AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I pass the locker rooms and find a door labeled with “Coach Sweet.” A slim window runs the length of the door. Beside it, I peek inside, and his office is empty. Tentatively, I twist the knob and walk in. It’s blank with no personality, with the exception of one photo of Caleb and me.
The clicking of metal grabs my attention. Practice is over, and the players are in the locker room. I swallow my nerves and take a deep breath.
My dad walks in with the assistant coach talking about how to move the players around and still give themselves a chance at winning these next few games. Standing in the corner, I clear my throat. Their heads whip to the noise.
My dad looks between us. “Forsberg, this is my daughter Brooklyn. This is my assistant coach, Geoff Forsberg.”
I give him a close-lipped smile. “Nice to meet you.”
Kandy walks in. “Oh, you’re busy. I’ll come back. Will you be here in an hour?” She’s grinning from ear to ear as she pushes her glasses up to the bridge of her nose. “Hi, Brooklyn. How’s that little boy? If you ever need me to watch him again, let me know.”
For the record, I didn’t ask her to watch Caleb; my dad did. But he did seem to be comfortable around her. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
My dad pins her gaze. “Kandy
, I’ll let you know when I’m done.”
Standing anxiously in my father's office, a wave of nervousness washes over me as I contemplate whether he really knows about the relationship between Reed and me. But when Reed taps his knuckles on the door, entering the office, he catches sight of me. His surprise is unmistakable as he shakes his head, unable to conceal his reaction. My eyes shift towards my dad, and it's evident that he is aware of our relationship. There's no doubt now, in this tense moment, that our secret has been unveiled.
It's a conflicting situation that tugs at my heart, torn between my loyalty as a daughter and my blossoming affection for this hockey player. As I await the inevitable confrontation, a swell of emotions surges within me, knowing that our futures, filled with intricate complexities, are about to be thoroughly unraveled before us.
His assistant coach exits, closing the door behind him. Through the window, he gestures to my dad to remain calm.
Dad turns his back to both of us, and Reed takes the opportunity to move closer to me. He looks at my sweatshirt, well, his sweatshirt, and flashes me a grin capable of incinerating my panties. When my dad turns around, his smile vanishes completely.
“Brooklyn, you shouldn’t be here.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
REED
Blood throbs in my veins, anticipating the pieces of my past that may come out. “Brooke, this is between your dad and me.”
“This is my life. Both of you quit acting like Neanderthals. Dad, say what you need to say.”
Coach’s disapproval looms heavily in the air. He walks around his desk and sits on the edge, crossing his arms over his waist. His gaze moves to Brooke and when he realizes it’s my sweatshirt, he catches me in his web. “How long has this been going on?”
“Not long,” Brooke says quickly.
“Long enough for you to be wearing his clothes.”
“Sir, it’s not what you think.” It started out precisely how he thinks it did—a hookup. We didn’t have sex, but it was a casual hookup and when I saw her at the café the next day, in the back of mind, I knew I wanted to spend more time with her.
Brooke’s head snaps in my direction, but she stays quiet as her dad scoffs, “Well, tell me what this is.” His hand goes back and forth between Brooks and me. “Because on television, it certainly seemed that my daughter is your girlfriend. My daughter!” he snaps louder.
“Yes, sir, I care about your daughter.”
“Dad, you have no control over my relationship with Reed.”
He breaks out in unhinged laughter. “Maybe not. But Reed and I both know I hold his future in my hands.”
My head drops, and Brooke’s slender body pulls me into her side. “Dad, you wouldn’t,” Brooke says through clenched teeth as she grips my hand harder.
Coach erupts, “You don’t know what he’s capable of.” His voice booms against the concrete walls, taking me by surprise. Now I know that he’s scared of me. Scared of what I’ll do.
Tears form beneath my lids, but I’ll be damned if he gets the best of me, so I force them back. The room is quiet, eerie like he knows he shouldn’t have said those words.
Brooke moves away from me and steps towards her dad. “I’m disappointed in you. Funny how the roles reverse sometimes. Caleb needs a grandfather who stands up for the underdog. He needs a male figure that roots for the right person to come along and change the trajectory of their life. If you punish Reed for dating me, you’ll be punishing the rest of the team and yourself for no reason.”
