Page 22 of Heartless As Puck

“Who wouldn’t want their dad to drop by for a visit?” he tried, still going for the smarmy approach.

I glanced past him, wondering if I should make a run for the Range Rover. “Like I said, I can’t let you in and I think it’s best if you go.”

His face darkened. “Open the door, you stupid bitch.”

My mouth fell open and I flinched away from him.

He rolled his eyes. “I know your type. You’re a gold digger hoping to sink your claws into my son. You might think you’ve got him on the hook, but I assure you, if you stand in my way, he’ll drop you faster than a red flag at a bullfight.”

I stared at him, unable to say a word. Sweat broke out on my upper lip and my pulse beat a rapid tattoo. In the blink of an eye, everything about him had transformed from wheedling to threatening.

Not only that, but no one had ever spoken to me like that before. Based on the smell of him, he might have had a few drinks before coming over.

Be that as it may, arguing with him wouldn’t get me anywhere, and honestly, with how intimidating he was, there was every chance I’d end up silently gaping at him like a fish.

I’d rather not risk it, so I pushed past him and ran to the car, circled it quickly, and dove into the driver’s seat. I locked the door behind me, started the engine, and peeled away from the curb.

My hands didn’t stop shaking until I’d rounded the corner and parked a couple of blocks away. I grabbed my phone and inhaled slowly, wondering if I should call the police. I didn’t want to cause a scene, though. If anyone got word that the police had been sent to Austin Harris’s house, it’d be in the tabloid news within hours.

I couldn’t just leave his dad there unattended, though. Reluctantly, I opened my contacts and searched for one I’d hoped I’d never have to use: Sylvia.

After a long pause, because I really didn’t want to talk to the woman who treated me like an obstacle on her journey to winning Austin’s heart, I hit the Call icon.

“Hi.” Sylvia sounded confused. “Uh… can I help you?”

“Hi, Sylvia.” My voice shook, but at least it worked. “There was a man outside Austin’s place before. Is he still there?”

“He just left.” She didn’t pretend she hadn’t been snooping out the window. Sylvia was an independent realtor and her office faced onto the street, so she always kept an eye on comings and goings. “What’s going on?”

He’d gone. Thank God. That meant I didn’t have to escalate the matter.

“He’s someone Austin doesn’t want to see,” I told her, knowing that despite her dubious intentions, Sylvia would want to do what she could to protect Austin. Especially if she could claim credit for it later and use it to impress him.

“Oh.” Something clanked. “He’s definitely gone. Shall I… call Austin if he comes back?”

“Call me. We need to shield Austin from him completely.”

“Okay. I will.” Disappointment laced her tone, but I believed her. She wouldn’t risk upsetting the man she’d set her sights on.

“Thanks.” I ended the call and tossed my phone onto the passenger seat.

I practiced my breathing exercises. They were getting a workout lately. Once I’d calmed down, I pulled back onto the road and returned to campus.

Clara’s class had finished, and I met her outside the arts library. We studied together for a few hours, until it was time for me to pick up Austin.

On my way to the stadium, I internally debated whether to tell him about the visit from his father. I didn’t want to upset him when things were already strained between us, but if his dad was trying to creep back into Austin’s life, he deserved to know.

I parked behind the stadium, sent him a text to let him know I’d arrived, and waited. A few minutes later, he slipped out a side door and lugged his gear bag toward me. I watched him walk. He didn’t seem to be limping, which was good. I’d hate to think he injured himself on the first proper day of training.

In fact, he looked remarkably good. A little too good for comfort, with his mussed hair and soft, touchable clothes over a hard, muscled body. I popped the trunk and he dumped his bag inside and got into the back seat. I started his usual post-training playlist and backed out of the space. Despite the background noise, the silence between us was strained. I entered the stream of traffic and slowed as a light turned red up ahead.

“I ran into your father today,” I blurted, then immediately regretted it. I’d thought Austin had crossed a line by asking me to pretend to date him, but using what I knew was a fraught relationship as a conversation-starter because I felt awkward wasn’t exactly professional either.

In the rearview mirror, I saw him stiffen.

“You did?”

“Mm-hm. He came by the house and asked me to let him in.” There was no point saying exactly how awful he’d been. That would only upset him for no reason.