They probably want to kill me.
If they hate me as much as Russell Fisher does, then it won’t matter how nice they were to me when I was dating their daughter. If they spot me, they’ll probably be out for my blood.
Myparents are going to fucking lose it when they find out. I did exactly what they didn’t want me to do. Or I would have… had I known my girl was pregnant.
But she’s not your girl.
You chose to break up with her.
But then I went back for her!
My brain is in chaos as I shuffle to the stadium and end up being so late that I totally miss the game review. Everyone’s already in the locker room, getting taped up for practice.
“Where the hell have you been?” Grady asks as soon as I stop beside him.
Yanking off my hoodie, I shake my head, still struggling to talk.
“Dude.” He lightly slaps my arm with the back of his hand, looking really worried. “I covered for you with Coach, having no idea why. He was kinda pissed, so you better gimme something.”
Pulling off my shirt, I dump it in my locker and give him a pained frown.
And then it all just tumbles out.
“I saw my ex-girlfriend at the park on Sunday, and she had a little girl with her. Her daughter.” I wince, my throat burning as I choke out the rest. “My daughter.”
Grady’s eyes pop wide, his lips parting as he blinks and obviously can’t think of anything to say.
“I’ve just had it confirmed by a guy who knows them, but he won’t tell me where they are. He says I don’t deserve to know why she didn’t tell me and that I should leave them the fuck alone, but…” A ragged breath pops out of me, and I give my friend a pained frown.
“Fuck that.” Grady’s eyebrows dip together. “That’syour kid. You don’t just give up on something that important. I don’t give a shit who this douche nugget is that you spoke to. You track that girl down, and you meet your kid.”
“Agreed.” Wily grips my shoulder.
I spin, not even realizing he was listening in.
He’s obviously pretty shook by the news, and I give him a tortured frown.
Squeezing my shoulder again, he responds with a glum smile. “We’re here for you, dude. Whatever you need.”
“Thanks,” I rasp.
“We’ll help you find her,” Grady assures me before pulling on his protective gear and giving me a stern look. “But right now, you get your head in the game. Can’t have our best quarterback getting injured at the start of the season. We need you, man.”
“Yeah.” I nod, forcing myself to take a breath and focus.
Football first.
Then my kid.
Holy fuck, I have a kid.
An adorable blue-eyed daughter who I am desperate to meet properly.
I’ve got to find out the truth. What did I do that made Sienna hate me so much?
Dread simmers thick and malignant in my stomach, and my hands start to shake as I wrestle on my protective pads.
CHAPTER 9