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“My dad’s your new coach. I didn’t even know you were coming to play for Fort Worth. I found out when the world did. It’s not like my father and I discuss his team. He wouldn’t have told me anyway. I knew it was only a matter of time before I told you. I just wanted it to be on my terms. Now that’s shot to shit, and here we are. You’re once again using me and expecting me to just roll over and take it like I’m still that young girl waiting on you hand and foot. I’m not that girl anymore, and I never want to be her again. So let’s make one thing crystal clear—I’m only doing this because you’re making me. I don’t love you, Jax. I don’t want us to be friends. I don’t want us to be anything other than Ben’s parents. We can co-parent, but that’s the extent of our dynamic.”
His jaw tightened for a second before he asked, “Does Ben know who I am?”
“Everyone knows who you are. He’s obsessed with you like everyone else.”
“He watches football?”
“He lives and breathes football. My dad had him on the field from the moment he could crawl. He wants to be just like you.”
He smiled, beaming.
“He’s really good at throwing a football. You’d be proud, which brings me to my next stipulation. I don’t want an engagement party or a wedding. We can go to the courthouse and get married or have someone come to your home and marry us there. We’ll take pictures, do the whole charade. I don’t want to say, ‘I do’. I don’t want to walk down an aisle. I don’t want my friends or family to even be in attendance. We can tell everyone we eloped. This isn’t real, and I don’t want to pretend like it is. You either take it or leave it. If you refuse, then I won’t agree to this, and you can tell the world the truth. I’ll deal with the consequences. It won’t be the first time you’ve fucked me over.”
His jaw clenched again before he reluctantly nodded. “I can work with that.”
“Great. Now for my last stipulation.”
“There’s more?”
“Yes. I tell Ben on my own that you’re his father.”
He sighed, eyeing me warily. “When are you going to tell him?”
“I’ll tell him when we fly back to Fort Worth next week, and you can meet him then. I think it should be on neutral territory for both of you.”
“And what does Baby Soph consider neutral territory?”
I smiled for what felt like the first time that morning.
Stating, “The football field, of course.”
Chapter Eleven
—Sophie—
For the past week, I tried to soak up as much alone time as I could with Ben. Our lives were about to change full force, and I wasn’t prepared for any of it. We’d flown back to Fort Worth yesterday, and tomorrow morning I’d be taking him to meet his dad.
The only person who knew the truth was Jax’s team and my father. I hadn’t told my mom yet, and I was nervous for her to hear the news. She had never been a fan of Jax, and it hadn’t changed over the years.
If anything, it became worse.
“Mom, are you okay?”
My eyes shifted to Ben. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be okay?”
He shrugged, getting into his bed. “You’ve been standing at my bookcase forever.”
“Oh,” I anxiously laughed.
This was our night-time routine. Every night, we’d switch who picked out his bedtime story for me to read. Ben inherited my love for reading. Probably because I started reading to him while he was still in my womb. It was our bond. He had three bookcases in his room, all filled with different genres of stories.
His favorite books were always football-related, though. He was obsessed with the sport. Knew more than I did when it came down to it.
“I think maybe tonight we try something different for a change. What do you think about that?”
“Ummm…” He nodded. “Okay, Mom.”
I smiled, placing the book I had in my hand back on his shelf before I made my way to his bed. He scooted over for me, and I sat in my usual spot beside him. Pulling him closer onto my lap, he laid his head on my legs like he did every night.
