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“Now we’re getting somewhere.”
This time Luc’s eyes met his dad’s. “That’s the issue. The code among teammates. The guy code part, eh, he’d get over it. We might not remain friends, but whatever. But we’re more than just buddies; we’re teammates. Can I really turn my back on that loyalty? That brotherhood? Can I burn that to the ground?” His brain was going in circles now.
“That depends.”
“On what? Is there really anything that trumps the teammates’ code?”
“I think that’s up to you. What are your intentions towards her?”
“My intentions? What is this, 1955?”
“Luc, you have a rep with the bunnies. Is she just another bunny?”
“No!” That’s what his dad meant by his intentions. He wasn’t using her for his entertainment. She wasn’t a fling, nor a one-night roll in the hay. She was all the things he hadn’t experienced since he was in college. “She is not a bunny.”
“I didn’t think so. So what’s with the friend label?”
Luc sighed and shook his head. He didn’t mean to call her that. It’s just what slipped out. “I don’t know exactly what we are. I like her, I mean, really like her. I’m always thinking about her. And when I’m not with her, I want to be.”
“Does she feel the same about you?”
“I don’t know. I think so. Kaden is like this wall between us. I know how I want to feel about her, but then I remember she’s his sister, and I feel like I should pull back. Because I’m not supposed to feel like that about my teammate’s sister. I’m pretty sure it’s the same with her.”
“I hear what you’re saying, but I saw your body language at the door. Son, I know you better than anyone. You already know how you feel and what you want. You just haven’t admitted it to yourself yet.”
“Am I wrong to want to be with her? Should I obey the code and back off? Be a good teammate and respect Kaden? Or do I…?”
“Oh, that’s what you really want me to tell you. But what is it you want to do?”
“I want to be with Kassie. But—”
“No buts. The first thing you answered is that you want to be with her.”
“Dad, it isn’t that simple.”
“Why not?”
“Because of Kaden. He’s my teammate, my friend. The code.”
“Do you plan to hurt Kassie? Throw her away like all the other bunnies?”
That word was starting to make Luc’s face burn. His jaw clenched and his teeth gritted as he answered. “Kassie is NOT A bunny. I never have and never will treat Kass like a bunny. And I would never do anything to hurt her. Can we stop talking about bunnies?”
“Fine. No more bunnies.”
Luc’s head was spinning. And one question still ate away at his gut. “Dad, obviously people break the code. If they didn’t, half the athletes wouldn’t be married. And I’m talking about a good bit of my team. What am I missing? What’s the catch?”
“Catch? I’m not sure what you’re asking, son.”
“People do break the code.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Then why do we make such a big deal out of it? I mean, I get that some of us, athletes in general, aren’t the most stand-up guys. And what brother would willingly want their sister dating someone they knew was shady and who was going to break her heart? Okay I understand that.”
Luc’s dad nodded without a word.
It was all starting to make more sense to Luc as he talked through it. “The code avoids that, and all the bad feelings that go along with it.”
