Page 144 of What Are the Chances
“I almost lost one of the most important people in my life because of you,” I told him. “I convinced myself that Will would have to either choose me or hockey, so I self-sabotaged things before I was pushed aside for the second time in my life by the person I loved.”
Dad briefly opened his mouth before quickly reclosing it. I wasn’t even close to done.
“But he doesn’t have to choose. It doesn’t have to be a choice.” I exhaled slowly, trying to keep my emotions in check. “You’re the one who chose tojusthave hockey, dad.”
Dad jumped up. My moment in the spotlight was over.
“You don’t get it, Riley. You’re young and naïve. You don’t understand what the pressure is like when you’re playing at that level.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “Then I’ll be young and naïve, but I won’t run away again.”
I straightened my shoulders. I wasn’t backing down. I’d waited my entire life to say these things to my father.
“I’m not scared to try and make it work with Will because to me, it’s worth it. I’m sorry that you never had anything in your life that you thought was.”
Dad recoiled like I’d just struck him in the chest. I suppose I had.
I held my breath, waiting for him to tell me that I was wrong. That he loved Tanner and me, and that he regretted putting hockey before us. But of course, he didn’t say that.
“Will moves to Texas soon,” he said instead.
“So I’ll go with him,” I simply rebutted.
I was surprising myself with how casual I sounded about that. But now I’d said it out loud, the idea of starting a life with Will sounded pretty freaking easy.
With a defeated sigh I edged past dad and headed for the tunnel, but he had one last thing to say.
“He’s a promising kid with a promising career, Riley. You can’t mess with his future.”
Messing with Will’s future was as good as messing with my own, because when I looked forward one, two, five years, all I saw was him.
I raised my gaze to meet my father’s. He had the same eyes as Tanner. He had the same eyes as me.
“If Will wants me to stay out of his life, that’ll be his choice. Not yours.”
With that I turned and kept walking. Dad didn’t deserve my attention for one second longer.
My hands were shaking I was that angry. I needed to find Will before dad got to him, before he attempted to plant the same seed of doubt in Will’s head.
My feet faltered, that thought causing me to shudder. Maybe dad already had. Maybe that’s why Will hadn’t spoken to me all week.
Fuck.I needed to fix this.
With my eyes on the ground I stormed through the tunnel. Though before I got far, I slammed into a wall of solid muscle. I recognised the tattooed arm that shot out to steady me.
The immediate relief I felt just from being in Will’s presence was reaffirmation that this was worth any challenge, or extra ice time, or away game. If he’d changed his mind about us, I was willing to beat down his door every day and stalk him on campus until he gave in.
Partly relieved and partly grimacing, I glanced up at Will with heated cheeks. How much of my conversation with my dad had he overheard?
He ran his thumb over my jaw. “For the record Dover, I don’t want you to stay out of my life.”
All of it apparently.
I choked on a happy sob. “For the record Will, I don’t want to either.”
“Thank fuck,” he grinned before tugging me closer and stealing a kiss that was worth everything.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
