Page 77 of Anti Player

“How long has it been?” he asks out of nowhere.

I look at him questioningly. “For what?”

“Since you’ve seen him,” he says, and I know he’s talking about my dad.

“Five years,” I say, and I swallow hard.

“Damn, it was always crazy when he would just show up out of the blue. Sometimes I wished my dad would show up, but I realized I was wrong. I was better off without him in my life,” he says, running a finger up and down my arm. The motion feels soothing.

“It was a high when Dad showed up and devastating when he left with no goodbye. With time I just resented him and didn’t want to see him when he came home. The last time he came home I had just given birth to Asher. He cried when he saw Asher. I really thought things would be different that time, and then he left when Mom and I needed him most.”

“I’m sorry, Maddie. That’s awful,” Kaleb comforts. “I can’t even understand what makes a parent not stay with their kids.”

“Have you seen him, your father? He would know you’re a famous hockey player by now.”

Kaleb snickers. “He knows. Found me my first week with the team at the arena. Wanted to make amends. He saw I didn’t turn out to be the loser he thought I would be.”

“He did not say that to you,” I say, feeling murderous for Kaleb.

“He basically said he was surprised I got this far but that it made sense, considering I had his genes,” Kaleb says, rolling his eyes.

“Fucking asshole.”

Kaleb laughs.

“I want to sock him one, I’m so angry now,” I say.

“Don’t worry, I told him where to go,” he shares, turning to his side. He’s smiling and it touches the dark orbs of his eyes. He’s so handsome.

My hand comes up and caresses his jaw.

“You’re hot when you get all angry,” he says to me.

“It’s not hot. I want to give that man a piece of my mind,” I say, feeling burning anger that someone could be so terrible to a wonderful person like Kaleb.

“Relax,” he says, and he pecks my lips at each corner. “Do you think Brett will be okay with your dad?”

“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “I wanted to go instead of him, but he insisted it should be him.”

“I agree, Brett has unfinished business with that man. It could be good for him.”

“He’s going home to help him get into a rehab center, so Mom doesn’t have to deal with him,” I explain.

“Your brother has a good heart. I just hope your dad really does want rehab and isn’t wasting Brett’s time.”

“I hope so too, but you know Brett. He’s our protector. He wants to shield Mom from this, but he doesn’t understand it’s her choice if she wants to help.”

“It’s her choice but how much crap can one person put up with?” he asks.

“I’ve asked myself that question over and over,” I sigh.

“Come here,” he says, pulling me flush with his body. I feel his erection press into my belly.

We make love again. This time we are hungrier as I climb on Kaleb and ride his cock. It doesn’t take long for me to come undone, and true to his word, he relaxed me and made me forget all my problems. When he leaves in the middle of the night, all my old demons come rushing back because I’ve never had this feeling before with a man. No one has ever known so much about me, my family, it’s unnerving but it also feels good to speak with someone who gets me.

I fall into a deep sleep feeling very sated and content.

CHAPTER

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