Page 165 of Restricted List

We don’t take another second to think before we run down the hallway and into the clubhouse.

As soon as we open the door, I hear Cole’s voice. “Skip…”

“Don’t ‘Skip’ me right now, Pierce.” I’ve never seen my dad so angry. “The audacity you have to act like you’re helping me when you’re the one that’s been fucking my daughter the entire time.”

“Hey!” I shout, alerting everyone to my and Harlow’s presence. Our friends are all still here, seemingly to help Cole. “Donottalk down to him. He’s not just ‘fucking’ me. We’ve been dating since Josh and Ella’s wedding.”

“Stay out of this, Rory.” His voice is stern, and while that voice would scare the shit out of teenage Rory, adult Rory isn’t backing down.

“No.” My tone is firm, letting him know that I’m not going down without a fight.

“It’s okay, Rory,” Cole says weakly. “I can handle this.”

“I know you can, but I won’t let my dad stand here and berate you and do nothing about it.”

“This isn’t your fight, Rory,” my dad says, trying again to get me to back away.

“The hell it isn’t.” I storm right up to him, now standing beside Cole. “I’m just as involved in this as he is.”

He groans and pinches his brow. “I just can’t believe this.” He looks at Cole. “Mydaughter?The one person I told all of you to stay away from?”

“It’s a stupid rule, Skip.”

A look of surprise flashes across my dad’s face when he realizes Knox is the one who said that.

“You aren’t involved in this, Spencer.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He walks over to stand behind Harlow, wrapping an arm around her shoulder to comfort her when he sees how upset she is. “Cole is my girlfriend’s brother and probably my closest friend. You’re insane if you think I’ll stay quiet through you screaming at him.”

“You’re going to defend him? The man that’s been lying to all of you for the past several months?”

“Wrong again, Skip.” Josh is speaking this time. “We all knew.”

“Who do you think helped them hide this?” Lane adds.

“All of you?” my dad questions, annoyance clear in his voice. “You all fucking knew?”

“Yeah,” Ari shrugs. “Love knows no bounds, right?”

“He doesn’t love Rory.”

Cole speaks softly but composed. “I’ve been falling in love with Rory for four years. Theonlyreason I didn’t tell her how I felt after I met her is because of your fucking rule. But your rule hasn’t stopped me from loving your daughter with everything I have. You can do whatever you want to me, but it won’t changea damn thing. I love Rory, and I’m going to keep loving Rory. Hopefully, for the rest of my life.”

“Un-fucking-real.”

“What’s unreal about it, Skip?” Knox asks, face laced with irritation. “Is it unreal that he could be in love with your daughter? Because I’ll tell you now that Cole was miserable for years at the thought of never getting to tell her.”

“It’s unreal because I’ve spent my life around baseball players—they don’t fall in love. He’s just going to fuck around when he gets to the next city, and my daughter will be the one left heartbroken.”

Cole looks so hurt at my dad’s words, but I don’t get a chance to say anything before Knox is at it again.

“I fell in love. Josh did, too. You don’t seem to think we’re going to fuck around on Lo and Ella.”

“You two are different.”

“Are you fucking serious, Paul?” Harlow’s voice is pure venom. “You’re really going to try to say that my brother wouldn’t be a great partner for your daughter?”

“Do you not know the reputation he had with the Huskers? He couldn’t seem to keep his dick in his pants.”

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