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“Are you okay?” He reaches across the table taking my hands in his. “How badly were you hurt?”
“I’m okay, Daddy… thanks to Carter.”
“Carter? What does he… his arm. The doctor mentioned that he reinjured it. I thought he got in another drunken fight and—”
“He was rescuing me.”
Talking about that day still gets to me. Taking a deep breath, I exhale slowly.
“I was at work, and a player came into the therapy room and… he attacked me. He was trying to undress me. He kissed me. He wouldn’t let me go.” I begin to choke up, so I take another deep breath. “Luckily, Carter showed up and pulled him off me, but in doing so he injured his arm further.”
“Oh, honey,” he says, regret and concern evident in his voice. “I’m so glad you’re okay. Who was it? Who did this to you?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Like hell it doesn’t,” he says slamming his hand on the table.
“It’s been handled,” I assure him.
He runs his hand over his face. “Christ, that must have been what Carter was talking about.”
“You talked to Carter? About me?”
My father nods. “That’s why I wanted to see you.”
“Carter and I are in love. There is nothing you can do or say to stop us from being together.”
“I wanted to give you my blessing. I… I know I’ve always been tough on you, Lex. I know I didn’t always do the right thing. I just want you to know that it came from a good place. You’re my little girl. All I ever wanted to do was protect you.”
“You can’t protect me from everything.”
“I know, but I was going to damn well try.”
“What made you change your mind?”
“Carter.” He laughs. “He showed up at my office yesterday, telling me that he loved you, that if it meant he had to give up football, he would do it. My first thought was that he’s an idiot. My next was that’s exactly the kind of idiot I would want my daughter with, a man willing to give everything up for her and put her first.”
“He does, Daddy. Even after everything I’ve done, he still loves me. He still puts me above everything else.”
“I can see that now. I can see how happy you are.”
“I am… so happy.”
* * *
“Hey, princess, what are you doing here?” Carter asks when I show up on his doorstep.
After meeting with my father, I told him a little white lie about taking care of some things for the Foundation. In reality, I needed to get a little surprise for him. After all we’ve been through, I wanted to seal our fate, and I wanted to do it in a special way.
“Did you do your therapy today?” I ask him.
“You cancelled, so I met up with Landon and Chase.”
I shake my head, followed by a tsk-tsk.
“What?”
“Don’t what me,” she says as her hand pushes against my chest.
