Page 14 of Falling Offsides

“I promise, Daddy.”

“Thank you.” He’s quiet again for a beat; I’m about to say good night when he asks, “How’s the apartment? Everything okay?”

“The apartment? God, it’s huge. It’s… more than okay. I think it might be too much.”

“It's a great complex. All the guys that live there rave about it. Especially the rooftop garden and pool. There’s also a state of the art gym in the basement. Morrow and Hillier wax lyrical about it.”

“I’ll have to check it out?—”

“Not until Doc gives you the all-clear. I told him he’s to keep an eye on you until you’re one-hundred percent again. Seven stitches is not a joke, especially when it’s a puck wound. Those bastards cut deep.”

“It did leave me a little dazed.”

“Coach Hollinger said it knocked you clean out,” he bites back.

There’s nothing I can say to change the facts, so I remain quiet until he eventually tells me, “Get some rest. If you’re not feeling up to it, do not come in tomorrow. Nobody would judge you or think any less of you for it.”

“Okay, I’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”

“Good. Rest, Court.”

“I will.”

“And if you start feeling bad, call me. All right?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“I love you, Courtney.”

“You, too.”

When he hangs up, I switch back to Delilah. There’s something in my chest that doesn’t feel easy. Like a lump in my throat, except it’s in my heart or something.

“Let me guess,” Delilah says gently, “Coach Dad is spiraling.”

I exhale shakily. “He was just—he was trying, and I made it harder. He wanted to be there and I didn’t let him. And I feel like the worst.”

“You’re not,” she assures me. “You’re navigating an awkward situation. Don’t put pressure on yourself. You’re allowed to misstep.”

“I just want to do the job right.”

“You are. You’re also concussed and dealing with a lot of…feelings. Which means it’s time for an escape. Some comfort smut.”

She holds up her iPad. “Primal Touch, just dropped. We buddy-listen. You’ll fall asleep to a growly hero saying ‘mine’ on loop and wake up better.”

My lips twitch. “You want to listen to violent audioporn with me as I battle a potential TBI?”

“Exactly.” She props her phone up on her bedside table and tucks herself into bed, laying on her side to face the camera. “Put alarms on every hour.”

“Already done.”

“Of course it is.”

“You don’t have to stay on with me all night, you know.” I pull my iPad from my backpack along with my comfy headphones and set myself up.

“It’ll help me sleep on the flight to Mykonos tomorrow. You’re doing me a favor.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re going to come back to the States a tanned goddess with an Adonis on your arm.”

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