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“Kaylee.”
“My dad is dying, Levi. I can’t.”
“Yes, you fucking can.” I grunt under my breath and close the distance between us.
Her watery eyes meet mine and I let out a moan and pull her against my chest. She melts into me, wrapping her arms around my body.
That’s fucking better.
Jesus, this woman.
After a few minutes, I pull her away and stare down at her beautiful face.
“What have you done?” When she attempts to glance away, I take her chin in my hand and force her eyes to mine. “What have you said to them?”
Her mother never looked at me the way she did tonight. She’s only ever been warm, friendly, and supportive of my future as a football player.
There wasn’t a hint of that tonight.
And it wasn’t grief.
What’s he doing here?
Kaylee and I were at the Hawkes Christmas party.
Not together.
Then she confessed she’d been lying to her dad about seeing me. I get that. I know we’ve lied to both our families. I understand that they would be upset, but I figure they know what happened between her and Colby.
Wait...
“Start talking.” I demand.
“They think you broke up with me,” Kaylee says.
“Because?” My voice is hard. She tries to move, but I force her eyes back to mine. “Because!”
“Levi, you don’t understand.” She hisses, grabbing at my arm. “Dad was cheated on. He loses his mind at Mom all the time, thinking she might be cheating. Imagine if he knew what I’d done. I couldn’t have him hate me.”
Jesus.
“Did you tell him I’d had the affair?”
Unbelievable.
“It wasn’t an affair!”
I drop my arms and take a step away. Running my hand through my hair, I turn back. “What did you say?”
“I said you thought I wasn’t good enough because I was on a scholarship and was just sleeping with you for association with the football league.”
In other words calling her a jersey chaser.
Which I had.
But not to her fucking parents.
“So all this time, they thought I was some asshole who believed he was too good for you. Talking shit about you.”