Page 60 of Love at Second Down

AVERY

Iswallow, thinking back to the time Damon and I went cliff diving at the Peninsula. I stood, toes curled over the edge of the damp rock with my stomach in knots, unsure of whether I wanted to jump when I closed my eyes and leaped.

The air whipped in my hair, threading through the strands and feathering over my face as the feeling of weightlessness surged through me. And for one brief, breathless second, I felt both terrified and free—exactly how I feel now, standing on the edge of the truth with Damon, knowing once I jump, there’s no going back. Once I tell him my truth, I can’t erase it. He’ll either understand, or he won’t.

Inhaling, I let the air fill my lungs, giving me the courage to say, “Turns out it wasn’t just a freak accident. My father asked the architect to cut corners on the design and when he refused,my father fired him and did it himself.That’swhat caused the collapse.”

He shakes his head, frowning. “But the inspector said they couldn’t find a plausible explanation for the collapse. They said that they?”

“Knowing my father, he paid off the inspector,” I say, my tone bitter.

A beat of silence passes with Damon staring at me. His eyes are wide with horror, and his expression unreadable. “Six people were killed in that collapse.”

“I know. I remember that day well. The shock of hearing about it on the news first before my father told us what happened. I prayed like hell each time they recovered a body that there’d be no more—that it was nothing more than a terrible tragedy and the Astor group wasn’t responsible.”

“Why are you telling me this?” he asks, his expression wary. “What does this have to do with us?”

“Do you remember what happened at the end of that job with your dad?”

He lifts a shoulder. “That was the job he tore his rotator cuff. So what?”

“Apparently, just after the collapse, your dad started suspecting something with the design was amiss. At the time, he was already on leave and fresh out of surgery. My father said he had too much time on his hands and was asking a lot of questions. He freaked out and went on a rampage. He was scared to death that his livelihood was at stake, that if the media got wind of one of the contractors questioning the collapse, lawsuits would start rolling in. We could loseeverything.”

Damon drags a hand over the back of his neck, a bitter laugh drifting from his lips. “So, you dumped me for money? That’s . . . rich.” He shakes his head, his mouth twisting cruelly. “No pun intended.”

“No. There’s more,” I rush to say. “Your dad’s surgery and time off should’ve been covered by workers’ comp via the Astor Hotel Group. But my father was so freaked out, he altered the terms of coverage. Your father’s surgery and time off would only be paid if he signed a contract that stated none of the Huhns could have any further personal contact with any Astors, nor could he talk about the collapse publicly if he received compensation.”

Damon shakes his head. “None of this makes sense. Why would my dad make a deal like that instead of telling the truth? That’s not him.”

I shrug. “He only had emergency insurance coverage, so my father had him in between a rock and a hard place. If he didn’t agree, he’d be screwed. Plus, your dad might’ve had his suspicions, but I’m sure he never thought my father would purposely manipulate the building plans.”

“Still,” Damon says, staring out the windshield of his pickup, “Even if they had an agreement, what does that have to do with us?”

“Because if you and I continued dating, it would have broken the terms of the contract. Which meant even though your dad wouldn’t get his workers’ comp, he could still go public with any information he might have had on the Astor Hotel Group and their culpability in the collapse. And my father wasn’t willing to risk that. He demanded I put as much distance between us as possible, and I wouldn’t have listened, but . . .” I swallow, summoning the last of my courage. “The care my parents can provide Katie because of their money is undeniable. She has all the tools she’ll ever need, access to medical advancements, and the newest technologies to help her lead a life as close to normal as possible.

“My parents won’t be around forever, and once they’re gone, she’ll need twenty-four-hour care, something only money can provide. Who knows what kind of life she’ll lead as an adult, butshe’ll probably never get a real job or get married or forge a life of her own. Hell, she’ll never be able to leave home. So, if we lost everything, and there was no trust fund for her, no money to pay for her care . . . What would she do?” I ask, my voice pleading for understanding as my eyes well with tears.

“I could risk myself. I could risk my inheritance because I don’t care about any of it. That’s why I’m here, working and paving my own way for the first time in my life, but I couldn’t risk Katie. And my father knew that. He leaned into that. Reminded me of what was at stake. And as if that wasn’t enough, he scared me into thinking that if the truth broke and we were together, it might affect your football career at college, that no one would want a quarterback whose name has been associated with a scandal.”

Damon flops back in his seat, pinching the bridge of his nose. He has to believe I did what I thought was best for everyone, especially Katie.

“Shit. This is a lot to take in,” he mutters.

I chuckle softly, but there’s no humor in it. “Tell me about it.”

Damon drags a hand over his face, while I hold my breath, waiting to see how he’ll respond to everything I’ve just told him.

“You could’ve come to me.” He turns, meeting my eyes. “You should’ve told me the truth, let us figure it out together.”

“I know.” I swallow, my chin quivering with fear that the truth will change nothing. “But you have to understand, my father made it very clear what would happen if I didn’t comply and I was terrified.” I look away, unable to bear the weight of his gaze. “People were killed. My father deserves to pay with his legacy, jail time or whatever comes his way, but not Katie. And I didn’t know what else to do. Doing as I was told and putting distance between us seemed like the only option.”

“So, why now?” he asks, his green eyes earnest. “What’s changed?”

I take a deep breath, steadying myself. “Because I can’t do it anymore.” The words tumble out of me, raw and unfiltered. “I can’t wake up another morning knowing you’re somewhere in this world without me in it. I’ve spent two and a half long years trying to convince myself I made the right choice, that walking away from you was the noble thing to do. But every day without you has been . . .” My voice cracks. “It’s been like drowning, Damon. Slowly. Day after day.”

I reach for his hand, half expecting him to pull away, but he doesn’t.

His fingers are warm beneath mine. They feel like a promise that maybe we can find our way through this, that somehow everything will be okay.

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