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Her eyes harden on mine. “My parents weren’t just worried your father knew the truth. He was blackmailing them.”

I bark out a laugh, sure she’s joking. Any second, she’ll snicker and deliver the punchline.

When she doesn’t say anything else, I shake my head. “He wouldn’t do that. My father has always made his money by the sweat of his brow. He’s not the type to?”

“Not for money, but because he doesn’t want us together. He threatened to take what he knows to the media.”

I stare at her for a moment before I rise to my feet, studying her in the silence while my emotions churn inside of me. “That’s insane. He has zero reason to do that.”

“But what if he did?”

“Why are you doing this?” I narrow my eyes at her, frustration bubbling inside my chest. “Are you trying to create problems between us that don’t exist?”

She flinches like I’ve slapped her. “No. I’m just trying to be honest with you.”

“By making up wild accusations about my father?” I run a hand through my hair. “This is coming out of nowhere. My dad can be overbearing and hyper focused on my career, sure, but blackmail?”

Ridiculous.

Then it dawns on me. This isn’t about my dad at all. She’s spooked and creating obstacles because things are getting serious between us. Or maybe she’s having second thoughts. Maybe she’s scared of losing everything and has decided I’m not worth the risk.

And then another thought hits me.

Or maybe her parents weren’t really the reason she called it off, after all. Maybe that was just some story she made up in the hopes I might forgive her.

My heart misses a beat as I soften my tone. “Look. I get it. We’re moving too fast, and with all the talk about the possibility of entering the draft early, there’s some uncertainty. If you’re feeling overwhelmed—”

“That’s not what this is,” she snaps, color rising in her cheeks. “Why won’t you even consider what I’m saying?”

“Because it makes no sense!” I throw my hands up. “My dad has his faults, but he wouldn’t blackmail anyone. He’s not that guy. Unlike your father, mine actually has a moral compass.”

A bitter laugh spills from her lips as she looks at me through watery eyes. “Right. And what about me? You just think I’m lying for the hell of it?”

I stare at her, heart thumping wildly as fear wraps around my throat, and I say, “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

It wouldn’t be the first time.

Fuck.

Why did I say that?

Why did I have to go there?

Because I was pissed. Pissed that she would even insinuate my father had anything to do with this whole mess when he only ever supported me. Hell, he called me every fucking day after she broke my heart to make sure I was okay. He knew more than anyone what it felt to fall under the crushing weight of heartache.

And, okay, if I’m being honest, I’m more than a little scared history is repeating itself. That she’s pulling away again and creating problems when there are none.

I stare down at my breakfast—the one I was supposed to share with her—and recall the way she flinched after I called her a liar. How my words caused the moisture in her eyes to spill over. Worse yet, I was so blinded by my own irritation and fear that I let her leave, instead of smoothing things over.

To say we left things on bad terms is an understatement, and because the team couldn’t get flights out until tomorrow morning, I won’t see her until I’m back in Ann Arbor.

“Are you gonna eat those?”

I lift my gaze from my plate to find Chris staring down at the heap of hash browns on my plate. I stare at him for a second, wondering how he can eat right now before I realize he wasn’t the one who just had a fight with his girl, then sent her on her way. That was me, all me.

I wordlessly slide my plate toward him, then stare into my coffee cup with a frown.

“All you do is eat,” Jace grumbles. “You’re like a fucking garbage disposal.”