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My dad chuckled and lifted the glass to his lips. “Yeah, you may be right. We can skip out if you want. I still have to head to Fightanium to handle payroll. It’s my month for that.”
Fightanium was the gym he started up with my uncle Camden who was also his twin, Peyton’s parents, and another fighter, Matt Reynolds, whose son was married to my twin sister. One day, I would inherit part of my father’s share of the business. It was our legacy.
I leaned my head against the chair and peered at the night sky. “Yeah, let’s skip it. I’ll do extra training tomorrow.”
“What’s wrong, son? You’ve been a little preoccupied tonight. Would you rather be out on the town instead of hanging out with your old man?”
My lips pulled back and I turned to him. It was like seeing myself in a mirror, except he had blond hair, and mine was dark like my mother’s. Other than that, I’d always been told I looked exactly like him.
“Actually, no,” I answered in all honesty. “I wasn’t feeling the bars tonight.”
My dad’s brows lifted. “Wow, that’s a first. I remember what it was like to always party with Camden.” He finished off his whiskey and set his glass down. “I grew out of that real quick when your mother came back into my life.”
When I didn’t say anything, I could see him watching me from the corner of my eye. “What?” I laughed. “Why are you staring at me?”
“Are you into someone? I recognize the look on your face. It reminds me of me when I met your mom.”
I glanced over at him. “What made you want to change for her?”
He smiled and looked off into the distance. It was dark, but I could hear the waves crashing against the shore. “I fell in love with her,” he answered. “There’s no way she would’ve put up with me if I continued down my path. Going out to bars, drinking all night, and sleeping with random women didn’t have the same appeal anymore. All I could think about was her.”
That was how it’d been the past week in Vegas. With Peyton around, I didn’t want to hook up with anyone else. I had hundreds of chances, but I didn’t want that. My focus was on Peyton. I thought my need for her would quell once I’d had her, but it only intensified.
“Who is she?” my dad asked.
I scoffed. “Someone I really shouldn’t be messing with.”
“Please tell me she’s over eighteen?”
“Seriously?” I snapped incredulously. “What the fuck? Of course, she’s over eighteen.”
My dad held up his hands. “Hey, I had to ask. You said you shouldn’t be messing with her, so my first thought went to her age. What’s wrong with her?”
I shook my head. “Nothing’swrongwith her. I just wish I knew what she wanted.”
“Why don’t you ask her?”
I scoffed again. “Oh, she’s told me what she wants, but I don’t know if I believe it. Her actions say otherwise.”
My dad burst out laughing. “Ah, yes. I get it now. Your mother was the same way with me. This girl sounds like she wants to protect herself. I can’t blame her.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I countered. He stared at me like I was an idiot. Maybe I was.
“You’re the carbon copy of a younger me, son. You’re twenty-seven years old and have never been in a serious relationship.”
“This girl hasn’t either,” I informed him. At least, I didn’t think she had been. There were a couple of guys she’d been pictured with in the tabloids, but never anything about her being seriously involved with anyone. “Her life is a little complicated. The whole situation is complicated, especially considering who she is.”
My dad’s brows furrowed. “How old is she?”
I stared right at him, knowing he would eventually put two and two together. “Twenty-three.”
His lips pursed, and then his eyes widened. “Were you with this girl today?”
Turning away from him, I ran a hand over my face. “Yep.”
“Oh hell, son. What have you gotten yourself into?”
“I wish I knew,” I said, sighing.
