"No, you will not," I say and stand, my anger making my legs steady again. "I'm not saying I believe him, but Bryce cornered me yesterday to tell me he was sorry. He thanked me for shutting up this entire time and said that he'd been addicted to pain pills and alcohol back then and wasn't making smart decisions."
“Touching a child inappropriately is more than just a dumb decision,” Mallory says. “He should be in jail.”
"Well, he isn't and that ship has sailed. Statute of limitations and all," I say and sigh. "I'm okay. I just want to let this go, but I wanted you all to know. Because Nash is going to tell his coach too."
“What?”
I look up at him and almost smile because he looks dumbfounded. Old Tenley would love to have made Nash so gobsmacked. It would be a victory. But I’m not that Tenley anymore. Well, maybe it’s more that we don’t have that type of relationship anymore. “You have to tell Coach Braddock the truth so that you don’t get benched.”
He opens his mouth to argue. I glare. His shoulders drop. “Are you sure?”
I nod. “Yes. If you don’t, I will.”
He looks like he still wants to argue with me, but his phone starts buzzing from his pocket and he pulls it out to check it. “It’s Coach.”
“Answer it,” I urge.
Nash wanders down the hall. Dylan calls out, “Daddy!” and Tate gets up and walks back to the office.
When Nash comes back into the living room, he’s off his call. “I have to go to the arena. Coach wants to talk.”
“I bet he does.” Avery looks grim.
“You got this,” I assure Nash but inside I’m nauseous with worry. What if they bench him no matter what he says and I’ve cost him his place on the team? In the playoffs?
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Nash promises me and pulls me into a hug, giving me a quick kiss on the lips which garners raised eyebrows from everyone in the room, which we both ignore. He heads upstairs to change.
“We should go too,” Tate says, emerging from the office with Dylan. “We promised him we would go to the beach.”
“Come Tenwee?” Dylan says, looking up at me with his big innocent eyes.
“I wish I could Dyllie Bear but I have to work,” I tell him, running a hand over his soft blond hair. “I have to film some round table crap for the docu-series.”
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Stephanie asks gently.
“Yes. I’m sure. I want this series to be the best it can be,” I explain. “It’s still my baby. And I am not letting something that happened to me way back then ruin this.”
Tate walks over to me. He’s struggling to figure out what to say and I hate that. I don’t want this to alter our relationship, but it has. I give him a pleading look. “Don’t make this into a thing forever, okay? Please?”
“I just…” He stops. “Do you want me to be here when you tell Mom and Dad?”
“I’m telling them in person when I get home tomorrow after we know Aunt Callie is okay,” I reply. “You can be there only if you promise not to make it worse. Dad is going to fly off the handle and I need you to calm him, not join forces with him.”
He nods. “Okay. I’ll try my best. I think you’ll have to worry more about Mom, though.”
I don’t agree but there’s no point arguing. I think the news will make Mom cry and make Dad want blood. We’ll find out soon enough. I hug Mallory, Tate, and Dylan and lead them to the door. Stephanie and Avery follow them out. Avery pauses in front of me. “You’re one hell of a strong woman, and I know exactly where you get it from.”
I smile. “And Nash is a great guy, albeit a little boring, and I know exactly where he gets that from. The first part, I mean.”
Stephanie laces her fingers through her husband’s. “The second part too.”
Avery fakes shock. “I am not boring.”
“Because I came along and loosened you up,” Stephanie says as they walk down the hall to the elevator. “Thank God for that.”
I smile and close the door behind them. Nash is right there behind me when I turn around. He holds my head in his hands delicately. “I don’t have to tell my coach.”
“You do.”
