“What happened, Maddox?” Annalise runs her fingers through my hair as I rest my head on her lap.
“I got into it with my dad.” I let out a sigh. “I asked him to come to my game tomorrow. He used work as an excuse, like always.”
“Has he attended any of your games since you joined the league?”
“Nope.” I clutch a pillow as the heat rises in me. “I thought he would take me seriously when I played ball in college, but he didn’t. Then I thought he would start supporting me now that I’m in the NBA, but he still hasn’t shown up to a single fucking game.”
I stare up at the ceiling, blinking away the hot, angry tears that threaten to spill.
Her brows knit together, a scowl appearing on her face. “He’s ridiculous! You’re literally the number-one player in the league and so freaking successful. I don’t understand what his problem is.”
“I guess he’s still upset with me about not wanting to take over Kamado Tech, but I want nothing to do with it. I don’t want to carry on his legacy. I want to build my own.” I sit upstraighter, fingers twisting in my lap as a tear slides down my cheek. “I don’t know what else to do to prove my worth to him. All I ever wanted was for him to be supportive of me the way he’s supportive of my sister.”
She reaches over and gently swipes the tear away with her thumb. “For what it’s worth, I’m incredibly proud of you. I remember those thrilling nights watching you play in high school. And now I get to witness your dream come true as you take the court in the NBA for the team you’ve always wanted to be a part of.”
My heart swells with warmth, and the anger that once consumed me starts to dissipate.
“You may have grown up with a silver spoon in your mouth, but you busted your ass to get where you are now,” she continues. “Many people would’ve given up, but you never did. I truly admire your strength. I always have. It’s one of your best qualities. Screw your dad for not seeing how extraordinary you are.”
“God, I love you so much.” Wrapping her in my arms, I place a kiss on her temple. “Thank you for always being there for me, Rosie. It truly means a lot to me. When I have kids of my own, I’m going to let them be whoever they want and do whatever it is that makes them happy.”
Annalise places a gentle kiss on my lips. “You’re gonna make an amazing father one day, Dimples.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
annalise
I descendthe stairs of the Golden Gate Center with Oliver and we maneuver through the crowd to get to our seats. The arena is filled with fans wearing red San Francisco Dragons T-shirts and donning jerseys of their favorite players. The majority sport Maddox’s number, twenty-four.
As we approach our row, Asami spots us and her face lights up. “Annalise! Oh my God!”
She rushes toward me, pulling me into a tight hug and squeezing me so hard I feel like my insides are going to burst. “It’s so good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you too, Asami.”
“We have so much catching up to do!” She turns to Ollie and gives him a wave. “Hey, Oliver! Didn’t recognize you for a second. You’ve doubled in size.”
He smiles shyly and gives her a wave.
“Hi, Annalise and Oliver!” Izumi says as we walk toward our seats.
“Hi, Mrs. Kamado,” I say, pulling her into a hug.
“Masashi is going to be happy to see you. I bet he will scorea lot of points tonight because of you.” A broad grin lights up Izumi’s face.
Chuckling, I take my seat next to Asami. “So, Maddox told me you got engaged! Let me see the ring!”
She holds out her left hand, and her gorgeous emerald-cut ring sparkles beneath the light.
“Wow, he did a good job. It is stunning!”
“Soon you’ll have a ring on your finger, too.” Izumi smiles, lifting her brows.
“Okasan, theyjustgot back together.” Asami groans, rolling her eyes.
I smile to myself as I picture Maddox getting down on one knee. “So, who’s the lucky guy?”
“His name is Hotaru. He’s an associate at Jin and Simmons Law Firm.” Scrolling through her phone, she pulls up a picture of the two of them in Paris.
