Page 103 of Fall For Me
“Shut the fuck up, Aiden Brodie. I don’t want to hear another goddamn word about my sister from your mouth.”
I don’t place any blame on Aiden. Guys talk, and he had no idea who Viv was to me, but fuck . . . I heard way too many details to last me a lifetime. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get the visual images out of my mind. I love my sister, but she’s a little pinche cabrona for pulling that shit.
Aiden’s voice echoes in the stall next to mine. “I just want to get my little girl from Kat and go home. It’s too late for her to be out.”
Drying off, I wrap my towel around my waist, then step out of the shower. I’m damn near crawling out of my skin to get back home to my girl. “Book us a commercial flight, and I’ll talk to Coach.”
Normally that wouldn’t fly with Coach, but we don't have a game tomorrow night, so everyone is heading back to New York anyway.
“I don’t know how I’m gonna do this, man . . . Dragging her place to place . . .” Aiden trails off, pulling clean clothes out of his bag. “It’s not the life I wanna give her, but I can’t leave her with someone else either. It makes me sick to even think about being away from her.”
“You’re a good dad, you know that?”
“I’m trying.”
“Hannah grew up on the road and look how she turned out. She’d be the first to tell you it’s one of the things she loved most about her life. Don’t beat yourself up,” I say, grabbing my bag and heading toward the conference room for the post-game interview.
Jade runs to Aiden with pom-poms in her hand and squeals, “Daddy! That game was AWESOME!”
“Did you have fun, princess?” he asks, picking her up and twirling around.
I swear her giggles are the best fucking sound.
“I did,” she answers, shaking her pom-poms in his face. “Look what Mammaw bought me.”
He glances over at Katherine as she fiddles with her necklace. “Hope you don’t mind if she calls me that. I-I guess I should’ve asked you first, but she heard Tucker and?—”
“It’s good, Kat. Thank you for including her.”
Coach storms out of the conference, red-faced and fuming.
“Is it time for us to go in?” I ask.
“Press conference is over,” he snaps. “Who the fuck told them about Hannah?”
Like Hannah, Coach obviously doesn’t pay attention to gossip either. Ignorance is bliss until it fucking blindsides you.
I blow out a puff of air. “I don’t know, but I saw the rumors this morning.”
“Dammit! I need to call Hannah.”
“She’s fine. I already called her,” I try to tell him, but he holds up a hand, his phone already out and calling his daughter.
Aiden and I glance at each other as Coach places the phone to his ear. “Hannah, where are you? At a what?! I-I can’t hear you.”
The music is so loud that I can hear it from the other end of the call, and I’m standing several feet away from him.
“She’s at a rave with Granny,” Aiden says.
“A rave?!” Coach yells into the phone. “Are you crazy?”
He takes off his ballcap, slapping it on the side of his leg. Oh, he’s pissed.
“I don’t care if you’re a grown ass woman . . . The paps—” Pulling the phone from his ear, he stares down at it, then cast his gaze to us. “She . . . She hung up on me.”
“Look, Coach. I have someone there looking out for her now, but I want to get back to her before tomorrow. And Aiden wants to get Jade home.”
“Yeah, you two go ahead. Will you text me and let me know that she made it home alright?”
