Chapter 24 #3
I’m grinning like a fool as I mosey down to the beach, feeling rested and well-prepared to train today. When I surf now, all I hear is Willow’s laugh bouncing off the waves. A gentle encouragement, a reminder that someone out there is always rooting for me, no matter the circumstance.
Her father claims it’s dedication, structured training, and a range of environment that’s resulted in the improvement I’ve had over the last month, but I know it’s her.
She makes me better—a better athlete, a better man. I want to repay her for it tenfold. I want to remind her that I support her dreams as intensely as she does mine.
I shoot Penelope a text as I shuffle down the stairs that lead to the beach.
Can I use your classroom after you finish your lecture today? It’s a surprise for Willow.
Penelope:
As long as it doesn’t involve any naked body parts on any of my desks, yes.
Scout’s honor.
I reach the sand before Leo, completing a series of stretches while I wait for him to arrive.
As I move through my flow, my mind reels with ideas as a plan begins to form.
I’m practically vibrating with excitement when he shows up, asking far too enthusiastically, “What are Willow’s favorite flowers? ”
He frowns, crossing his arms. “Awfully focused this morning, are we?”
“You’ll have my undivided attention as soon as you answer.”
“Sunflowers.” He rolls his eyes, but his lips twitch upward. “Because they follow the sun. They’re always drawn to light. She loved that fact when she was a little girl.”
“That sounds like something she’d love.” I smile. “Do you think it would be possible for me to take the afternoon off from Heathen’s?”
“I suppose,” Leo drawls, raising a brow slowly. “What for?”
“Was gonna drive over to Golden State and see Penelope. She’s teaching her lecture there today.” I rock back and forth on my heels.
“The same lecture my daughter assists?”
“Oh, is that . . .” I cough a laugh, rubbing the back of my neck. “I completely forgot she’d be there.”
“I’m sure.” He deadpans. “Impress me today, and we’ll see.”
Hours later, I’m panting, dripping with saltwater, and high off one of the best training sessions of the summer, smiling like a goddamn fool as I wade out of the waves beside Leo. The swell is choppy today, the conditions less than ideal, and yet I performed damn near flawlessly.
“So…” I plop my board into the stand, tilting my head at Leo as a shit-eating grin splits my face. “How about that afternoon off?”
He scoffs, rolling his eyes, though I don’t miss the twitch of his lips. “I suppose I could find someone to cover for you, but—”
A chiming erupts from the bag at my feet where we keep our phones and towels. I squat to check, and find it’s my phone ringing with a number I don’t recognize, and several previously missed calls from the same number. When I silence it, Leo asks, “Who is it?”
“Dunno.” I shrug. “No ID.”
He nods toward my screen, jaw hard set and strained. “Answer it.”
His tone leaves no room for question, so I swipe my thumb across the screen and raise my phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Is this Weston?” The voice on the other side of the line is deep and stern.
“Yeah? Who’s this?”
“Are you dating Willow Graham?”
I glance at Leo before muting myself. “He asked if I’m dating Willow.”
Leo puts his hands on his hips, raising his head toward the sky as he lets out a long sigh. “Fuck.”
I unmute myself. “Why don’t you tell me who I’m talking to and maybe I’ll answer your question.”
“Speaker,” Leo barks, and I tap the speaker phone button.
“Is that Daddy?” The rough laugh echoed on the other side grates every nerve ending in my body. “He know that his daughter is fucking a criminal? Attempted murder, if the article I read from after you were stripped of your title is correct.”
Shame mists over me, and I flick my gaze away from Leo. Of course, he knows everything. He accepted me and my past, but that was before I got involved with his daughter, and the truth of who I am—who I come from—is a sucker punch for both of us, I’m sure.
“Fuck you,” I grit, masking the humiliation in my voice with rage.
He laughs again. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, though. Really, Weston, I’m a friend. I’m offering you a warning, man. You should be aware of the kinda girl you’re with now. Did you know she—”
“Parker,” Leo snaps, ripping the phone from my hand. I stumble back, feeling helpless as I watch him bring my phone to his mouth. “I thought I told you to stay the fuck away from us?”
I don’t know the right way to respond to this situation, and it almost feels as if my incompetence radiates off me, catching onto Leo’s frustrations.
Parker scoffs, and there is a long, silent pause before the lines goes dead. Leo’s jaw is clenched, chin quivering as he raises his eyes to mine—they’re aflame with rage. The way they flare when he studies my face tells me I’m giving off a similar expression.
“We need to tell Willow this is happening.”
Leo inhales deeply, eyes falling shut as he hands my phone back to me. He runs a hand down his face, but nods. “Just . . . I need to talk to a friend of mine at the police department and figure out what our options are. Please wait until I have plan, all right?”
I chew on my cheek. “I don’t feel right about keeping this from her.”
“You think I do?” He throws his hands up. “I’m at a fucking loss here, Weston. I need some time to figure out a plan, because I can’t sit my daughter down and tell her he’s doing this when I’m fucking helpless to fix it!”
Nodding, I swallow. “You’re right. I’ll .
. .” I have no idea how to fix this, either.
If Parker were standing in front of me right now, I’d fucking pummel him.
I know well that the only resources I have against men like that are my fists.
I can’t offer Willow much protection outside of that, but Leo has connections.
He has money and status. He can do something to make Parker leave her alone for good, and I need to give him the chance to set something in place.
It’ll be better for Willow in the long run.
“You know what he said wasn’t true, right?” Leo asks, tone softer now than before. He gently places a hand on my shoulder as he guides us toward the stairs that lead back to the main house. “I don’t think that way of you, and neither does Willow.”
Yet, I can’t help but think that way of myself.
“Factually, he’s not wrong. I was charged with attempted murder and stripped of my title. That information is floating around in the world for anyone to find.” Information—a reputation—that will undoubtedly affect Willow just because she’s choosing to be with me, and that guilt slices deep.
“You think nobody ever unearthed my mistakes, my past, and printed them too?” Leo pauses halfway up the cliff, glancing back at me with quirked lips.
“Comes with the territory when you’re the best of the best at something.
Those who could never live up to your achievements in their wildest dreams will always look for ways to bring you down to their level, so they can feel more secure about themselves.
You gotta learn to block out the noise. You’ve got to stop letting your history define who you are today, and who you want to become tomorrow. ”
I nod, wordlessly following him back to the garage so we can return our boards.
“With all that being said,” Leo continues, holding the door open for me.
“I think it would be in Willow’s best interest that nothing about your .
. . relations be public until this shit with Parker is resolved for good.
I’d prefer you hold off on posting about each other online.
Even with Parker being blocked, he’s clearly still finding ways to dig up whatever information he can to use against her, and unfortunately, you’re not exempt from that. ”
I chew on my lip, stripping out of my wetsuit.
I hadn’t thought too deeply about where our relationship stands publicly until this moment.
She hadn’t seemed eager to post any photos of us online, and while it’s possible I could be interviewed after the Challenger this weekend, it’s not often that athletes are questioned about their relationship status.
Though, if I ever were to be asked, I probably would’ve bragged about Willow.
“I understand,” I murmur as I place my board on the rack and Leo’s on the wax bench.
“Please let me know if you hear from him again,” he says sternly as he heads toward the exit of the garage while I get busy sorting through the duffle bag we keep the waxing kits in. “And go ahead and take the afternoon off. I’ll handle the surf shop.”
“I will,” I promise. “And thank you.”
His footsteps shuffle over the cement floor as he moves to leave.
“Leo,” I call back after him. “Let me know if there is something I can do to help. Please. Give me a chance to show you I can take care of her.” I can’t stop Willow from having a shitty ex, and I can’t take back the mistakes of my past or the toxic blood that runs through my veins, but I can fight like hell to ensure that she remains as untouched by as much of that darkness as possible.
He looks at me over his shoulder, offering a shallow dip of his chin before he wordlessly stalks away.