“Weeze,” I whispered. “Don’t do this.”
“Please, Clark. You need to go. Even being associated with me right now is not a good idea. I’m sure they are packing my desk as we speak. We need to take some time apart.” She sighed, lifting one shoulder as if it were the only option.
“Fuck them. I’ll leave. I’ll quit,” I hissed.
“And that helps how?” Her voice was hoarse, and she sounded exhausted. “That hurts you. That hurts my father. Hurting the two men I love most in the world is not something I strive to do. Just go home, Clark. I need to figure out how I salvage my relationship with my father and hope I can find a job somewhere else after all of this.”
“You’re not going anywhere.” My gaze locked with hers, and I saw it there.
She’d made her decision. She wasn’t going to change her mind, at least not tonight.
She wanted me gone. She was hurt and humiliated, and I’m sure it didn’t feel good that I hadn’t even been called in. I just happen to walk in all on my own.
No one had called me out or humiliated me.
They saved it all for her.
“Please, baby. Tell me what I can do to fix this, and I’ll do it.”
“You can give me the space I need right now. That’s all you can do for me.” Her bottom lip trembled. “I’m asking you to respect that. I can’t talk about this anymore tonight.”
Fuck. The one thing she needed from me was the one thing I didn’t want to do.
“All right. Yeah, if that’s what you want.” I took a step back, trying not to sound wounded. She didn’t need to worry about me on top of all she was dealing with.
“It’s what I want.” She walked to the door and pulled it open.
“I love you, Weeze.”
But she didn’t say a word. She just closed the door the minute I stepped outside.
As if she couldn’t wait for me to be gone.
I basically just ruined her life.
Who could blame her for wanting me gone? But I couldn’t do nothing. If she didn’t want me there, she needed to have someone there.
I climbed into my truck and pulled out my phone.
Because I was determined to fix the mess I’d made.
thirty-two
. . .
Eloise
I satin the tub and cried until my fingers pruned and there were no tears left.
I was physically sick to my stomach.
My head was pounding, and I just kept playing the conversation over and over in my head.
Who knows who else she’s sleeping with on the team?
Your daughter is having an affair with our most valuable player at the moment. She could cost him his career because she couldn’t keep her legs closed.
I shook my head and dragged myself out of the lukewarm water and dried off. I slipped on a robe and stopped to look in the mirror. My hair was tied up in a scrunchie, my skin looked pale, my eyes were swollen and bloodshot, and my lips were chapped.