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“Yeah. To him, Des betrayed him just like I did.”

Hunter didn’t betray him. All he did was fall in love with Coach Blake’s son and refuse to let the man run his life. And Des, well, Des stuck up for his boy and didn’t want to be a part of that.

I have to give him props for that.

“I don’t fucking get it.”

“You and me both,” Hunter replies, and I know how hard this must be on him, know that the emotions are complicated because before everything went down with Hunter and Lucas, he considered Coach Blake like a father to him.

“Lucas is calling,” he says when the phone buzzes in his hand.

There was a time when Ree would call me after every game. Well, either she would call me, or I would call her, but that lessened over the years. It’s strange because we’re still close, and there are no hard feelings between us, but it’s like we both realize we need to cut the cord in more ways than one. Yes, we’re separated, but our lives have been entwined for so long that we need to learn how to have some space between us.

I do make a quick call to Tiana, though, and talk to her as we drive to the hangar. She’ll be in bed when I get home, and I listen while she runs through everyone’s stats, who had a great game and who could have done better.

I happened to fall into the last category tonight.

While I can’t say I’m proud of that part, I love her for telling me—for her excitement and knowledge of the game.

“Kansas City played a really dirty game tonight,” she informs me.

“So I heard.” How does that make Des feel? What’s going through his head right now?

Why do I care?

“He played good, though. Better than you.”

I chuckle. “Thanks, T.”

“It’s only one game. You’ll do better next time, and you’re still my favorite player!”

“I better be,” I joke. “We’re about to pull up at the hangar. I gotta go. Love you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Love you too, Daddy. I’m proud of you!”

Those four words plug up all my empty places. When I stress about letting people down, failing, and all the other shit that plagues me, being her father and making her proud makes everything else worth it.

I’ve always been good at sleeping on flights, and tonight is no different, but once I’m home, I’m wide awake.

I climb into bed in my underwear, finally feeling comfortable enough to scroll over to where the app is hidden on my phone and click it.

My message from earlier in the day is there, along with a reply.

Me: Good luck, man. You got this.

GameOn057: You’re motherfucking right I do! I killed it… Okay, that might be going a little too far, but I got the result I was looking for.

What do you do? I wish I could ask, but that’s not what we do. While we share things about ourselves, we skip over stuff like that, like somehow it will ruin what we have between us.

Me: I knew you’d do well.

GameOn057: Tell me more…

I smile.

Me: Fuck no. I take it back. You’re cockier and cockier the more I talk to you.

GameOn057: And do you like that? If so, I’ll make sure to do it more often.