The front office felt colder than the rest of the building. I walked into the GM’s office with my hands shoved in my pockets and my gut twisted tight. Tatum Wood looked up from his desk. He was Taylor’s father, but he clearly knew nothing about what had happened with me and Catherine.
“Russell,” he said. “Did we have a meeting?”
“No.”
His brows lifted. “That is usually how I prefer meetings to begin.”
“I know. Sorry,” I apologized. This wasn’t going to be easy, but I didn’t have the time to book a meeting.
He leaned back in his chair. “Sit.”
I did. Tatum studied me for a second, his expression giving nothing away.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
I opened my mouth, but before I could get a word out, the office door opened behind me.
“I have the updated prospect reports,” Cole said.
My entire body went rigid. Cole stopped in the doorway when he saw me sitting across from Tatum. His gaze moved from me to Tatum, then back to me.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
Tatum looked between us. “Hunter was just about to tell me something.”
Cole’s eyes narrowed.
I stood because sitting suddenly felt wrong. “Coach.”
His jaw flexed. “What were you about to tell him?”
Tatum rose slowly from his chair, clearly smart enough to know this was not a conversation he wanted to referee. “I’ll give you two the room.”
“Tate,” Cole said, still looking at me.
“No.” Tatum picked up his phone and a folder from his desk. “Whatever this is, it has the air of something I don’t need to be present for yet.”
He walked out and closed the door behind him. The silence after that was brutal. Cole set the prospect reports on the edge of Tatum’s desk.
“Talk.”
I swallowed. “I came to tell him I can’t be your captain anymore.”
Cole stared at me. Then he laughed once, sharp and humorless. “You came up here to resign without talking to me first?”
“I was going to talk to you,” I said.
“When? After you dropped another bomb in my lap?” he scoffed. He had every right to be pissed at me. I wasn’t handling anything right.
“I broke your trust,” I said.
“Yes, you did.” His voice was low and rough. “And right now, I’m so angry with you I don’t trust myself to say half of what Iwant to say.” The silence stretched between us. Then he exhaled and asked, “Are you in love with my daughter?”
I was tired of hiding.
“Yes.”
Cole swore under his breath and turned away, dragging a hand over his face. When he looked back at me, he was still my coach, but he was also her father, and I had hurt them both.