He’s right, especially when we don’t know what could come up. He’s being smart and I understand that, but I want to sleep together. I want to be a married couple.

“So don’t worry, okay?”

I nod. “Okay.”

He kisses me again and then goes to start the car as my phone goes off in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see that it’s my dad and soon I’m unable to breathe. I haven’t heard from or talked to him since I left New Jersey.

“Who is it?” Jace asks as he pulls out of the parking lot.

“My dad.”

His eyes widen and I shrug. “I wonder what he wants.”

“Don’t know. Answer it.”

Biting my bottom lip, I mutter, “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Dad.”

“I know, Dad. I have caller ID.”

“Oh yeah,” he says slowly, letting out a long breath. “How are you?”

“Good.”

“Still married and pregnant?”

“Yup,” I say simply. “Nothing’s changed.”

He sucks in a deep breath. “Okay, well, I wanted to let you know that we will be in Nashville two weeks before Christmas. We want to meet your…” he pauses and clears his throat “…husband, and we would like to see you.”

“Why?”

“Because you are our daughter.”

I make a face because I know damn well that isn’t the reason. “Okay, but why are y’all coming into town?”

“Matty is playing the Bullies, and this was one of the games we bought flights for. We figured we could watch him and see you at the same time.”

I know that shouldn’t make me mad. I know I should be happy he wants to see me, but it pisses me the fuck off because I know I’m not the original reason they are coming to see me. I haven’t heard from anyone, not even my mom. But now they are coming into town to watch Matty and figure they might as well see the daughter they made too. Whatever. If they were really concerned about me, or even meeting Jace, they would have come weeks ago.

“I think I’ll pass.”

“Why? Won’t you be at the game?”

“Yeah, to see my husband play, and that’s it.”

“Avery, we want to see you.”

“No, you are coming ’cause of Matty, and like always, I’m an afterthought.”

“That’s not true, Avery. We wanted to see both of you at the same time.”

But I don’t believe him. Fighting back the tears, I shake my head. “Dad, if that were true, why haven’t you come sooner?”

“I’m busy. I work all the time.”

Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “Yeah, whatever.”

“I’m not sure what that means.”

“It means if I see you, I see you. If I don’t, then I don’t.”

“You’ll see us. We want to go to dinner with you two. I’d like to get to know the boy who has married my daughter and made a child.”

I pause. “Dad, do you know his name?”

My dad pauses. “Sinclair.”

“First name.” I hear him typing and I shake my head in disbelief. “You’re googling him?”

Jace snorts from beside me as my dad says quickly, “No, Jace, his name is Jace.”

“Whatever.”

He pauses and then says softly, “Please, Avery, I want to see you.”

The sincerity in his voice leaves me breathless as I close my eyes. “Fine, I’ll talk to him and see if he wants to go.”

He chuckles. “He will. He isn’t stupid; he knows who I am.”

“Wow, okay.” I shake my head. “Very arrogant, Dad.”

“Maybe, but I want to see you.”

“Why?”

“Like I’ve said before, you’re my daughter.”

“Who you’ve cut off,” I remind him and he lets out a breath. I can’t say I was surprised when I went to use my credit card and it didn’t work. But I wonder if he would cut off Matty or Laurence if they got into a position like I did. I doubt he would have, and I really wonder what he would do if he found out Matty was gay. Not that I plan on telling him or anything, but I just wonder.

Would they get treated the same?

“You have a husband. You don’t need me.”

“You’re right. So I don’t need to see you.”

“Well, I’m asking to see you,” he says, his voice dropping an octave. “Please, Avery. Your mother is worried sick about you.”

“I bet. That phone is ringing off the hook.”

“Avery Rose, please. We want to see you. I feel you think things you shouldn’t, and I want to make them better.”

Make them better?

How do you fix eighteen years of shit?

When Jace squeezes my hand, I look over at him and he nods his head. “Just say yes,” he mouths and I shake my head, but he nods his once more.

Glaring, I say, “Okay, Dad. We will go to dinner with you.”

“Good, I’ll call you when we get in that Friday.”

“Okay.”

He pauses and he says very softly, “I love you, honey. I do, and I don’t know how that got forgotten, but I’m sorry for that.”

My heart stops as my eyes fall shut, shocked at the unexpected apology. “Dad, I never thought you didn’t love me, it’s just that you don’t care.”

“And that’s my fault. I’ll see you soon. I wish it were sooner, but the damn All-Star game is keeping me busy.”

“Yeah. Like always,” I say and I can hear the remorse in his voice.

“I’m sorry, love. I’ll be in touch.”

I don’t answer him, I just hang up and let my head drop. Squeezing my hand, Jace kisses the back of it. “That didn’t sound so bad?”

I shrug. “I just don’t know what he’s doing. Why does he care now?”

Pulling into a spot, he looks over at me. “Maybe he always has and didn’t realize he wasn’t showing it?”

“Maybe.” I think that over and I guess it could be true. He works constantly and I know his job is important, but I should be important too. Closing my eyes, I try to regulate my breathing because my heart has been pounding since I saw his number on my phone. I just don’t want to get my hopes up. I’ve wanted my dad and my mom to care about and love me for so long. I craved it. I don’t want my heart to be smashed again. When my chest starts to tighten, I suck in a deep breath and let it out, because I’ve got this. I can do this. I know the score. I just won’t go in there expecting things they aren’t capable of. No matter the sincerity in his voice, I have eighteen years of proof that I was second best to everyone.