I shrug in response, causing him to huff. I can see the wheels turning in his head. “You gonna invite me in?”

I debate telling him no and slamming the door in his face, but I know he’ll just come back. It’s better to get this over with while Kai’s gone. I don’t need the two of them seeing each other. I step aside to let him in, giving him as wide a berth as possible.

“Nice place,” he compliments.

“Thanks. What are you doing here, Dad?”

“We haven’t talked since your accident.” Oh, you mean right before I went into surgery when you called me not to check on me but to tell me my game was sloppy that day which is probably why this happened and walk me through what I needed to do to get started with recovery? I wonder why we haven’t spoken since. “I wanted to check on you, see how PT is going. You never told me who you’re working with.” For very good reason.

“Nope, I didn’t. PT is going great. Thanks for stopping by.”

“Don’t try to rush me out, girl.” His words take me back to when I was twelve years old, trying to please him. I hate that he’s still able to reduce me down to that. I’ve long given up on the hope that I could make him happy, but I still do what I can to not make him angry because when he’s angry, it takes forever to pick up the fragments of my life he shatters in his wake.

My fists tighten as he walks farther into my house. My skin crawls with every brush of his hand against something that belongs to me. He picks up Kai’s coffee mug and my hackles rise. My soul screams to demand he put it down because he has no right to touch his things. He doesn’t even deserve to exist in the same space as Kai. Instead, I keep my mouth shut because I can’t afford to clue him in to the fact that Kai is staying here. Shame coats my insides as I once again don’t stand against my father in defense of the only man who has ever put me first.

“Can I get you some water or something?” I’m so disgusted with myself.

He shakes his head. “No, I’m not staying. Just checking in. So who are you working with for PT?”

He hasn’t once asked how I’m doing. He’s only concerned with me getting back on that field. I don’t even think he sees me anymore. I’m just a means to an end. “I’m working with Kai Morris.” There’s no point in hiding it from him. He’ll find out eventually; I might as well stay ahead of it.