Page 108 of Game On

“Because I make more money.”

The judge rolled his eyes. “Sit down, Mr. O’Connell. Ms. Mathews, can you please take the stand?”

Lily gave me a look, and I mouthed, ‘You got this’ as she walked over to the stand.

“Ms. Mathews, I have some questions for you as well,” the judge began. “You didn’t counter your answer with sole custody. Why’s that?”

“I want to do what’s right for Rosie. Despite that I’m not with her father anymore, that doesn’t mean I want to keep him from her. My dad was a deadbeat. I don’t want that same life for my daughter.”

“Even though your evidence suggests he has been, as you say, a ‘deadbeat.’”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“And he has not given you a dime of child support, correct?”

“No, sir.”

“You work a freelance job. Do you work outside of the home?”

“Sometimes. I work for different clients, so sometimes I work at their locations, or I work remotely. During the day, my sister watches her with the other child she nannies for. But my work is flexible so that I can do the work after Rosie’s asleep.”

“So you have childcare in place and consistent employment. You can take your seat.”

Lily came back to the desk, where she sat with her lawyer while we all waited for the judge to announce his decision.

“I don’t make this decision lightly, but I’m recommending a joint custody order. Now, since Mr. O’Connell has kindly let us know about income, he’s to pay child support to Ms. Mathews. Mr. O’Connell, I don’t want to be back here fighting you when you don’t see your daughter again.”

In a second, it was all over, and I watched Lily hug her lawyer. I still thought she should get sole custody, but it wasn’t my case to make. I watched her walk over to Seth and say something to him while he sneered at her. I clenched my hands into fists and tried to calm myself down.

She walked away without a second thought and jumped into my arms. “It’s over!”

“Let’s hope he doesn’t flake out on you again,” I muttered.

She shrugged. “Now he has a court order to follow. He can’t just flit in and out of her life without good reason.”

I set her down, and I held my hand out to her. She took it, and we walked out of the courtroom together. If she was happy with the result, I was too. Even if I didn’t like that we had to deal with him for the foreseeable future. But I’d stand by whatever my girl wanted to do.

“Let’s celebrate,” I said.

She grinned. “Okay, but then I have to go to the tattoo shop. I have a ton of work to do.”

“Okay, I need to go train with Blaise anyway, but this was more important.” I turned to her in the middle of the hallway of the courthouse and cupped her face. “You and Rosie are the most important things in my life.”

Her eyes were shiny. “Oh, Logan.”

“I love you.”

She leaned up on her tiptoes, and I bent down to reach her, kissing her with all the passion I could muster. These past couple of months fighting with her ex had been hell, but I’d do it all over again.

I frowned when I saw the tears on her face after breaking the kiss. I wiped them with the back of my thumbs. “No tears.”

She shook her head. “Happy ones. I love you so much. I wish we met — in real life — way sooner.”

“Me too, princess.”

“So, how do you want to celebrate?”

I grinned. “Player Won?”