“Mhmm.”
That was such a serious conversation, and one that clearly still hurt him, so I was going to do my best to erase that hurt and make him only think about being here with me.
I sat up onto my knees, the sheet falling off and leaving me completely naked in front of him. Mateo made a sound of appreciation as I tugged whatever was left of the sheet off of him, his cock already hard and waiting.
I crawled between his spread legs and settled onto myelbows, grabbing his length in my right hand. It pulsed and twitched in my grasp.
“What are you going to do with my cock?” Mateo questioned, eyes already hooded, hands braced behind his head as he stared down at me.
“I’m going to show you just how much I like you.”
“Areyou sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Mateo asked, leaning against his kitchen counter, coffee in hand. I forced my eyes away from the scene in front of me. He was too tempting, clad in gray sweatpants.
“I need to do this on my own.” I bent over to slide my shoes on. “It’s sweet of you to offer, though.”
“Are you planning on telling him about us?” Mateo sipped his coffee, looking at me over the rim of his mug.
I winced as I looked over at him. “I was going to see how today’s conversation went first.”
He didn’t say a word as he stood there. Instantly, I was washed with guilt. After meeting his family last night, I knew I needed to tell my dad about us. We’d been hiding it too long, and my dad deserved to know I was seeing his star player.
Knowing all of that still didn’t help the anxiety of having to tell him and see his reaction. I needed to do it, and I would, but for right now, I had to have this other conversation with him or else that news could blow up in my face.
“I promise I’ll tell him soon,” I quickly added.
“He’s going to find out sooner than later, and it would be best if it came from you rather than someone else,” Mateopointed out. “Plus, I want to be able to show my girlfriend off to the team and in public.”
“I know.” I came around the kitchen island, wrapping my arms around his waist, my face pressed against his bare chest.
“I don’t mean to push?—”
“No, no, you aren’t pushing me.” I pulled back to look up at his face. “I know where you’re coming from, and you’re right. He needs to know.”
“I know he’s your dad and my coach, but don’t let him steamroll you or make you second-guess this. At the end of the day, you’re still his daughter.” Mateo gently brushed his knuckles against my cheek. “And if he has a problem with it, he can take that up with me.”
Internally, I swooned. Protective Mateo was becoming my favorite.
“But, also promise me you’ll hear him out if he wants to explain things. About the past. About him not being around when you needed him. You don’t need to forgive him right away but hear what he has to say. Okay?”
“I promise.”
For years, anger was easier than the truth. It was easier to keep my distance than to sit down and admit how much his absence actually hurt. So we never had the conversation we should’ve had a long time ago. I was tired of holding onto all of it, so today was going to be the new start our relationship needed.
I stoodin front of the diner’s doors, bracing myself before I went in. It was the same one I came to with Mateo, Perry,Jake, and Erin a few weeks ago. It seemed like the most natural place to meet my dad. Plus, it had a bit more privacy for us to talk.
With a deep breath, I opened the doors and stepped in. I scanned the tables until I spotted familiar brown hair seated in a booth in the back corner. My dad lifted his hand, lips pulled into a smile. Part of me wanted to forgo this conversation and just have a simple meal and talk about meaningless things, but I made a promise to myself I’d do this, even if it was hard.
I returned the gesture before weaving my way through the tables. Thankfully, the diner wasn’t too busy, probably thanks to a lot of people being hungover from watching yesterday's game.
My dad stood as I came up to the table. “Hey, sweetie.”
“Hey, Dad.” He pulled me into a tight hug, his massive frame making me feel like a kid again. I clearly got my height from my mom.
I slid into the booth across from him, putting my purse beside me on the cracked red seat. It creaked under me as I shifted, crossing my leg over the other.
“I got you water and orange juice. You still like orange juice in the mornings, right?” my dad said, sounding unsure, which was unlike him. My heart tugged, and I nodded.
“I do. Thank you.”
