Page 120 of Second Chance with the Single Dad Goalie
Keith pulls open his car door, but before he gets in, he points at me. “If you think you are going with me, you are high. Take your car. Or if you didn’t drive here, find your own way. I’m not ready to be in a car with you.”
Then he slams the door shut and peels out of the parking lot.
I shake my head, rubbing a hand down my face. At least he didn’t leave me unconscious in this parking lot.
I get in my car and follow him.
****
Ten minutes later, I step into Giorgio’s, which by the way is one of his favorite “upscale and posh” restaurants. Keith is at a booth near the back; his order has already been placed. Walking towards him, I see a plate of steak and a loaded lobster platter sitting in front of him. A bottle of their most expensive wine poured into his glass. He’s already cutting into his steak like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
I slide into the chair across from him and raise an eyebrow. “Are you planning on finishing all that?”
He gives me a dark look and takes a slow bite of his steak. “Shut up.”
I raise my hands in surrender.
A few seconds pass before he leans back, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Alright. What was so important that you had to drag me here?”
I lift a brow. “Drag you? You literally chose the place and ordered enough food for three people before I even got here.”
He shrugs, taking another bite. “Could’ve ignored you.”
Fair.
I exhale, bracing myself. “Look, I’m sorry, man. I know I messed up. Back then and now.”
Keith’s jaw tightens. “You did. You could’ve told me, Blake. Hell, you should’ve told me.”
I sigh. “Keith…”
“And don’t give me that look,” he goes on, eyes narrowing. “That ‘let’s be rational’ face you always pull.”
There was a beat of silence, thick with unspoken words. I rake a hand through my hair. “The truth is…, I’ve always loved Whitney. Always.”
His expression tightens.
“I tried not to. God, I tried” I continue. “Because of the rule - no dating your best friend’s sister. Because I knew it was wrong. Because I knew I shouldn’t. Because I knewyouwouldn’t be okay with it. But no matter how much I fought it, I just…, couldn’t stop.” My voice dips. “She was my light, Keith. I just…, I just wanted to be selfish, I guess.”
Keith’s lips press into a hard line, but he doesn’t say anything.
I lean forward and chuckle. “Did you know she told me she had feelings for me first?”
His eyes widen, just slightly, before he schools his expression back into that unreadable mask.
“It was on that rainy night. The night I told you I needed to be alone because of Olivia. You remember?”
Keith clenches his jaw and then gives a stiff nod.
“That was the night!” My voice softens. “I was so shocked. Surprised. Heck, I was happy. But I turned her down, because…,” I sigh, “I know it was wrong, that she was off-limits. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop wanting her. A year later, I gave in. We started dating.”
Keith’s head tilts slightly, but his face remains unreadable. “And whose idea was it to keep it a secret?”
“Mine,” I respond immediately.
“Both then and now?”
“Yeah.”
