Rewind It Back (Windy City, #5)(84)

I laugh at his analogy. “Well, my mind doesn’t like to shut the fuck up most of the time, so yeah. I’ve got a lot of energy, but I don’t know. It’s always been quiet around Hal. But also, for clarification, I’m not in a relationship. She’s not interested in going there right now.”

He waves me off. “Give it time.”

“Yeah, it’s a little more complicated than that.”

The front door swings open, ending our conversation. “There’s my boy!” my mom bellows, arms open wide and charging to wrap them around . . . Zanders.

I’m left with a gaping mouth, watching her give all her attention to my teammate and not her only child. “Wow. Okay.”

“I’m giving you shit.” She lets go of him and hugs me instead. “I’m happy you’re home.”

“Me too, Ma.” I hug her tight. “I missed you.”

She’s a small woman, but you wouldn’t know it by her big personality or her boisterous voice. She’s strong and resilient, and though she feels fragile in my hold, she’s not. Which is why the only time in my whole life that I did see her fragile and broken is ingrained in my memory like a bad dream. And I know I’d do anything to keep her from feeling that way again.

“Come on, you two.” She gestures us into the house. “I made an early lunch.”

My phone vibrates in my coat pocket, and I stay back on the front step to pull it out while Zee follows my mom into the house.

I discreetly check it to find my dad’s name scrolling across the top of the screen. It’s the second time he’s called today and the fourth time he’s called this week. I haven’t answered a single one, and I had planned to keep ignoring them forever.

I’ve been upset with him for a long time, but I don’t think it settled in just how angry I’ve been until recently. Until I realized everything I gave up after his fucked-up choices.

I don’t want to talk to him, but I also don’t want him to keep calling while I’m with my mom either.

“I’ll be right in,” I tell them. “I got to take this call quickly.”

My mom checks on me over her shoulder but doesn’t push. “Okay. Lunch is warm, so try to make it quick.”

“It will be.”

I wait until the door is closed before I answer the phone.

“Yeah?”

“Hey, son. How are you?”

I walk away from the house, trying to create distance so no one else will be able to overhear. “I’m fine. What’s up?”

He chuckles. “I’m good too. Thank you for asking.”

I roll my eyes.

“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all week. I was hoping to see you while you’re in town.”

No chance of that happening.

My dad still lives in Boston, though he no longer lives in this house. But his side of the family has lived in the area for generations. He met my mom at twelve years old because they were in the same class in school, and I hate the idea that she could casually run into him around town at any given moment.

“I can’t,” I say with finality. “I’m only here for the day and I’m visiting with my mom.”

“All right. That’s no problem. I’m coming to your game tonight, so I’m hoping to see you after.”

Wait . . . what?

“Don’t piss me off right now, Dad. My mom is coming to the game tonight.”

“Rio, the arena is plenty big for both of us. I haven’t seen you in almost a year. You didn’t visit me once while you were home this summer. I have the right to watch my son’s game.”

“The right?” I ask in disbelief, the anger building quickly. “You don’t have a right to anything when it comes to me.”

“I’m your father. That means something, you know. When are you going to get over this? All I want is for us to get back to how we used to be.”

How fucking dare he.

“When am I going to get over it?” I repeat, almost yelling into the phone.

“That’s what I said.”

“You cheated on my mother! I’m not going to get over it, Dad.”

The line is silent for quite some time. My chest is heaving with anger, and I could happily hang up the phone right now and call this conversation done. But now I’m pissed, and I want to take it out on him.

“Rio—”

“You ruined our family, and now she’s alone.”

“I know. I know I made a mistake. But it’s been years.”

“A mistake? You made a conscious choice. And now, because of your decisions, I might have to leave all my friends, my teammates, and my home so that I can move back to Boston because she’s alone. That was your responsibility, and you didn’t do it. So, excuse me for not being able to get over it.”

He’s quiet again. I’ve never said any of this to him. I’ve simply given him the cold shoulder for years, but now that I recognize his decisions are affecting my life, I’m ready to let him know.

My eyes drift over to Hallie’s old house, up to her bedroom window, and I realize that his decisions have been affecting me for a lot longer than I initially recognized.

I shake my head. “Fuck you.”

“Rio DeLuca.”