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JACKSON

I clear my throat, uncomfortable silence hanging thick in the air as Slade stares, looking like he might strangle us with his bare hands at any moment. I’ve known this man for most of my life and have seen him in many situations, but I’ve never been more terrified of him than I am right now as Hawk and I wait for him to speak.

“So,” he begins, “I understand you’re both in a relationship with my daughter.”

Fucking awkward.

“Yes, sir,” Hawk pipes up, doing his best to sound confident when I know damn well that he’s shitting his pants too. “We love her very much.”

Slade narrows his eyes, looking between us. It’s giving off I’m plotting your murder vibes, and I’ve never wanted a conversation to be over as badly as I do this one right now. But stepdad or not, he’s the father of the woman I love, so I’ll be respectful and let him say his piece. “I have some questions before I give you my blessing. First of all, are you planning on marrying her? Having babies? How will all of that work?”

Fuck . As much as I know Arden is our endgame, we haven’t really discussed all of that in depth. It’s a complicated situation, and I have no idea how it’ll look for us. I open my mouth to tell him that, but Hawk interrupts with an answer.

“As far as marriage goes, it’ll be completely up to her. If she wants to marry one of us, that’s fine. If she wants to do a commitment ceremony where we all say our vows, but there’s no paperwork, we’ll be good with that. She’s the boss. And we’ll leave the babies up to fate. Whether Jackson or I end up being the biological father won’t matter, because we’ll always be a family, and we have plenty of love to give.”

I turn my head, several emotions swirling around in my chest as I look at him. It’s hard to believe this is the same guy who pushed everyone away, falling into darkness all alone night after night, until I came along and forced my way into his life. He’s worked so hard on himself, and I’m filled with pride as I watch him talk about the future like it’s the most natural thing ever.

“Okay,” Slade says, relaxing back into the plush couch cushions and pulling his foot up onto his knee. “And what happens when the public comes after the three of you for being together? You boys will get off easy, but I have a feeling they won’t extend the same kindness to Arden for dating two of Daytona’s most popular athletes at the same time. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to shield her from that?”

I swallow, glancing at Hawk to tell him I’ve got this one. As much as this particular issue scared me—and was a factor in my decision to leave—the answer to his question is crystal clear. “You’re right,” I begin, my expression softening as I speak. “People will talk. They’re going to call her names and question her character. But the thing I realized over the weeks we were apart is that the love we have for each other is stronger than anything some shitty keyboard warrior can throw at us. Hawk and I are prepared to show the world how we feel about Arden, and that having her heart makes us both better men. We’ll stand by her side, no matter what, and she’ll fall asleep every night knowing that she’s exactly where she belongs.”

Seemingly satisfied with my words, he nods his head, a ghost of a grin tugging at one corner of his mouth. "Alright, fine," he relents. “But if either of you hurt her, you’ll be dealing with me.”

“Dad,” Arden says, rolling her eyes in annoyance as she enters the room. “Leave them alone.”

His face lights up with pure happiness as he stands, welcoming his daughter with open arms. She melts into the embrace, smiling softly against his chest. I’ve always loved their bond, and one day, I hope I’m half the selfless father he is. “I’m just giving them the rundown, honey,” he replies. “Gotta make sure they’re taking care of my baby girl.”

“They’re perfect gentlemen.” She winks in our direction, almost making me bark out a laugh because we’re far from gentlemen when it comes to her. Just last night, Hawk told her what a pathetic slut she was while I overstimulated her with my tongue for hours. That’ll be our little secret, though.

We spend the rest of the evening hanging out with my mom and Slade, eating dinner and talking about what happened at the Flare facility earlier. I knew Dahlia targeting Arden had to be personal on some level, but I certainly wasn’t expecting it to go back so many years. Either way, I’m glad they took care of the situation so the world can continue to watch my girl shine.

We head to bed early since she has a match tomorrow and needs a solid night of sleep. It’s a little weird going into Hawk’s room instead of my own as our parents head toward the other end of the hall, but I’m relieved that we no longer have to hide from them. Do I plan on fucking her into oblivion while they’re under the same roof as us? No. But it feels good to know I can hold her while we sleep and not be worried about getting caught. Now that we have their approval, I have a plan to show the rest of the world just how happy Arden makes us, and how we’re never letting her go.