Page 122 of Against the Clock

“Hi Dad,” I say, my voice wobbling.

“Honey, you okay?”

“Not really,” I tell him. “I’m about to go on air and I’m freaking out.”

“Well, make sure you take a parachute.” He laughs at his own dad joke, and I hiccup a laugh, my heartrate slowing. “I read the article you put out this morning.”

He pauses and I wait, unsure of how he’s going to react.

“I know you have some really good reasons to hate football, but if the result is you speaking up for these women? I’m really proud of you, Kelsey. You know that, right? You’re doing the right thing, even when it’s hard, and your mother and I couldn’t be happier that you’re the woman we raised.”

“Dad.” My voice breaks on the single syllable and I sniffle, real tears threatening now.

“I mean it, Kelsey. You’re doing good, important work, and no matter how it goes on TV, you should be proud of yourself too. I had no idea they were treating those women like that.”

“Thanks, Dad. That means… that means so much to me.”

“Well, it’s just the truth. And Kels?”

“Yeah?”

“I saw that doctor you told me about.”

The line goes quiet and I breathe, too loud, the sound echoing around the hard surfaces of the bathroom.

“Your boyfriend called me too, said I should go see him.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying not to cry, trying not to ruin the last fifteen minutes I spent getting my face shellacked to withstand the washout of bright lights.

“Your Daniel… he’s a good man. He told me it would mean a lot to you, so I went. They’re going to put me in some rehabilitation programs, some new trials. I’m looking forward to meeting him one day. I’m so damn proud of you, Kelsey Cole.”

“Thanks, Dad,” I say.

“I love you. Your mom says hi. She might be crying a little right now. Happy tears, don’t worry. She says she loves you, too.”

“I love you both so much.”

“Now you dry your eyes and get out there and kick some ass, okay, honey?”

I laugh through a sniffle, my mom’s objection to my dad’s language coming through loud and clear.

“Okay, Dad. Love you. Bye.”

I end the call.

They believe in me. They are proud of me.

I take a deep breath and stare at my overly made-up face in the mirror.

I’m going to fucking do this thing.

CHAPTER 48

DANIEL

My beautiful girlfriend’s face fills the screen and I can’t stop smiling.

What a fucking badass.

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