thinking the same as he loosens his grip on my hand, letting it fall to my side as he bends over the table and lifts one of the waxy flower petals in his palm. He takes a moment to inspect it, working his jaw on a swallow.

“Beautiful flowers, aren’t they?” Dad asks, his words spoken through gritted teeth, his arms crossed over his broad chest as he watches Rafa’s movements.

Rafael’s gulp is audible, which only serves to add to the way my gut is beginning to churn with bile.

“Very beautiful, sir,” Rafa answers. Dad’s lip twitches, but he says nothing as Rafael turns, pulling my chair out for me and taking a seat in his own.

His leg bounces, the silverware rattling on the table. He reaches for his glass of water, and it’s painful to watch the way his hand physically shakes, water spilling over the top of his glass as he brings it to his mouth, guzzling the clear liquid as if it’ll somehow save him.

Dad’s deep baritone cuts through the unnerving silence. “I’ve heard they’re a symbol of both bravery andresiliencein Argentina.”

Rafael’s body stills beside me, a beat passing before he places his glass down and turns his full attention on my father. “You’ve known this whole time, haven’t you?” Rafael asks, his words so quiet I can barely hear them.

I deflate, my shoulders sinking as I realise just how right Rafael is, and based on this strange taunting he’s doing, he’s not really mad. Though Dad does have a flare for the dramatics.

Rafael manages to wipe the stunned expression off his face, resting a hand on my thigh.

“Rafael isn’t great about logging out of his email when he works at my desk between practices,” Dad deadpans.

It takes a second, but some memory must click because Rafael pulls his phone out of his back pocket and sifts through his messages. He leans across me, bringing the phone to my face, and all the air whooshes from my lungs.

It’s the picture he’d taken of our names drawn on the wall of the church.

“I assumed something was going on between you two for a while before that, but I wasn’t sure how serious it was until I saw that photo pop up on my screen. I didn’t want to pry, so I just waited until you got around to telling me. I guess today is that day,” he says, relaxing back into his chair and resting the back of his head on his crossed arms, his grimace now a taunting smirk. “Any particular reason why we had to move things up?” he asks,his greying brows knitting together, causing his usual relaxed expression to shift into something more serious.

“Noah found out about us and is threatening to blackmail us,” I admit, my mouth growing dry and my cheeks heating.

Dad leans on his elbows, concern now marring his features. “What could he possibly have to blackmail you with? Better yet”—he shakes his head—“what does he want?”

Rafael clears his throat, and I feel the bounce of his leg as his black slacks slide against my calf. “He wants Elise to leave me for him, and his little plan was to tell you about our relationship if we didn’t tell you first. Clearly, that didn’t work because we had already planned to tell you. We were just waiting for the end of the season to do so.”

“And because I have zero intention to leave him,” I cut in, giving Rafael a sideways glance. “Ever.”

Dad’s posture relaxes again, and he releases an audible sigh, an easy smile sliding onto his tanned cheeks. “Well, I’m relieved to hear you’ve been planning to tell me either way, but that little shit Noah has another thing coming if he thinks he can try and manipulatemy daughterinto doing a damn thing. He acts as if he isn’t just another nepo baby relying on his daddy’s money,” he says with a scoff and roll of his eyes. “Good thing I know his father. If he wants to act like a child, he can be treated like one.”

Andthisis one of many reasons I love my dad. He sees things in their entirety and is always the first to work out a reasonable plan for how to deal with them while setting me completely at ease.

All the anxiety vanishes from my body as I slump against Rafa’s shoulder. The tension from his muscles has disappeared too, and he wraps an arm around me, kissing the top of my head just how I love.

“So,” Rafa ventures. “You aren’t…mad?”

Dad squawks out a laugh. “What? No, of course not.” He shakes his head. “It was just fun to see you sweat. My daughter is a woman, more than capable of making her own decisions. I’m her father,a partof her support system but not her entire world anymore,” he says, and the words make the tip of my nose burn as he gives me a glassy-eyed smile. “If she chose you, then I will too. I’m not her owner, and she isn’t my property.”

“Thank you,” Rafa says, the words passing his lips like a whispered prayer, sent straight to heaven.

I look back across the table at Dad, and his eyes practically have hearts glittering in them. The man is a true romantic.

“I justlovelove,” he sing-songs, resting his cheek on his palm as he takes us in. “I’ll admit this is weird, but I’m willing to bet it’s a lot less weird than if this had happened with Coach Lyon,” he jokes, and Rafael’s choking laughter fills the small dining area.

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