“Oh my God!” I exclaim, dropping my head back as I laugh. “So I’m scheduling my first date, I suppose?”
“Ugh, I don’t like that either. Maybe I should call Miles and threaten, ah… talk to him instead,” he mutters.
“You’re not making him ask me out,” I squeal. “Why is this so complicated?”
“Because you’re my daughter,” he shrugs simply.
“Who's taking out Caelia?” a voice yells.
Glancing over, I see that Troy is already showered and ready to go to the hotel until it’s time for him to play. Rolling my eyes, I shake my head as I skate around the rink in his direction.
I’m not as scared as I used to be of him or most of the Dragons. I don’t know what they think of me, which is why I try to stay out of their way.
“Dad,” I groan, looking at him with a beleaguered expression.
“I didn’t get to tease you in high school,” he says. “I’m just living my best life.”
I keep myself from stomping, but only barely. Falling on my ass wouldn’t be a good look.
“We’re currently discussing the complicated scent match triangle Cae has found herself in,” Dad says, unable to hold back his smile.
“I think a triangle isn’t the right term,” I say, blowing out a breath.
Move back in with your father. You’ll save money they said, it’ll be fun they said…
No one mentioned wanting the ground to swallow me whole too.
“Bah,” Dad says, his booming laugh bouncing off the walls.
Troy watches him as if watching an entirely different person in awe. I suppose Dad is for me.
“So who are you being set up with?” Troy asks. I suppose when your life is imploding, it’s more fun to listen to someone else’s life. I don’t blame him.
“I doubt you’ll like them,” I say, skating ahead to let my dad talk with him.
Troy is slightly glaring at me by the time I make it around the rink again.
“I told you so,” I say, turning to skate backward.
“You’re really good on a pair of skates,” he yells instead as I pass him.
“I had a really good teacher!” I call back.
“So, Scorpions, huh?” Troy asks, waiting until I make my loop around.
I slide to a stop, the ice spraying as I do.
“Biology is a bitch,” I mutter. “I still don’t know what to think about it.”
Dad is standing on his skates in the bench area on the phone, and I shake my head at him as he turns his back on me.
“Who is he on the phone with?” I hiss.
“Sorry, kid. He’s on the phone with Coach Miles,” Troy smirks.
“Awesome,” I sigh. “Well, we can mark down setting me up on my first date as something else my father is adept at.”
“That’s probably why he’s doing it,” he says. “Good luck.”
