Prince Pucking Charming

“I think I need to have another word with your GM,” he says. “Your treatment obviously isn’t working.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You were the one who suggested it?”

He looks away from me. “I thought it would help you.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“They wanted to trade you, Duke! I begged them to give you another chance.”

I stare at him, unblinking, not knowing what to say in response.

“Apart from family, your team is the only thing you truly love,” he says with sadness in his tone. “I didn’t want you to lose it.”

“It’s working,” I admit. “The therapy. But probably not in the way you would have hoped.”

He turns his head toward me. “What do you mean?”

“Lila makes me think about things that make me angry.”

“Lila? She lets you call her by her first name?”

“It’s complicated, Dad.”

“You like her.”

I nod.

“That’s why you’ll talk to her.”

I nod again.

“Why couldn’t you just talk to me, then?”

“Because you are part of the problem.”

His head drops, his eyes fixed on the carpet. “I’m sorry, Duke. We’ve gone over this plenty of times.”

“You left us,” I say, my voice trembling. “You left Mom when she needed you.”

“I will regret the decisions I made until the day I die.” He reaches for my hand, but I pull away. “I’ve tried to make it up to you. I don’t know what else I can do to make things right.”

“I’m trying to forgive you,” I admit. “I want to forgive you.”

They say men forget and never forgive, and women forgive and never forget. I think that’s true. Because I’ve done my best to ignore my father’s mistakes. Maybe, one day, I will eventually forgive him.

He covers his face with his hands and groans. “Your mother was the love of my life.”

“I know.”

“I couldn’t handle seeing her like that,” he chokes out. “I just… I’m sorry. I shutdown. I walked away. I know that makes me a terrible husband and father. If it hadn’t been for you and Austin, I don’t even want to think about how Kat and the twins would have turned out. I put the burden on both of you. That wasn’t fair to either of you when you were only in high school. All of you were my responsibility.”

I slide my arm across the back of his neck, knowing we both need this hug.

He pats me on the back. “You gave up so much for me. I couldn’t let them take away your team. I shouldn’t have intervened, but I felt like I had no choice.”

“I’m not mad, Dad. In this case, I’m happy you got involved.”

“You think Dr. Devine is helping you?”