Brody
As Amber and Natalie climb the staircase to the second floor, Dad clears his throat and says, “She’s a lovely girl.”
Something sours in my gut, and I almost laugh. “But?”
Because there is most definitely a but coming.
He sighs and sets his fork on his plate. “Buuut,” he says, drawing out the word. “You have enough going on without getting wrapped up in a girl. This is your last season before moving to the pros. Your focus needs to be on hockey and school, not getting into the pants of some pretty girl.”
Maybe I was naïve, but I’d hoped that once Dad met Natalie, he would understand that she’s not some puck bunny I spent Saturday night with. Natalie is different. She’s smart, gorgeous, amazing. She has her shit together. And for some odd reason, she wants me.
Unfortunately, I now see I made a mistake. Dad isn’t interested in getting to know the girl I’m falling for.
He’s concerned she’ll get in the way.
Annoyed with the way he’s starting out this conversation, I say, “Natalie isn’t a distraction. If anything, she’s helping me with the classes I’m having trouble with.” I shift on my chair and quietly admit, “I told her about the dyslexia. She’s making copies of the notes she takes in class—”
“Your professors already do that, don’t they?” He doesn’t look impressed.
“Yeah, but hers are more detailed. She’s made notecards for me to study from and has researched other methods that can help me.”
Does he have the slightest fucking clue what that means to me?
I don’t make a habit of discussing my learning issues with anyone. I hide it like a dirty little secret. Natalie is the first person I’ve been completely open with. Not even Sawyer, Luke, or Cooper know, and they’re my closest friends.
He disregards my words, shrugging them off. “You can hire tutors for that. Hell, you can even fuck them if you want.” His voice hardens. “What you don’t do is get emotionally attached to them.” He shakes his head like I’m a child who refuses to see reason. “Now isn’t the time. There’s too much at stake to risk fucking it up.”
I crush the paper napkin in my hand until it’s nothing more than a tight ball.
Dad and I rarely butt heads. After Mom died and before Amber came into the picture, it was just the two of us. His life revolved around me. I realize that he has my best interests at heart, but still…I want him to give Natalie a fair shot. I want him to see just how good she is for me.
I sit back on my chair. “Look, I didn’t plan for this to happen, but it did. Natalie is important to me. I won’t let her go. I can handle everything, it won’t be a problem.”
Changing tactics, he says, “I spoke with Lang the other day.”
Aw, hell. I know what’s coming. My father has always been two steps ahead of me.
When I remain silent, he continues. “You got into a fight at practice with Reed Collins?”
I lock my jaw. “Yep.”
He angles his head. Anger brews in his eyes. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s the same guy you punched at a party about a month ago, right?”
I slump on my chair. Since he already seems to be privy to everything, there’s no point in trying to cover it up. “Yeah, that’s him.”
“Why?”
I arch a brow. “Why did I punch him?”
Dad leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “What I’d like to know is if Natalie had any bearing on your decision to punch him.”
Fuck.
I shrug. “Does it matter? Reed is an asshole. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to hit him.”
“But you didn’t, did you?” He stabs a finger at me. “You were able to contain it and channel the energy elsewhere.”
I grit my teeth.
“I think we both know the reason behind it matters. And my guess is that you hitting him has everything to do with that girl.”
Backed into a corner, I snap, “So what if it does? Reed and I have never seen eye to eye, and that’s never going to change.”
“Maybe not. But you’ve never gotten into a physical altercation with him before she came into your life.”
I shake my head and repeat stubbornly, “Reed is a douchebag—”
“That might be true, but he’s your teammate. And you don’t fucking get into it with your teammates, because that shit always bleeds over onto the ice. You’re trying to bring home a National Championship this season. How does the animosity you feel for one another help to achieve that goal?”
I blow out a measured breath and try to wrangle my feelings under control. “Natalie has nothing to do with Reed Collins.”
“Lang sees a difference in you. He’s concerned. You’re not looking as sharp as you did last year.”
Shocked by his words, I fall back on my chair. “There’s no reason to be concerned.”
“I’m not going to argue about this. Natalie seems like a nice girl, but she needs to go.”
I stare as his words reverberate in my head.
“There’ll be plenty of time after you make your move to Milwaukee for relationships, if that’s what you want. You have seven and a half months left at Whitmore and then you’ll be moving on. And from everything she said, so will she. There’s no point in pouring your energies into something that has little chance of working out. Not when those energies could be better served by focusing on your career.”
Unwilling to listen to another word, I bolt upward. The chair scrapes along the marble, nearly tumbling backward as I do. “I care about Natalie. She’s the first girl who has ever meant something to me. I’m not going to break up with her.”
Everything about this conversation pisses me off. All I wanted was for Dad to give Natalie a chance and he’s unwilling to do that.
Well, fuck him.
Dad rises so we’re eye level. “You need to calm down and think about what I’ve said.” He lowers his voice, trying to sound rational. “I only have your best interests in mind, Brody. I want to see all these years of hard work pay off.” He adds in a softer tone, “Your mother would be so proud of everything you’ve accomplished. It’s important that you finish your last year strong. I want you to be a force to be reckoned with out on the ice. This isn’t the time to let up on the gas.” He reaches out and lays a hand on my shoulder.
Even though I want to shrug him off, I don’t.
“Think about what I’ve said. I don’t want to see you make a mistake you’ll end up regretting for the rest of your life.”
“I won’t.” With that, I walk out of the sunroom. Just as I reach the foyer, I hear Natalie’s voice. My feet grind to a halt as she walks down the staircase. Our eyes catch. She smiles, looking a lot more relaxed than she did when we arrived at the house. I’ll have to text Amber later and thank her for putting Natalie at ease. She has no idea how much I appreciate it.
I hadn’t realized just how much Natalie’s come to mean to me until Dad told me she needed to go. I’m not breaking up with her. If Coach thinks my game is slipping, that just means I need to work harder. I can handle hockey, school, and a relationship with Natalie.
Even though I don’t feel like smiling, I force my lips into some semblance of one. “You ready to take off?”
“Sure.” Natalie’s gaze roves over me. Her eyes sharpen as if she realizes something is wrong. The last thing I want is for her to catch a whiff of the conversation I had with Dad. It would only upset her. And that, I’m not willing to do.
When I threw the invitation out there for brunch, I knew she was nervous. Her mother is easygoing and laid-back which is the opposite of my father. He has a foreboding presence. He spent years honing that persona on the ice and then in the conference room, using it to his advantage. I don’t think he was rude to Natalie, but I felt her discomfort as if it were my own.
At this point, I’m sorry I brought her home to meet him.
It’s not a mistake I’ll make again.
“Oh, you’re leaving already?” Amber seems genuinely disappointed to see us go. Hailey squirms in her arms.
As I smile at my little sister, some of my anger dissipates. “Yeah, we both have work to finish up before Monday.”
When Natalie comes to stand by my side, I slip her hand into mine.
Our eyes meet and hold, a silent communication passing between us. I’ve never experienced that with anyone else.
I squeeze her fingers.
Dad joins us in the entryway. He turns to Natalie, and I stiffen, half-afraid he’ll say something to her himself. That he’ll try to reason with her since I refuse to listen.
As he extends his hand for her to shake, Natalie steps forward with her own.
“It was nice meeting you, Natalie,” he says. “We enjoyed getting to know you.”
“Thank you for inviting me,” she replies.
“Good luck with your job search. We wish you all the best.”
“Thank you.”
When Dad meets my gaze again, he merely gives me a nod. “Let me know what your schedule looks like.”
“I’ll text you,” I reply stiffly.
I’m pissed that at twenty-three years of age, he thinks he can tell me to get rid of someone I want in my life. Hopefully, he realizes that it’s not going to happen. Natalie is here to stay. Whether he likes it or not.