Page 58 of The Fake Out

“Her ex fucked her up,” Dad seethed.

“Yeah? Well, so did mine.”

Dad conceded, but he didn’t seem convinced.

I nudged my brother. “What are you doing home? Except being a total cock block?”

Michael cringed. “Sorry. Mei was freaking out about a paper, so I came down to help her. Figured I’d check in on you until I had to book it to Ohio for a game tomorrow.”

“How’s the team doing?” I asked.

He shrugged.

Michael might not want to enter the league, but it didn’t stop him from playing for PSU. He still loved playing hockey, but not professionally.

“I didn’t realize you were gonna have a naked chick in your bed this morning,” he said and made a face.

I shrugged.

He eyed me and pointed to my chest. “When are you going to get that shit fixed?”

“V’s gonna do it today.”

“What did you land on?”

“She’s going to do a grouping of red hibiscuses and make it blend into my sleeve.”

“Your mother liked hibiscuses,” Dad mused.

“Yeah, Dad, that’s the point.”

“She would have been proud of you. I am,” he whispered.

“You have a real funny way of showing it,” I muttered and crossed my arms over my chest.

Dad’s brow wrinkled. “What does that mean?”

“Anything I do isn’t good enough for you. I’m not smart enough like Michael or good enough at hockey like Eli and Maja. I definitely don’t have business sense like Ayden or Brendan. I’m the fuckup Holmstrom kid you always have to rein in. I’m your son, and you don’t even think I’m good enough for Veronica!” I seethed at him, anger boiling up inside me.

I was so tired of my dad being harder on me than the rest of my siblings, acting like my accomplishments didn’t matter. Anything I did disappointed him.

Michael put a hand on my arm to stop me from getting even more riled up.

Dad frowned at me. “Son, none of that’s true. I’m so proud of all your achievements. All of you. It took guts when you came out.”

“Then why are you constantly on my ass?”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “I saw you break apart last season, just like I did when your mother died. I left Eli at thirteen to pick up the pieces when I should have been the parent. I don’t want you to end up like me—a sad and lonely shell of a man.”

“Dad,” Michael breathed.

When I glanced at my dad, really looked at him, I saw the longing in him. Saw the struggle etched across his face. Dad was lonely. And he was right. I was exactly like him. I let my emotions cloud my judgment, and it almost cost me my career.

“Why did you tell Ayden that Veronica was off limits?” Michael asked for me.

Dad rolled his eyes. “That boy needs to settle down, and I knew which son she was meant for.”

His gaze settled on me, and the way he studied me, I wondered if he could tell what Veronica and I were up to. That none of it was real because his gaze pierced me like he was searching for something. I shifted in my chair uncomfortably.