Page 31

Chapter thirty

Hudson

Nothing prepares you for moments in your life where you have to stand up and be the person you’ve always wanted to be. To stand up for something, or someone, you believe in. No amount of practice, no pep talk, no game-time adrenaline compares to this.

Standing in Daphne’s parents’ kitchen, under the glare of Coach’s unforgiving eyes, I feel the weight of everything I’ve said and everything I’ve promised. It’s crushing, but I can’t show that. Not here. Not now.

Coach isn’t just angry, he’s furious. His silence burns more than his words, the way he looks at me like I’m something he’d rather scrape off his shoe. But I can’t let that shake me. This isn’t about me, not really. It’s about Daphne, the baby, and the life we’re about to build together, the life that’s happening whether he approves or not.

“I’ll figure out a way to provide,” I’d said, and I meant it. But saying it in the heat of the moment is one thing. Proving it to a man who sees right through excuses is another. His skepticism is palpable, but I refuse to let it crack me. I’m not that kind of guy; my mama raised me better than that.

And yeah, it’s hard not to listen to Coach’s words replaying in my head . Each word he’d said to me tonight was intended to wound, to make me crumble.

He’s right, of course. I do have a lot to prove. To him, to Daphne, and to myself. I’ve always wanted to be the kind of person who steps up when it matters most, and I like to think I’m a pretty solid guy, but this is the moment that counts, the moment that will define me. And failure isn’t an option. Losing her or the baby isn’t an option either. I want her to see me choosing her over and over, because I know in my gut, that’ll never change. My fists clenched at my sides, every muscle in my body coiled tight. This wasn’t about me proving him wrong, it was about proving I was enough.

I glance at Daphne out of the corner of my eye. She’s sitting stiffly beside me, her hands twisted together in her lap. Her mom’s hand rests gently on her arm, but her dad… Her dad is all fire and judgment, barely keeping himself in check. I can see the hurt in her eyes, the way her shoulders are curled in like she’s bracing for more. It kills me to see her like this. I want to pull her into my arms and shield her from all of it, but I know that’s not how this works. I can’t protect her from this. I can only stand by her.

Coach finally breaks the silence once more. “I hope you can live up to your words, Hudson. You want my respect? You earn it.”

For a split second, I thought I saw something flicker in Coach’s eyes, maybe understanding, maybe just exhaustion, but it was gone as quickly as it came. His jaw tightens, and his gaze returns to its usual steel.

I nod, my throat tight. “I understand, sir.”

But sitting here facing the reality I’ve been terrified of confronting, I realize, it’s not his respect I care about most. It’s Daphne’s. When she looks at me, I want her to know I mean every word. I want her to feel like she can trust me, lean on me, believe in me. That I’m not just here because I have to be, but because I want to be. Because she and this baby matter more to me than anything else ever has. I want her to feel safe because I’m never letting her down.

“Sir?” I begin. “I know you don’t like me much right now, but don’t blame her for this. She needs you, don’t forget that.”

His eyes soften again just a little, enough to make me feel like I can leave this as it is and deal with whatever comes next.

I turn to Serena, who’s been quiet most of this exchange. “Thank you for letting me into your home tonight. If it’s okay with you, I’m going to take Daphne back to her dorm now. She needs the rest.”

Serena nods and stands, stepping toward Daphne. Her expression shifts from guarded to gentle as she wraps Daphne in a hug. She stiffens for a split second, before melting into the embrace. Her shoulders sag under the weight of everything that’s happened tonight, and she grips her mom’s arm like it’s the only thing keeping her upright.

I should look away, but I can’t, because what I see in Daphne’s face isn’t just exhaustion, it’s relief too. She needs this from her mom.

Her eyes find mine, and she mouths, thank you before squeezing her eyes closed.

Serena finally steps back, cups Daphne’s face, and says something I can’t hear. Daphne nods though with a watery smile.

“Daphne,” her dad says as he looks at her for a moment, his face calm enough to remind me that, beneath all the anger, he’s her father first. “We’ll…talk more soon. Just get home safe.”

Daphne nods, her throat bobbing as she swallows hard. “Okay, Dad,” she says, her voice breaking slightly. “I love you.”

His eyes glisten. “I love you too, kid.”

Her mom pulls her into a hug. “Call me tomorrow, okay? No matter what time. I need to know you’re okay.”

“I will, Mom,” Daphne replies as her lips tremble into the barest hint of a smile.

Mrs. James turns her focus to me then, her eyes scanning my face like she’s trying to see past the surface. “Hudson,” she says. “Take care of her.”

“I will, ma’am,” I promise, meeting her gaze. “I’ll do everything I can.”

Looking over at her dad, I give him a nod, and to my surprise, he nods back. I’m not sure what that means. He’s probably going to put me through my paces on the field. Those endless burpees he promised are definitely in my immediate future. I’ve got some work to do with him.

Daphne hesitates, glancing over her shoulder at her mom one last time, then opens the door. The cool night air brushes past us as we step outside, the sound of the door clicking shut behind us sounding louder than it should.

We walk down the path again, and when we get to the car, the heaviness of the that whole conversation sits like a boulder between us. But when Daphne spins around to lean against the passenger door, her hands automatically seek mine, and I don’t hesitate to take them. “That was…awful,” she whispers, her voice thick.

It was awful, but we’re through it. “They love you a lot. They might be mad now, but that’ll change.”

She sighs, deep and full of sorrow. “I couldn’t have done that without you. You were amazing.”

My lungs expand with a deep, satisfied breath. Stepping closer to her, I watch as her eyes widen slightly the nearer I get, until I’m almost touching her, but not quite. “I need you to know that I was serious back there,” I whisper, suddenly desperate to reassure her and feel her confidence in me. Her wide eyes lock onto mine, and I can see the storm of emotions swirling behind them. Fear, doubt, exhaustion. She presses her back against the car door, like it’s the only thing keeping her steady. “I meant it, Daph,” I continue. “Every word.” Her lips part slightly, but nothing comes out. She blinks rapidly, like she’s trying to hold back tears, and it makes me want to reach for her, to pull her into my arms and never let go. But I don’t. Not yet. I need her to hear this first.

“I know we haven’t known each other that long, and this is new for us,” I say. “But I want to spend this lifetime being a parent with you, alongside you, because from what I do know, you’re pretty awesome.”

Football taught me discipline, but this, being there for Daphne and our baby, this is what will make me a man.

Her baby blues take me in, and I know she sees what she needs in me when she smiles. “You’re gonna be a great dad, you know,” she whispers. Those words hit me harder than anything else tonight.

My heart pounds at the idea, but also, I realize she makes me feel good, grounded, and I need that. A tear escapes, rolling down her cheek. Before I can stop myself, I reach up and brush it away with my thumb. Her pink scrunchie still rests on my wrist, and she reaches up to run her finger over the fabric, smiling to herself.

Her gaze finally locks onto mine, and for the first time tonight, I see a glimmer of something other than fear in her eyes. That trust again. It’s tentative, but it’s there, and it’s enough to make me feel like maybe I’m doing something right.

In this moment I know, I’d do anything to protect her and our baby. I’ll work until I’m dead on my feet to make sure they’re safe and we can survive school and the next year until I get drafted. Ideas begin to rush around my head about how I can provide for us, but now, I want to make sure she’s okay after all that.

Pushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear, I let my hand linger on her face, slipping down to her neck, feeling the flutter of her pulse. “Now let’s go get dinner and ice cream. I’m starving, and I know you must be too.”

She smiles as she absently rubs her stomach. I can’t help but stare at her, wondering what the next few months are going to look like for her, for us. “Hmm, I think the baby wants pancakes.”

I grin. “With a chocolate milkshake?”

She flushes the prettiest pink before smiling up at me. “There’s no other milkshake that compares.”

She’s not making this easy on my heart here.

God, how am I supposed to keep it together when she looks at me like that? When she’s my actual dream girl? But I don’t say that. I just open the car door for her, letting her settle in before I close it behind her.

As I slide into the driver’s seat, I glance over at her. We just sit there in silence, the tension from earlier fading under the weight of something that’s becoming more… us. She’s staring out the window, her expression thoughtful, but there’s a calmness to her now that wasn’t there a few minutes ago. I hope some of that ease is because of me.

“Pancakes and chocolate milkshakes,” I say as I start the car. “I think we can handle that.”

She looks over at me, her smile widening just a bit. “Yeah,” she says. “I think we can.”