Chapter 38
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
maddox
“How was Hawaii?” Okāsan asks as she places the spread of sushi rolls and sashimi in front of me.
“It was beautiful. And the food was so delicious.”
Okāsan glares at me and I slink down in my seat. Grabbing the chopsticks, I pop a piece of sashimi in my mouth. “But not as good as yours!”
She smiles and settles into the chair next to me.
“Did you take surfing lessons?” Asami asks.
“We did. And I got my ass whooped by the waves. My dignity was taken away.”
I thought with me being an athlete, I would be a little better at it, but I was clearly wrong. I could tell our surfing instructor was trying to hold back from laughing when I kept falling. Annalise was a lot more graceful than I was and managed to stay on the board for a longer period of time.
“Please tell me you have videos of this.” Asami laughs.
Scrolling through my phone, I show my family the video of my failed attempt at surfing. Okāsan and Asami burst into giggles, and Otōsan’s lips twitch into a small smile.
“Did you go whale watching?” Okāsan asks.
I nod. “It was a phenomenal experience. It was so hard leaving Kauai. I was tempted to retire early and move there.”
Asami slips a piece of sashimi in her mouth. “You should’ve invited Annalise over for dinner tonight. I miss her.”
A big grin takes over my face. “You’ll see her tomorrow at the game.”
Excitement builds within me at the thought of seeing her in my jersey tomorrow while she cheers me on. When we were in high school, her presence in the crowd always eased my nerves and gave me the confidence to perform my best.
Asami lets out a squeal and her eyes light up. She and Annalise were very close when we were together, but lost touch once we split. I know Asami is more than thrilled to rekindle their friendship.
“I can’t wait to see her! Watching your games will be less boring now.”
I roll my eyes. “Okay, says the girl that’s on the edge of her seat during the entire game.”
“I’m so happy we will get to see Annalise more now.” Okāsan squeezes my shoulder. “Make sure you bring her over for dinner next time.”
“Yeah—we don’t care about seeing you, we wanna see her!” Asami reaches for the last big piece of sashimi, but I beat her to it.
“Hey, you greedy ass!”
I shrug. “I have a big game tomorrow. Need to make sure I eat enough to build up my energy.”
“How are you feeling about the game tomorrow, Masashi?” Okāsan asks.
“I’m pretty nervous, but I have a lot of faith in my team. We play against LA first, so I think we have a good chance of advancing to the next round.”
“You will, Masashi,” she says, smiling widely. “The championship is yours this year! I just know it.”
Swallowing, my eyes flicker to Otōsan. “Otōsan, will you, um, come to my game? It’s the first time in a decade that the Dragons have advanced to playoffs. It would mean a lot to me if you were there.”
Otōsan reaches for a glass of water and gulps it down. My stomach twists in knots as I wait for his response.
He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I can’t. Kamado Tech is about to release our new VR. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done.”
“Of fucking course,” I mutter under my breath.
I thought that with me playing for our hometown, and with it being the playoffs, he would change his mind—but I was wrong. I feel like a fucking idiot for even asking him.
Okāsan narrows her eyes at him, her arms folded across her chest. “Can’t you spare a couple of hours to be there for your son?”
“It’s okay, Okāsan,” I say, rising from my seat. “I don’t even know why I bothered asking. Nothing will ever be more important to him than his job.”
Otōsan clears his throat. “That’s not true. I have a deadline to meet. You have to understand.”
Heat crawls up my spine. I am beyond fed up with his excuses. “When are you going to accept the fact that I have no desire to take over your company? You supported Asami. Why can’t you do the same for me?”
Asami gets up from her seat and scratches the back of her neck. “I’m gonna use the bathroom…”
“You never thought I’d make it to the NBA, but I did.
I fought for every inch of it. Basketball was never just a hobby for me.
It’s my passion. My purpose.” All of the anger I’ve kept bottled up for years erupts at this moment.
“You know how much it means to me, yet you’ve never showed up for a single one of my games!
” My voice trembles, cracked and raw. “Why am I not good enough for you?” The words hang heavy in the air.
Otōsan stares down at his plate and remains silent.
Walking over to Okāsan, I plant a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow. Daisuki, Okāsan.”
“Daisuki, Masashi,” she says softly.
I storm out of my parents’ house and slam the door behind me. Pulling out my phone, I call the one person who always makes me feel better.
“Hey, can you come over? I need to see you.”
“What happened, Maddox?” Annalise runs her fingers through my hair as I rest my head on her lap.
“I got into it with my dad.” I let out a sigh. “I asked him to come to my game tomorrow. He used work as an excuse, like always.”
“Has he attended any of your games since you joined the league?”
“Nope.” I clutch a pillow as the heat rises in me. “I thought he would take me seriously when I played ball in college, but he didn’t. Then I thought he would start supporting me now that I’m in the NBA, but he still hasn’t shown up to a single fucking game.”
I stare up at the ceiling, blinking away the hot, angry tears that threaten to spill.
Her brows knit together, a scowl appearing on her face. “He’s ridiculous! You’re literally the number-one player in the league and so freaking successful. I don’t understand what his problem is.”
“I guess he’s still upset with me about not wanting to take over Kamado Tech, but I want nothing to do with it.
I don’t want to carry on his legacy. I want to build my own.
” I sit up straighter, fingers twisting in my lap as a tear slides down my cheek.
“I don’t know what else to do to prove my worth to him.
All I ever wanted was for him to be supportive of me the way he’s supportive of my sister. ”
She reaches over and gently swipes the tear away with her thumb.
“For what it’s worth, I’m incredibly proud of you.
I remember those thrilling nights watching you play in high school.
And now I get to witness your dream come true as you take the court in the NBA for the team you’ve always wanted to be a part of. ”
My heart swells with warmth, and the anger that once consumed me starts to dissipate.
“You may have grown up with a silver spoon in your mouth, but you busted your ass to get where you are now,” she continues.
“Many people would’ve given up, but you never did.
I truly admire your strength. I always have.
It’s one of your best qualities. Screw your dad for not seeing how extraordinary you are. ”
“God, I love you so much.” Wrapping her in my arms, I place a kiss on her temple. “Thank you for always being there for me, Rosie. It truly means a lot to me. When I have kids of my own, I’m going to let them be whoever they want and do whatever it is that makes them happy.”
Annalise places a gentle kiss on my lips. “You’re gonna make an amazing father one day, Dimples.”