“You certainly don’t have the grades or intelligence to do anything other than play hockey, do you, Nick?” Sterling says pointedly, ignoring his daughter.
The whole table falls quiet. Richard and Peter look at Sterling with confused expressions.
“What are your grades like?” Sterling asks me, setting down his silverware.
My jaw ticks as I bite down even harder. This guy is hell-bent on humiliating me in front of all his rich friends. And honestly? That’s fine. I don’t care what these people think of me. They can think I’m trash for all I care. All that matters is what Poppythinks of me. And I know she cares about me. I know she likes me for who I am.
I smile at him and shrug. “My grades are nothing to brag about. I’m not much of a thinker.”
A few people chuckle quietly.
Sterling glares at me. “So you think it’s funny to be stupid? To be a low achiever? To be the dead weight that my daughter will have to drag around when your hockey career inevitably ends and you have no way to make money?”
“Dad, stop it,” Poppy says.
I turn to her. “It’s okay,” I say softly. I turn back to her dad. “I’m just being honest. I’m not a genius, so I’m not going to pretend that I am. I work hard to be the best hockey player possible, and my goal right now is to see how far I can take that. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll figure out something else. What exactly that is, I’m not sure. But what I am sure of is that I’d never, ever take advantage of your daughter. I’d work hard to be a good partner to her and provide for her, always.”
Poppy turns to me, emotion flashing in her eyes as she gives me a wobbly smile.
A bitter laugh falls from her dad’s mouth. He shakes his head and sips the short glass of what looks like whiskey. “You’re not good enough for my daughter. You never will be.”
“You don’t think I know that?”
His angry stare cuts to me.
“Poppy is a million times more brilliant than me. Way, way out of my league in every way. I’m lucky she even gives me the time of day.”
I give her hand another squeeze. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world to be with her.” I turn back to her dad. “I know you don’t think we should be together. But I don’t care. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her in my life. She’s worth it. She’s worth anything and everything.”
My heart pounds in my chest, and adrenaline zooms through my body. I wasn’t expecting to lay bare all my feelings in front of Poppy’s parents and their friends, and I’m feeling a little on edge, but I refuse to hold back my feelings for her.
Richard and Peter nod at me approvingly. Some woman I don’t know holds her wine glass up at me. “If my ex-husband talked about me like that, we’d still be married.”
A few other ladies nod their heads in agreement. But Sterling just rolls his eyes at me, clearly unmoved by what I said. Whatever. I’m not here to win him over. I’m here to show Poppy that I’m the kind of boyfriend who will stand by her no matter what.
“You’re trash,” Sterling mutters.
Poppy slams her hand on the table. “Shut up, Dad.”
Sterling’s brow lifts in surprise. That’s the first time I’ve seen him make an expression that wasn’t annoyed or pissed off.
Poppy stands up at the table and turns to him. “How dare you speak to Nick like that. How dare you try to humiliate him in front of all your friends.”
“Poppy, you listen to me?—”
“No.” Her voice is a hair below a shout as she cuts off her dad. “We’re done listening to you. You’ve been nothing but a condescending, belittling jerk, and I’m sick of it.” She turns to me for a second, her eyes teary. “Nick is the kindest, sweetest, most generous guy I’ve ever met. He’d do anything to make me feel safe and happy. He goes out of his way to take care of me. That’s what matters. Not grades or test scores or money or any of that crap. Just because he’s not a lawyer or a doctor or a finance bro doesn’t mean he’s worthless.” She swallows hard. “He’s a million times better than you are.”
My heart swells in my chest seeing her defend me.My girl.So bold and brave to go up against her dad in front of all his friends for me.
A hopeful feeling sprouts up inside of me. The way she stood up for me felt real. It felt like more than just two friends who are fake dating and fooling around.
Maybe her feelings for me are deepening. Maybe that means she’s beginning to see me as the guy who can be her boyfriend for real.
Before I can say anything, she grabs my hand and pulls me away from the table, out of the dining room, and out of the house.
Chapter 43
Poppy
