“I wasn’t aware that was necessary.”
He shrugs one shoulder. “Would have been nice to know if you accepted my apology.”
“Do you deserve it?” I don’t mean for the words to sound quite so bitter.
“Uh…” He looks away from me for a beat. “No, I guess not.”
“Well, there you go then. Excuse me, I should probably…” I step forward, expecting him to move aside considering his huge body takes up the majority of the hallway.
“I meant it, Casey. I’m sorry.”
I suck in a breath as the sincerity in his words rocks through me.
“What I said?—”
“Don’t,” I snap, risking another look up.
If he says anything to make me doubt what he said…well, neither of us needs that.
He’s one of my dad’s best players. And if luck is on my side, then I could be about to become his daughter’s coach as well.
We’ve already broken enough rules; we don’t need to be shattering any more.
“I get it. All of it. I understand, and if it makes you feel better, I do accept your apology. I’m sorry as well. I put you in an awful position. It was selfish and—” My words die as he steps closer, stealing every single one of my senses.
He drags his bottom lip along his teeth. Desire sits heavy in my lower stomach, remembering just what those lips are capable of.
He releases it and his chin drops, as if he’s about to say something, but another voice fills the hallway, forcing us to jump apart like naughty little kids.
“Yeah, I’m coming right now,” Dad barks—I assume into his phone—as his footsteps get louder.
“Shit,” I hiss before finally darting around Kodie and disappearing down the hallway.
“Rivers?” Dad says, surprise in his tone. “Everything okay?”
“U-uh, yeah,” he replies unconvincingly. “Meeting,” he mutters before heavy footsteps move away from me.
Without waiting around to find out what happens next, I rush down the hallway and jam my finger against the elevator call button to take me away.
32
KODIE
The buzzer sounds, the lights flash, and our fans go wild as we break our losing streak with an epic win at home for our final pre-season exhibition game.
This is the fucking thing I live for.
Spinning around, I search the crowd for my girl.
A wide smile spreads across my lips, and a laugh erupts when I find her on her feet, her arms in the air, jumping up and down, screaming my name.
Fuck. She is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
I glance at Mom, who’s much more composed in her celebration. She smiles at me and nods while Sutton continues bouncing beside her.
“Love you, Daddy,” she mouths, making my heart ache in my chest.
I didn’t think it was possible to love another human being this much. And I swear it only gets stronger every freaking day.
