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And just like that, my heart drops into my shoes.
No way will this night go as planned.
Not with both my mother and father seated at the table across from me, and poor Brock stuck in the middle of the chaos.
If I ever deserved a stiff drink, it’s definitely tonight.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-ONE
Brock
I can feel the tension radiating from her body in waves. Her wide eyes find mine, and I hate that there’s nothing I can do short of grabbing her and hightailing it out of this restaurant. However, this needs to happen. With the pictures of me sneaking out of her room going viral, it’s only a matter of time until the vultures discover whose room I was in.
Unable to stop myself, I reach over and place my hand over hers that’s resting in a tight fist on the table. I lean into her, lowering my voice so only she can hear. “You tell me when and I’ll get you the hell out of here.” I know we don’t need their blessing. That’s not why we’re here. With her dad’s connection to the team, it’s a courtesy more than anything. The fact that he tossed her mom into the fold of our evening was a dick move on his part.
“What’s going on?” Richard asks. I turn my gaze to him to find his eyes locked on my hand that’s covering hers.
Joey picks up her glass of water and takes a hefty drink before placing the glass back on the table. “Brock and I are dating,” she blurts, which with this crowd, at least now that hermom is here, that’s really the best way. We need to get this conversation over with, so I can get her out of here.
“What?” Richard asks, his face turning red as his eyes move to me. “You’re sleeping with my daughter?” he asks.
“Dad. I said we were dating. How did that turn into sleeping together?” Joey defends.
Sure, he’s not wrong, but the assumption again shows how big of a prick this guy is. “I’m in love with your daughter, sir.” My voice is strong, and my shoulders are squared as I hold his stare.
“The hell you are,” he spits out. “Josephine, I forbid you to see him. He’s one of the league’s biggest players.”
“I’m aware of the fame that comes with dating a professional athlete, Dad,” Joey replies.
He points a meaty finger at her. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. He’s a playboy,” he sneers.
“Oh, well, there’s nothing wrong with playing the field,” her mom speaks up. Her hand reaches out as if she’s going to touch me, and the glare I send her way stops her, but her manic laugh tells me she’s enjoying this little charade.
“I know his type,” Richard drones on. “Football players are not the type of man you give your heart to.”
“Tell me about it,” Lucinda quips.
“Stop!” Joey says, raising her voice. “Enough. This isn’t a decision either of you get to weigh in on.” She flips her hand over and laces her fingers with mine. “Brock and I are both adults. We make our own choices. I would like to think that you, as my parents,” she stumbles over the word, “would be happy for me. I’ve found a man who treats me the way every woman dreams of.” She turns those big brown eyes to me. “And he loves me.”
I want to pull her out of that chair and onto my lap. I want to kiss the hell out of her right here in front of her parents and the crowd that I’m sure has caught on to the tension at our table. Iwant to show the world that she’s mine and that she’s right. I do love her. I want every person in this room to know that.
“Are you sure you want to date our Joey?” Lucinda asks. “She’s more, how should I say this…?” She taps her chin, pretending she doesn’t know what she wants to say. I’ve heard enough stories about her from both Caleb and Joey to know she’s a snake, and she’s never cared about her daughter. She was simply a pawn, a meal ticket, so to speak. “Reserved, and well, I’m sorry, dear, but boring,” Lucinda finally says. “You would be much better suited with someone not like our Joey here.”
“Who, Mom? You?” Joey says. There’s venom in her voice, and if looks could kill, Lucinda would be lying out on the floor right now.
Instead of disputing her daughter’s claim, Lucinda grins and takes a sip of her wine. Her eyes flash to me, and she winks. I roll my eyes at her letting her know her games don’t work with me.
“You are not dating him,” Richard grates. “I forbid it.”
“Well—” Joey lets go of my hand and places hers flat on the table. “When you decide to act like a mature adult and accept that I am no longer a little girl and can make my own choices, we can talk. Until then, don’t bother.” She stands from the table, and without being asked, I stand with her. “I’m in love with him.” She looks at her dad, and then her mom. “You can either accept that and be a part of my life, or you can pretend you don’t have a daughter.”
My gut twists at her declaration. I hate that she’s tossing out ultimatums. I hate worse that it’s my past that put her in that position. I wasn’t a saint, but I wasn’t as bad as the media made it out to be either.
“Josephine.” Richard’s tone is cold. “Don’t you dare walk away.”
“Sorry, Dad, you don’t get to call the shots in my life.”
