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I paid him off to protect her.
But I'm done.
I take a deep solid breath and make my way to the meeting place, where I know my father is waiting, expecting to meet with Roni.
Initially, she and I planned to do this together. But late last night, while she was lying in my arms after a rigorous round of sex—that woman rode me like an expert cowgirl, and she's never been on a horse in her life—I asked her to stay behind. This is something I need to see through myself. I can't let him get his hands on those photographs or Roni. I don't want her breathing the air he breathes. I even left my crutches in the car, and I'm doing my best to minimize my limp.
Besides my hip, my knee hurts like a fucker. Noah's booked the surgery for two weeks from today. If all goes well with recovery, I might squeak in some practice near end of the season.
I've also taken Mitch’s advice and have been thinking about my future. I can't play football forever. And with this injury, who knows what damage the next tackle could do. I might be lucky and have a few good years left, but I also could end up with permanent damage. I'm an old man as far as football goes. I've been lucky up to this point. I've stayed in the game a lot longer than many players do. But this downtime makes a man think about what he wants to do with his life. And who he wants to do it with.
My father picked a small park at the edge of town for this little party. On all accounts, it's a beautiful fall day to spend in the park. The sky is blue, and a slight cool breeze blows a dusting of snow around on the ground. Kids are playing, and people are walking their dogs. Everybody is taking advantage of the weather before winter truly lands.
Rounding a corner, I see a man sitting on a bench through the trees. Even in profile, I know it's him. It’s like looking at my future self and I cringe. I promised my mother I would never turn out like him, and while I’ve kept that promise, I can’t do anything about the visual resemblance.
Inhaling another deep breath to steady my nerves, I stride forward. This man means nothing, yet my stomach is in knots. Although he was never around, he played a massive part in my upbringing. At one point, I idolized the man, at least the man I believed him to be.Then I made sure I became the complete opposite. ThatIbecame the man Iwantedhim to be. A man any little boy would be proud of.
As I get closer, my body flinches on its own accord knowing he could cause more trouble. The twelve-year-old inside me rears his head, furious. He's hurt, betrayed, and feels like a fool. The man I've become is angry, still feels betrayed, but no longer feels like a fool. I've gotten over that. I'm ready to move on. I'm ready to never think about this man ever again.
He spots me and stands, staring me down with a sneer like I'm not worth his time.
I keep my cool.
My father watches me suspiciously as I approach. The contempt in his eyes is intense, as is his judgement, rolling off him in waves.
Despite my anger and resentment, I walk closer until I stop about five feet away.
“I expected that pretty photographer.”
My jaw hardens as my protective instincts kick in. I don't know if he suspects Roni and I are together and he's fishing or what. But I refuse to give anything away. I don't want him to know anything about Roni.
His gaze never wavers from my face.
I swallow hard and look him in the eye. He can’t intimidate me anymore. “What do you want from me?” I ask, my voice calm but firm.
He doesn't hesitate. “I want those photographs she took, Drew. And I'm willing to pay for them.”
I shake my head. “She's not interested in your money.”
He leans in close, his eyes narrowed. “You don't understand. You owe me. If it weren't for me hooking up with your mother, you wouldn't be here today. You wouldn't have the career you have today.”
“You didn't give me a damn thing.”
He laughs a cold, cruel sound. “You're my son. I'm just asking for what's mine.”
“I owe you nothing. And those photos are not mine to give.” My fists are clenched at my sides. “She has the right to sell them to whomever she wants. Or not. And she doesn’t want to sell them to you. That’s why she contacted me and told me about your request. And I have the right to protect her and those photos from people like you.”
My father glares at me, his face twisted in anger. “You don't know what you're talking about. You have no idea what the real world is like. Your mother babied you. And you managed to catch a lucky break.”
I laugh, not an ounce of humor in the sound. “I know you left my mother nothing. I know all you wanted from her was money.”
“She had a job. I didn't.”
“She had bills to pay and a son to raise.”
“She kept money from me.”
“She didn't keep fuck all from you.”
