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I swallowed hard.

“And I was good at it,” he continued. “Really good. By the time I was in high school, I knew football could get me out of that town. If I worked hard enough, I could get a scholarship, go to college, and never have to see my father again.”

“That must have been awful.”

“It was. But I got out.” He paused. “The problem is that leaving a place doesn’t mean you leave everything that happened there behind.”

I nodded slowly.

“When Audrey got pregnant, I married her. Not because I loved her. I cared about her, sure, but I knew we weren’t right for each other. I told you this, but there’s more to the story. I did it because I wanted to be a good dad. More than anything else, I refused to be anything like my father. My child would never feel unwanted or like burden. She’d have a family.” His voice grew rough. “So, I married Audrey. I thought that was what a good man did. When the marriage fell apart, I felt like I’d failed Christine. Even though Audrey and I were miserable together, I still felt like I’d let my daughter down.”

“You didn’t.”

“Maybe not. But that’s how it felt.” He rubbed a hand over his beard. “And now I’m constantly worried about screwing things up with her. I work too much. I miss things. I don’t always know what’s going on in her life. And every time she gets into trouble, I wonder if it’s because I’m not doing enough.”

I thought about Christine sitting on that rock yesterday, surrounded by teenagers she barely knew. That wasn’t about Greyson. That was the desperate teenage desire to fit in. I suspected much of her poor behavior stemmed from that.

“She loves you,” I said softly.

“I know. And I love her more than anything in this world.” His eyes met mine. “That’s why I said those things.”

I frowned. “What?”

“When Christine saw us together, she was upset. I didn’t understand why, and instead of talking to her about it like I should have, I panicked. I thought if I told her you weren’t important, she’d feel better.”

I looked away.

“And she did,” he said quietly. “For a little while. But I regretted it almost immediately. Before I knew you’d heard me. I lay awake that night thinking about what I’d said, and I felt sick.”

I glanced at him. “Because you knew it would hurt me?”

“Because it was wrong. Because I was talking about a woman I respect more than almost anyone I’ve ever met, and I was treating her like she was disposable.” His voice was firm now. “You’re not disposable, Heather. You’re not some woman I barely know who means nothing to me. And you sure as hell aren’t someone I’d ever be ashamed to be seen with.”

My eyes burned.

“I know what happened with Eddie,” he continued. “I know how badly he hurt you. And then I went and said something that probably made you feel the exact same way. I’m so damn sorry, Starlight.”

I wiped a tear from my cheek. He understood how what he said brought the past back to the surface for me, knew that it made me hurt in the same way. And he regretted it. It was printed across his face plain as day.

And as much as what he said hurt me, I had to admit that I could understand it. Just like Christine lashing out at me last night on the beach, he reacted without thinking, letting something he didn’t mean out of his mouth because it seemed like the best way to protect his daughter’s feelings.

It was a mistake, and not just because I overheard it. Being honest with Christine was the right thing to do, especially if he wanted to have a good relationship with her.

But I bet he knew that. He’d learned it the hard way.

And now, he’d told her the truth; that was why she tracked me down in the lobby.

He was taking responsibility with his daughter and with me. That made it hard to hold on to my anger. His words hurt, but knowing that they were lies for the sake of his daughter’s peace of mind soothed me in a way that I wouldn’t have thought possible.

I looked at him for a long moment. Then I sighed. “So… you really are an asshole sometimes, huh?”

He gave me a rueful smile. “Yeah. I am.”

Despite everything, a small laugh escaped me. Greyson’s expression softened.

“I missed that smile,” he said quietly.

“I forgive you.” The words burst out of me. “I’m not going to say that I’m completely over it. The words you said… I think they’ll linger in my mind for a while. But I understand that you made a mistake.”