Our smiles are never far from our lips as she rattles off future plans for Christmas. Our plans. And I don’t object once, because it’s a given for me as well. The transition from friend to confidant, to much more has been so effortless on both our parts, I wouldn’t object to any decision she made regarding us at this point.
Put simply, Harper makes me happy.
Turning into my neighborhood, I glance her way as she sings, committing the moment to memory while dreading her imminent departure to spend the rest of the holiday with her family. Her smile disappears and shock covers her features when I pull into the driveway. Following her line of sight, I hit the brakes a little too hard when I see her father, my coach, standing in front of his pickup, his arms crossed and hellfire in his eyes. Dread tightens my chest and defeat creeps up as I throw her SUV in park and put on my game face. Though the only thought racing through my mind at that point is game over.
Harper
I’m the first to jump out of the Toyota, but Lance isn’t far behind.
“Daddy, please don’t go off without hearing us out.”
“Go home, Harper.” He’s not even looking at me, his blazing blue eyes on the man standing behind me.
“Coach—”
“Don’t. Out here I’m not your coach, I’m this girl’s father.”
Lance doesn’t miss a beat. “Woman. She’s very much a woman and you raised her well, Mr. Elliot. So well, in fact, that my family and I are smitten with her.”
“Go home, Harper. Your mother and sister are waiting.”
“Daddy, he’s right. I’m no longer your little girl. I have a right to see whomever I choose, and Lance is a good man. He’s a great man and you would—”
“You lied to me. You told me this was a one-time thing. You lied to everyone!”
“I was trying to avoid this! It’s ridiculous. It’s like you expected me to stay innocent forever!”
“I didn’t raise you to sneak around like this, whoring yourself out to one of my ballers!”
“Sir,” Lance barks, the level of threat in his voice terrifying. “Uncalled for.”
“Don’t you dare lecture me, Prescott. Who in the hell do you think you are? This is blatant disrespect. For me, and for your team.”
“I thought we were leaving ball out of it?”
Lance means nothing by it, but my dad takes an aggressive step forward on the verge of explosion. “I should fucking end you.”
I’m speechless as I watch their exchange.
“You very well could, sir.”
“Why bother with the formalities now? You took and soiled what was precious to me and behind my back, like a fucking thief.”
“Jesus, Dad, this is ridiculous. I’m twenty years old. I’m no saint.”
My father’s eyes find mine and what I see in them levels me. “You humiliated me.”
“You did that to yourself,” Lance snaps from behind me. “You couldn’t keep it under wraps. Maybe if you hadn’t worked the team to the fucking bone and pitted us against each other, we wouldn’t be a pack of wild dogs at the moment ready to rip one another’s throats out. You want a reason? There’s the reason.”
“Couldn’t be a man and own up to it?”
I come to Lance’s defense. “He’s plenty man, but his entire future—life is riding on this season, Dad!”
“Harper,” Lance’s volume rises in warning. “Not your story to tell.”
“He needs to know!” I glance back at Lance and see the shake of his head, but I’m too overcome with the need to protect him.
My dad looks between us. “Nothing is going to help his case.”
“His father is about to lose everything he’s worked for!”
“Harper!” Lance barks.
“No, no, his dad is sick, and his whole family depends on their ranch to survive. They are about to lose everything! And if you found out what would you have done? Benched him? Ruined his season?”
Lance explodes next to me. “Damn it, Harper!”
Dad takes a menacing step towards Lance. “Don’t you dare go near her.”
He turns to me. “You still live under my roof, and you have the audacity to lie to me, about one of my players? He’s a coward. Ask his team.”
“You need too much control, Daddy. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you have no right to act this way. I love this man. I will see him whenever I choose.”
“You finally get some attention, and you’re going to call it love?”
Tears burst out of me and I sob into my hands.
“You fucking asshole,” Lance lashes out, his voice venom as he sweeps me into his hold, but I push away and stand in front of him, separating them both before I face my dad head-on.
“I know you’re hurt. And I know this space I put between us wasn’t fair, but this has gone too far already. He’s your kind of man, if you would just get to know him.”
“I know plenty about him. I know he’s got an explosive temper that put a kid in the hospital.” Lance glances down at the driveway. “You think your good boy here didn’t fuck half a sorority house last year? Think again.”
“Don’t, please don’t. Anything he’s done doesn’t matter.”
“Go home, Harper.”
“Go,” Lance whispers at my back. “Just go. He’s not going to listen to you. You’re talking to a wall.”
I turn back to Lance to see his jaw set, and there is nothing but regret in his eyes.
My whole demeanor drops. “Please don’t believe him. You are not those mistakes.”
“I know, baby, go.”
“She’s not your goddamned baby!”
Lance closes his eyes, dropping his head.
“Dad, please, just be reasonable,” I plead before I turn to Lance.
“It’s okay,” he assures me, standing his ground. “He’s right. We should have come clean months ago.”
“Lance—”
“I’ll call you later.”
I nod, fear-filled tears sliding down my cheeks that he pushes away with his fingers. “This isn’t your fault, Harper.”
“As much as it is yours,” I sniff. “Promise you’ll call?”
“Swear.”
I look back at my father who looks like he’s just getting his second wind.
“Please, Dad—”
“Just go home, Harper.”
Lance
I’ve dealt with my fair share of livid coaches in my life, but none of their wrath has come close to that of Ryan Elliot. If looks could kill, I’d have been a dead man the minute his eyes connected with mine when Harper drove away. His voice equally as damning. “You let them suffer.”
“You made them suffer, and for what? I’ve never mistreated her. I’ve never done anything but care for her.”
“She’s not like other girls. She won’t recover if you rip her heart out. She’s been through a lot, and you’re subjecting her to a lot more.”
“I’m aware.”