Page 44 of Make Your Shot
He’s not my man.
What happened, though? The fight looked so unprovoked.
I roll my lips between my teeth, setting my phone down as I nervously tuck my hair behind my ear. There’s a soft knock on my door, which interrupts me just as I’m about to come up with some answer that tiptoes around the real reason.
“Come in,” I call out, knowing it can only be one person. The knob turns and the door slowly opens, revealing my father on the other side. He’s wearing a pair of joggers and a hooded sweatshirt, his glasses adorning his face.
“Hey,” he pauses, clearing his throat as he scratches at the stubble along his jaw. “I’m getting ready to head out and wanted to come check on you before I leave.”
“Oh shoot,” I mumble, climbing off my bed. “I didn’t even realize the time. I need to get ready to go to Caleb’s.”
My father crosses his arms over his chest, a frowntugging at his lips as he takes a couple measured steps into my room. I drag my bag back out from under my bed and start collecting outfits to put into it as my father takes a seat at my desk. “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What do you mean?” I glance over my shoulder as I pull two sweaters from my closet. “About me heading to Caleb’s?”
“Not exactly,” he says, shaking his head as he purses his lips. “I wanted to talk to you about Caleb and this situation.”
My movements falter and my throat suddenly feels thick.Does he know about the kiss between Caleb and me? How?I force my hands to work, folding my clothing in a rush now and tucking them into my bag as I swallow hard. “What about it?”
“Caleb’s behavior on the ice seemed to be unprovoked by any of the players, but there was something one of the assistant coaches noticed that happened before the fight.”
He pauses and I hold my breath, knowing exactly what is coming next.
“I wasn’t paying attention to the Jumbotron, but apparently the last people it had on the kiss cam were you and Steven.”
I swallow again and release a shallow breath. “Yeah...” I say, my voice trailing off as I zip my bag closed. It’s not something I can deny and my father knows the kind of relationship Steven and I have. He knows there was nothing to that kiss.
“I know that kiss was just two friends having fun ata game together.” He raises his eyebrows as I finally turn to look at him. “Did Caleb know that was what that was?”
“I mean, I don’t know,” I say in a rush, my voice a touch higher than normal as I lift my shoulders and drop them. “He knew I was watching the first two periods with a friend.”
My father lets out a sigh as he scratches his jaw again. He turns his head, looking out the window for a moment before glancing back at me. “Did Caleb start that fight because of what he saw and what he may have thought about it?”
Shit.
I don’t know how I’m supposed to answer this question. Honestly, I didn’t even think anyone would have noticed or put two and two together, but then again, Caleb isn’t exactly known for provoking fights on the ice. Especially a fight that is completely unwarranted.
My father and I have always been close. The only things I’ve ever kept from him were things he didn’t need to know, like when I lost my virginity or that time I drank too much at Grace Michaels’ house the summer before my senior year of college.
If I tell him the truth, I will be blowing up Caleb’s spot and for some reason, that just doesn’t feel right. I can’t help but feel like I’m throwing him under the bus if I say it.
“No.”
The word doesn’t come out nearly as strong as I pictured it would in my mind. Instead, it’s barely audible. I quickly tuck my hair behind my ears, my gazedropping to the floor before I look at my father again to catch him frowning.
“Meep,” my father says, tilting his head to the side as he corkscrews his lips. “You’ve never been a good liar.”
“Dad, please,” I say back to him, letting out a breath as I shake my head. “I’m not the person you should be asking that question. And honestly, there’s no reason for you to ask Caleb about it either.”
He straightens his head and arches an eyebrow at me. “And why is that?”
“Because it was an isolated incident.”
He holds eye contact. “It was, but I can’t afford to have him fucking up on the ice, Mia. When Caleb’s wife passed, I was certain he’d never step foot on the ice again. Surprisingly enough, he was back a month after. He blocked everything out, dug in deep and has been locked in ever since.”
My eyebrows tug downward. “So you want him to operate like a robot, essentially.”
My father purses his lips. “No. I want him focused.” He runs his tongue over his top teeth. “I don’t want him provoking fights.”
