Page 132 of The Hearts We Fumble
“I gave it everything I had,” I say, echoing Wyatt’s words.
Her fingers slip under my arm, grounding me, but my father doesn’t waver.
“And it still wasn’t enough.”
The words land like a punch to the gut. But I shouldn’t be surprised. This is how it’s always been. No matter what I do, how hard I fight, I’ve never been enough for James Kinnick.
My fists curl at my sides. My pulse pounds in my ears.
I can’t do this. Not tonight.
“You know what?” My voice comes out rough, raw. “I spent my whole life trying to make you proud. Pushing myself until I had nothing left, trying to be worthy of the Kinnick name. And no matter what I did, it was never enough.”
His expression doesn’t change, but I keep going.
“You think I don’t know how people see me? How the world sees me as the son of James Kinnick? The only one who didn’t follow in your footsteps into basketball? Hell, look at Luca—how he sees me. He hates me because he thinks I was handed everything he never got.”
I shake my head, a bitter laugh slipping out.
“Golden ticket, huh? Turns out everything you touch tarnishes.”
The words hang heavy between us. He doesn’t argue. He doesn’t say anything at all.
And that’s when I realize—he never will.
I exhale slowly, forcing myself to meet his eyes.
“I’m done. I’m done trying to be enough for you.”
Something flickers across his face—surprise, maybe. But I don’t plan to stick around and find out. Then Wyatt’s voice comes, soft but certain.
“There’s someone else who wants to see you too.”
The way she says it, the way she watches me, makes my stomach tighten.
I follow her gaze—and my chest locks.
Luca.
He’s standing a few feet away, arms crossed, jaw tight.
My rival. My half brother. The guy who spent an entire season trying to get under my skin.
But now, there’s no fire in his eyes. No hostility.
Maybe even a silent understanding.
Neither of us moves.
For a long moment, we just stand there, the weight of everything unspoken crackling between us like static in the air.
We both watch as my father disappears into the crowd, his presence lingering even after he’s gone. Luca shifts, exhaling like he’s been holding something in too long. “Tough loss.”
I let out a dry laugh. “Yeah, no shit.”
The silence lingers thick between us. I wait for him to throw one last dig, to twist the knife while I’m already down.
But he doesn’t.
