Page 250 of Steeling Her
I’ve been looking at properties with my agent but nothing has jumped out at me. Nothing has been my style. I’ve been to a lot of homes between Beverly Hills, the Valley, West Hollywood, Calabasas, and Bel Air. Bel Air is the place I’m looking at the most due to it’s exclusivity and privacy. I need that. I like my down time without the paparazzi around to follow my every movement.
I don’t thrive on being famous, it’s part and parcel with my job, but I just don’t care. I’m flattered by the fans, but I don’t thrive on their attention. I stop and appreciate their support every time I see them or they recognize me, or I carry on about my day if they don’t.
I didn’t wish for this part of my life, but I knew it came with the job of being a professional football player. Some guys like it and others don’t.
As I walk towards my dad, I watch Haley eye the two of us. She and TJ don’t know that I went home for the two days before the game. They thought I was training in Arizona. I didn’t tell them anything. It was their assumption.
They don’t know that we finally had the chance to talk about what happened. Although I forgave him, time has to do its thing to heal us and our relationship. There is no quick fix to it and we both know it.
I stand tall and stare at my dad knowing both Haley and TJ are tense, not knowing what is about to transpire. I grin internally. I’m just messing with them. It’s only my dad’s smile that gave it away.
They still look confused; Haley in particular. I think more in the way that it is the last thing she could think of. She thought it was never a possibility that we could patch things up between us.
Treading lightly, she steps back at a little. I smile at her and so does my dad.
“No way!” she whispers. I could see her eyes beginning to well up and I roll my eyes. “You guys are okay now?” she asks.
“We’re getting there, sweetheart.” My dad reaches for her because she looks like she’s going to faint. “Now, come on, it may be night time but I’m still sweating. How ’bout y’all show me ’round your house. I haven’t been here before. I’ve just gone off the pictures you sent me.” He takes his daughter under his arm and guides her towards the door, but she keeps looking over her shoulder and back at me, like it all hasn’t sunken in for her just yet.
I’ll give her some time to digest it.
We all make our way in. TJ hangs back to lock up the car and get his and Haley’s things. She’s too preoccupied with showing our dad around the new house. He has only seen the house through pictures, and Haley is in the middle of redecorating it right now, so she talks him through her ideas.
Also, my dad does a good job of steering her nosy questions that she likes to ask away from us.
TJ enters into the foyer and dramatically kicks Haley’s cases, making one case wheel itself to the wall while the other topples over. He looks at me and mouths “I don’t give a shit” and shrugs his shoulder.
“TJ!” Haley yells from another room and he rushes to pick it up in an instant.
“Still don’t give a shit?” I tease him as he flips me the bird.
“Put that finger down!” Haley warns again as she enters into the foyer with my dad following behind her. He’s looking up at the ceilings and around the open space.
“Nothing that I’m not used to.” My dad chuckles with his hands on his hips. He’s dressed in khaki-green shorts and a collared grey t-shirt. “Your home is lovely, I’m sure it’ll turn out great based on what you told me, Haley.” He kisses her head.
There is an air of awkwardness between the four of us. All three of us are thinking the same thing.
Why is he here?
And judging by the look on my sister’s face, she looks like she’s going to cave in and ask that exact question. And also judging by the smirk on my dad’s face, he knows his daughters is going to do it.
“So, what brings you to LA, Dad?” I laugh under my breath but then get a harsh glare from her.
“Just a quick visit to see you guys.” He’s quick on the response for my sister, but I know it’s not the whole truth. Partial, but definitely not the full truth.
“Well, I think we should order some food instead. Are you hungry?” Haley asks him and begins to fish out her phone from her bag to start ordering some things for us to eat.
“Yeah,” we all respond. Haley handles the food while I walk into the kitchen for a fresh and cold water. My dad and TJ follow behind me, and I pass them each a bottle as we gather around the kitchen island in the center.
“So, why are you really here?” I get down to the real reason.
“Not beating around the bush, huh?” My dad chuckles as he takes a sip of the water. I wait for him to finish his drink and continue with what he’s going to say. He looks right at me and takes a deep breath. “When we were at the football field this weekend, talking about things, you told me that you were not the only one I should be apologizing to.” My heart drops into my stomach at the thought.
“How?” I ask in bewilderment.
“Your mom. She told me where she lived—”
“I know your intentions were right, but do you think that going to her home was the right thing to do?” I ask harshly, a little on the edge. Hell, I haven’t even seen her home.
