know the Vice family, right? The hotel franchise bazillionaire company that just bought our team?”
“Oh yes, of course! They’re, like, seriously rich folk. Yachts and all that shit.”
“You have no idea. So we had this cocktail party thing with all the Riders players and staff to celebrate the new ownership with the Vice family and executives.” I run my thumb along the brim of my mug, barely able to look my sweet grandma in the eyes when I say what happened next. “The Vices have a daughter.”
“Oh yes!” She smiles. “All boys and a girl. I searched them up on the Google when I heard about the new ownership. I had no idea that was who you were skating with! I mean, holy hell!”
“You’re tech savvy these days, aren’t you? Well, her name is Ellie. We met that night, and we really hit it off.” I bite back the bittersweet memory. “It was…”
“True love?” Grandma asks with wide eyes and a glimmering smile.
“Well, uh, no.”
She folds her arms and glares at me, taking a swig of tea. “You slept with her.”
I cringe a little. “We liked each other. A lot.”
“Did it at least turn into true love?” she asks with a hopeful whine.
I thought so. I wanted it to. Maybe it did.
“There’s more to the story.” I run a hand through my hair and take a deep breath. “I’ll just cut to it. Ellie Vice got pregnant that night.”
She gasps and physically jumps back in her seat. “Good heavens, that’s a twist!”
“No kidding. Long story short, she ended up doing PR for me, and we got really close. We started to really fall for each other. At first, I thought I just had a crush because, well, she’s completely out of my league. But then it developed into something that felt…real.” I clench my jaw. “And with the baby and all…of course I want to be a father and be there for my kid.”
“Well, absolutely. There’s no question about that.”
“Well…it’s a little complicated. Her family is, as you know, crazy-rich and crazy-powerful. They, uh, they don’t exactly see me as a good fit for her. Plus, they found out by walking into the hospital while she was having an ultrasound, and I was there with her.”
“Wow. That’s almost as Hallmark-y as the ice skating.” Grandma stares, utterly riveted.
“Yeah. They were…less than thrilled when they found out who I am, though. Especially Christopher. He takes ‘overprotective father’ to the next level. And he basically thinks I’m completely unworthy of being with Ellie, or being in her life or the baby’s life at all.”
“Well, he’s a bastard. And he’s wrong. Simple as that.”
“See, but it’s not quite that simple. He’s essentially in charge of me. In charge of my entire career, really. He wants to do what’s going to keep Ellie and the baby as safe and happy as possible, which of course I understand. But to put it in basic terms, he threatened my contract and position on the team and basically my whole future as an NFL player. Well, not technically him. He sent in his lawyer to do the dirty work. But, you get the idea.”
She draws back in shock. “And I hope you told him to take his little threat and shove it straight where the sun don’t shine, right?”
I exhale slowly, the weight of everything pressing hard on my chest. “No, I didn’t. Because…I don’t know, Gram. He’s kind of right. She has more than everything she needs with that family, and I just complicate things. We never would have been together if it weren’t for an accidental pregnancy. I probably wouldn’t have even seen her again. We’re from different universes.”
“So…what? You just give up? Just like that?”
“Grandma.” I lean forward. “This is my NFL career. This is everything I’ve worked for and dreamed of since I was five years old throwing a football in the front yard a thousand times after dinner every night.”
She swallows and furrows her brow, disappointment flashing in her eyes and stabbing me.
“He told me it’s best for everyone if I step away, and that’s what I’m doing.”
“No.” She sets her mug on the coffee table and waves her hands. “No. That can’t be the end of the story!”
“Yes, it is.” A lump rises in my throat, and I try my best to push it away. “That’s the end of the story.”
The reality feels like a sucker punch.
Grandma is shaking her head slowly, looking off to the side in disbelief, processing everything