“Sit down, Noah.”
I sit. He takes the chair across from me, a deep sigh expelling from his lips. “How long?” he asks.
“Since probation ended. Six weeks.”
“And before that?”
I don’t answer.
“Noah. I need the truth. All of it.”
“We kissed once during probation, on the night of the Edmonton game. Then I pushed him away and told him it couldn’t happen. We didn’t...it didn’t become physical until after probation ended.”
“But you had feelings for him before that.”
I swallow hard.
“Yes.”
Dad leans back and runs a hand over his worn face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I knew how it would look. Coach’s son involved with a player. A player I was supervising. It compromises everything.”
“I tried to call you last night. Twelve times. You didn’t answer,” Dad says.
“I know. I couldn’t...I needed time to think.”
“While the videos were spreading. While everyone was calling me asking if I knew my son was sleeping with one of my players.” His voice is tight. “I found out the same way everyone else did, Noah.”
He leans toward me. “You made a choice to hide a relationship that puts my career, your career, and this entire organization at risk.”
The words land like a lead weight in my gut.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t fix this, Noah. Sorry doesn’t undo the videos. Sorry doesn’t stop the league investigation or the media circus or the questions I’m going to face about whether I knew my son was sleeping with one of my players.”
“You didn’t know.”
“But people will wonder. They’ll ask if I covered for you. If I turned a blind eye. If I compromised team integrity to protect you.” He stands, paces to the window. “Do you understand what you’ve done? Not just to yourself, but to me? To this organization?”
“I never meant?—”
“I don’t care what you meant. I care what you did.” His lips twist. “You jeopardized everything. Your career, Masterson’s career, my reputation. For what? A relationship you knew you couldn’t have?”
“I love him.”
The words rush out before I can stop them.
Dad recoils. “What?”
“I love him. And I know that doesn’t change anything. Iknow it doesn’t make this okay. But you asked why I did it, and that’s why.”
He’s quiet for a long moment. “Does he love you?”
“He says he does.”
“And you believe him?”
