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“Get your hands off my son,” Uncle Matt said and ran back downstairs.

We were seconds away from another fist fight breaking out.

“Everyone stop!” I yelled.

I thought I’d actually made everyone freeze. But then I realized my dad was walking down the stairs. And it was probably his appearance that had stopped whatever was about to happen.

My mom hurried down the stairs after him. “James,” she warned.

My dad had been angry last night. And it didn’t look like he was any calmer this morning. He looked terrible. There was a bandage on the side of his face and one of his eyes was swollen shut.

All I wanted to do was hug him.

“So I’m the asshole?” my dad said to Uncle Matt. “Because you’re the one that raised someone that uses that kind of language to describe my daughter.”

Okay, I didn’t want to hug him anymore.

Uncle Matt sighed, like my dad was exhausting. “If Jacob says he didn’t call Scarlett that, then he didn’t call Scarlett that. End of story. You owe Jacob an apology.”

“Porter,” my dad said calmly and turned to him. “If you can please remove these two from my home.”

“Uncle James,” Jacob said. “I didn’t call Scarlett a slut, I swear.”

Porter grabbed his arm again.

“What the hell did I just tell you?” Uncle Matt said. “Get your hands off my son.” He shoved Porter back.

Oh God.

My dad pulled Uncle Matt’s arm off of Porter and then Uncle Matt shoved my dad backwards.

“You want another black eye?” Uncle Matt said.

My dad smiled and cracked his neck to the side. “Bring it.”

My mom stepped between them. “Enough, okay?! What has gotten into all of you? Just...enough! Can we please just talk this out and stop acting like neanderthals?”

“Or you could let me beat the shit out of your husband,” Uncle Matt said with a smile.

“Everyone sit down.” My mom pointed to the couches in the living room.

I was actually a little surprised that my dad and Uncle Matt listened to her. They both started walking into the living room. And so did Porter. I glanced at Jacob.

“I am so so sorry,” he whispered. “I had to fill Coach in on what happened because Uncle James called him last night and told him his side. I think Coach is more pissed off than we are.”

Yeah, well we didn’t know exactly what my dad had said to him on the phone last night. Presumably nothing nice. This whole thing was ridiculous. “Let’s get this over with,” I said and slid my hand into his.

“You look adorable by the way.”

I looked down at my flannel pajamas and laughed. “Thank you.” I couldn’t even believe he’d thought to compliment me when my dad was saying awful things to him. “I’m so sorry about my dad.”

“It’s fine.”

It wasn’t.

Jacob squeezed my hand and we walked into the living room together.

My dad’s eyebrows lowered as he stared at us holding hands. “Pumpkin, I saved you a seat.” He patted the seat right next to him. Where there was only room for me.