“Ian, stop,” she snaps.
“Why?” I snap back.
She whips her head to me. “You’re being unreasonable.”
My brows shoot up, almost reaching my hairline. “I’m being unreasonable? Please, enlighten me.”
She pinches the bridge of her nose. “It was a fun ten days. We explored what was between us, but now that must end.”
“Oh, baby, it was more than fucking fun.” I pin her with a hard look and gesture for her to continue. “Why does it have to end exactly?”
She sighs, looking away. “You know why.”
“Tell me you want me, us, and we’ll find a solution.”
She folds her arms over her chest, looking me straight in the eyes. “My dad is your head coach.”
“So, what? He’s my coach, but he shouldn’t be able to dictate who I want to be with.” I insist, wanting to seize whatever bullshit keeps us apart from the fucking roots.
“He’s also my father. Why would you risk that for something we don’tknow?—”
I interrupt her. “That’s bullshit.”
She waves me off, determined to remain stubborn. “You can’t predict the outcome.”
I can’t, but it stings how she can compartmentalize us like that. “You’re not giving us a chance.”
She looks back at the screen, ignoring me while I stew in my anger.
My chest pants with my harsh breathing, hating the inability to change her mind.
When the jet descends, I am one second away from telling the pilot to turn around. Fuck everything else. If that’s the only way to be with her, I’ll take it.
The plane lands, forcing me to accept there’s no turning back.
The door opens, and we climb the five stairs down in stilted silence.
Our rideshare waits for us on the tarmac. The silence weighs me down like a brick of concrete, burying me under as we hop in, both in deep thoughts on the drive home.
When the car pulls up to the front of the complex, she looks outside the window, about to say something, when her phone rings.
Her eyes turn into two panicked orbs as she picks it up.
“Hi, Dad.”
Fucking great.What I don’t need is a reminder of our greatest obstacle, separating us with no possibility of bridging it.
“You’re on your way to me?” She gulps, blinking at me.
I cock a brow.Let him see us. Let him see I am serious about you.
Instead, she pushes at the handle, and I step out. I gesture for her to continue talking as I haul out our luggage from the trunk.
Hanging up, she looks at me. “My dad is on his way.”
I cock a brow, pointing between us. “I caught that. Should I introduce myself as your future everything?”
“Ian, please.”
