Page 47 of The Silent Count
By the time we pull up next to each other in the parking lot of the training facility, the nerves I’ve been grappling with all morning have doubled in size.
I can do this.
I’ve cleaned up nastier scandals than this. Granted, they weren’t my personal scandals… but that’s beside the point.
Even if he isn’t supportive of our relationship, he’s still my dad. We’ll work through it one way or another.
I’m sure of it.
With a steadying breath, I step out of the car and Fortune and I make our way through the facility and into the locker room. When we round the corner of lockers, my dad is standing in the doorway with his lips pressed into a tight line, and his arms folded over his chest.
“Why don’t the two of you come on in and take a seat?”
Our heads hang low as my dad steps aside for us to walk through the doorway and get settled into the seats. I have a feeling we might be here for a while, so I shuffle in my seat and make myself comfortable.
It’s an interesting feeling to be on the other side of this situation. I’m usually the one who is in the other shoes right now, acting smug and aloof while players are shaking in their boots.
Dad walks in behind us and drops into his chair, then places his elbows on the edge of his desk as he makes a steeple with his fingertips. I shift in my seat to conceal my shaky hand under my thigh.
He expels a long breath. “The two of y’all can stop shitting bricks, alright?”
Fortune and I turn to each other and share a look.
He can’t be serious, right?
“I—” Fortune turns toward my dad and opens his mouth to speak, but stops when my dad lifts a hand.
“I want to go first,” Dad says firmly. He leans back in his chair while shaking his head. His lips part like he’s going to continue, but he stops and swallows. Almost like he’s… choked up?Am I seeing this correctly?“I feel like I need to apologize.”
My stomach drops.
Heis the one who wants to apologize?
If anyone is going to be apologizing, it’sme.
“It was wrong of me to create a space where the two of you didn’t feel comfortable telling me about your relationship.” He lets out a ragged breath while shaking his head. “I want both of you to know that you can come and talk to me about anything. Anything… you hear me?”
Tears prick the back of my throat, but I hold them back. I made a promise to myself that I would not cry, and I will not back out on that promise yet.
Fortune and I both nod.
“Dad—”
“Listen bug,” My nickname is making that no crying thing really, really hard right now. “I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I wasn’t hurt that you two went behind my back, but I recognize my faults in this situation, too.” He levels his gaze at me. The sincerity in his eyes eases some of the ache in my chest. “Lea, you’re my daughter. My only family. We’re going to disagree on things, but I would much rather talk them out than keep secrets. You got that?”
I nod. “Are you saying you disagree with our relationship?”
“About that…” My dad turns his attention to Fortune, whose face completely drains of color.
Oh, god. Here we go.
TWENTY
FORTUNE
Coach turnshis head to shift his focus on me and my heart drops to the pit of my stomach.
Maybe I’m naïve in my thinking, but I have a feeling if he was planning to kick me off the team, he would’ve done it by now. For the past three days, he’s remained impassive toward me. Whereas I assumed he would’ve caused a scene while dragging me out of the practice facility by my ear by now. Instead, he’s been treating me no differently than he would any other players—no different from before he found out I was dating his daughter.
