Page 131 of Reputation (Tempt)

When he set me down, Brooklyn was smiling at me. “Way to go, Emmy!”

“Thanks!” I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. “And thanks for my good luck bracelet.” I held it up, and she preened.

Dad was next to join me, his smile watery and full of pride. “I knew you had it in you.”

Reporters converged on us, and I could feel my chest tighten from his words, his expression. But I was exhausted after finishing the final three events, including the 800 meter. And I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to give a proper retort. Not on the heels of my victory. Not with so many people watching our every move.

I sucked down a recovery drink and did a few quick interviews while we waited for the medals ceremony. As I stood on that podium and looked out over the crowd, seeing the faces of the people I loved, I was filled with a sense of peace. Of rightness.

This was my last race, and I had dominated. I mean,damn.My alter ego sure had come through for me. She’d been at my side during every event, every doubt, and every success. And so had Nate.

Dad draped his arm over my shoulder as we walked off the field together. He didn’t say anything about the future, and neither did I. And for that, I was grateful.

It wasn’t until we met for dinner that he broached the topic. Nate had reserved a private room at the restaurant at the Huxley Grand, where everyone was staying. Kendall was chatting with Astrid about her residency. Brooklyn and Nate were discussing what she wanted to order. Papa J and Knox were debating men’s fashion, of all things, especially that of the LA Leatherbacks players. I had to laugh, and I was happy to relax and revel in my achievement with all the people I loved most in the world.

Dad came to stand next to me. “I’m proud of you, Emmy. I know you wanted to quit, but I hope you’re glad you didn’t give up.”

“I am,” I sighed. It had been a long road to get here, and I couldn’t have done it without his support. “Thank you for believing in me. For pushing me, even when I wasn’t happy about it.”

He hugged me to his side. “Always.”

“That said, I haven’t changed my mind about retiring,” I said, wanting to get it out of the way. “It feels good to go out on a high.” I felt as if a weight had released from my shoulders. “I have nothing left to prove.”

“You don’t need to make any decisions tonight. Not when you’re still coming down from the race. These are big decisions—retiring, getting married. I just want to make sure you think things through. That you’re making the decision that’s best foryouand for the right reasons.”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s tonight or in a week or even a month, I’ll still want to retire. I know you might not want to believe this, but I’m doing this for me. This is what I want. What Ineed.”

He nodded, considering, and I braced myself for a fight. Finally, he said, “I’m not happy about your decision, but I will respect it.”

“You will?” I blurted, surprised he wasn’t trying to stall for more time for me to reconsider or talk me out of it.

“Don’t you remember what I always said about quitting?”

I furrowed my brow, trying to recall his words. “Whenever I’d tell you I wanted to quit, you’d say, ‘Okay. You can quit, but only on a good day.’”

“Exactly. And today was a good day.” He smiled.

“It was, but I still want to quit.”

He nodded, his expression solemn. “What about Nate?”

“What about Nate?” I asked.

“Oh, Emmy,” Papa J interrupted in a chipper voice. “You did amazing today.” He hugged me to him.

A muscle in Dad’s jaw twitched, and I sensed there was more he wanted to say. He opened his mouth, but Papa J cut him off.

“Declan,” Papa J chided with a shake of his head as he released me. “Not tonight.”

“If not tonight, then when? At the wedding?”

“What’s going on?” I asked, glancing between them just as Nate joined us, placing his hand on my lower back.

“You okay?” Nate asked.

Dad turned to me, ignoring Nate’s warning glare and Papa J’s plea to let it go. “Is this really the life you want?”

“Declan,” Papa J hissed, clearly horrified.

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