24. Chapter 24

The clinking of glasses and silverware combined with voices filled the small restaurant. After my impromptu hook-up session with Logan, I rushed to meet with Sawyer to finalize some of our PR work. We met with local news stations and journalists Jodie had talked with, gave the podcasters the Hawks lineup and information, and spoke with Sadie and other Sunnyvale journalists about the games.

Dad had agreed to meet with me before his next meeting. To say I was nervous was an understatement. My legs shook, and my voice broke as I sat down at the table. Dad glanced up at me and offered a forced smile.

Yep, this is super awkward.

"Thank you for having dinner with me," I said nervously.

"Ashlynn, I only have a short amount of time. Let's get to the point of this conversation," he spoke gruffly.

Great, he is pissed. This is the tone he always saved for me when I messed up. We have been doing so well lately, almost like a true father-daughter relationship. Now we were back to the strangers we had been for so many years.

"What you saw this morning… it's not what you think," I began. I sucked in a deep breath and forced myself to speak. It's time to be honest. "Logan and I met when I first arrived in Sunnyvale." I began telling him about how Logan and I started a relationship but didn't know who the other was. I left out our one-night stand, but explained how our relationship was real, and we were afraid to let the team or him know. Finally, I broke down in tears as I explained how I met up with Ally last night, and Logan came to save me. I even told him I planned to share all my wild past with Logan later tonight. Once I finished talking, I sat back in my chair, took a huge drink out of the ice water the waiter had brought us, and let my body finally relax. I think this is the first time, in a very long time, that I've been able to be honest and free with my dad.

For a few minutes, all Dad did was stare at me. When the waiter came by again, Dad rattled off a few appetizers to him, then turned back to face me. "Ashlynn, I appreciate you telling me all of that. Why didn't you tell me about you and Logan before?"

His question was valid.

"Honestly, I didn't think what was going on between Logan and I would last. Then, I didn't want him to know about my past. It just became such a mess of secrets, and I felt like I was in too deep. Now, I want everything out in the open. I'm tired of hiding." My words were true and genuine. I was being vulnerable and allowing all of my walls to fall. "Dad, he makes me want to be a better person. I've created a life here in Sunnyvale. I don't want you to send me back to Miami."

"Ashlynn, I've enjoyed the time we've had together. I don't want you to go back. I was hoping that you would want to stick around and continue school here and keep working with Sawyer and the PR team. I think you have a future here."

"Good, because I think I just might stick around," I say, lightly chuckling.

Dad smiles. "So, Logan helped you last night?" he asked.

I could see he was relaxing a little. Making Logan the hero would help us both out.

"Yes, apparently, I texted him when I was drunk. He found me on the dance floor and brought me back to his room. We haven't had a chance to talk about last night, but we will once I leave here. He was an honest gentleman and saved me," I confessed.

"Logan has his own demons," Dad sighs.

"I know. I've read all about his past. But he has changed. He wants more for himself. He wants more for us," I explain.

"I see that now. Honestly, I didn't understand the change in either one of you. I thought maybe you both were maturing and growing. Now I see that while that may still be true, your relationship pushed you both to make better life decisions," he stated. Dad chuckles, and it takes me off guard. He grabs a crab cake from the platter that the waiter placed in the center of the table. "I guess I should apologize to Logan."

"Why?"

"I may have been a little hard on him at practice today. In my defense, I thought my daughter had just hooked up with one of my players who was supposed to be making amends to his team and the public eye," he defends.

This time, I laugh, too. "Yeah, I think you almost killed him. He was pretty sore. However, I think his knowing that you are okay with us will make everything else fade away. You are okay with us, right?" I ask.

My heart beats so loud, I'm afraid he can hear it. I never thought I would need my dad's approval, but I do. In the short time that I've been in Sunnyvale, we've worked toward a real bond. I don't want to lose that now.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I am okay with you all being a couple. I just have one condition," he offers, and my body goes rigid. "You all need to stop hiding and lying to those around you."

A smile spreads wide across my face, and I swear I can breathe again. I never realized how something so simple could make me happy, but I am truly happy right now.

"I can absolutely do that."

***

Later that evening, I heard a knock on my hotel room door.

After leaving dinner with my dad, which went better than I ever could have imagined, I texted Logan and told him to meet me at my hotel room. I gave him my room number this time.

Opening the door, I spotted a delicious-looking Logan standing in front of me. Wearing a pair of jeans that hug his hips and a black t-shirt that shows off his muscles, he is the sight of true sexiness.

"You better stop looking at me like that, or we will never get to have our conversation," Logan smirks.

"Well, then you need to stop being so sexy," I scoff, moving so he can walk past me into the room.

We sit on the couch, our knees touching from how close we are. I grab his hand, and he smiles at me. "I take it your conversation with your dad went well?" he asks, though I see a hint of fear spark in his eyes.

Nodding, I smile. "At first, it was rough. I told him everything – save for the crazy amount of sex we have been having – but I finally admitted to everything. He is okay with us being together but hurt that we lied to everyone."

Logan squeezes my hand and leans in to place a sweet kiss on my lips. I feel heat ignite throughout my body, and I tame down my lust. We have so much more to talk about. Sex is going to have to wait.

"That's great," Logan beams.

"Yes, but there is one last thing I need to do. It may change everything, but I have to share my truth with you." I brace myself as I prepare to tell Logan all about who I really am. Well, who I was.

"I didn't choose to come to Sunnyvale. My mom and stepdad kicked me out and forced me to come live with my dad. I was spending every night out partying and getting wasted. I had no aspirations other than going out and traveling with my friends. I didn't care about anyone or anything. No one was ever around to see how out of control I was. It wasn't until I ended up embarrassing my parents and almost ruining my life that they finally noticed me. My punishment was to come to Sunnyvale. I had to go to college and get a job. Honestly, I have no idea how my dad was able to get me into college. I had decent grades in high school, but I had taken a year off of going to school just so I could live my best life. Only, it ended up being my worst life. Now, I can't imagine being anywhere else." I take a moment to catch my breath and compose myself. Logan listens intently and waits for me to continue.

"When we got to Las Vegas, I posted a selfie of myself on social media. I hadn't been on social media since I arrived in Sunnyvale. My so-called friend, Ally, was here, too, and we met up. I knew it was a bad idea, but I went anyway. We had too many drinks, and she left me on the dance floor. I guess I texted you at some point. If you hadn"t come to rescue me, I don't know what would have happened."

"I'm glad you did. We could have worked through whatever would have come from it," he says, though I hear the anger in his voice as we both recall that night.

"I'm ashamed of the person who I used to be. I don't ever want to be her again. I like the new Ashlynn I'm becoming," I say honestly.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Ashlynn. You've read and heard about my past. I've fucked up more times than I can count. But it takes people who love and care about you to help you get through the rough times. I've had the guys by my side. Now, you've got me," he tells me. "Don't ruin something great because you are afraid this will push me away."

My heart swells with pride, knowing that this man is mine. I never imagined that I would be this happy and okay with the person I am today. Life throws you curveballs sometimes, but as long as you can dodge them, everything will be okay.

"You still want to be with me?"

"Hell yeah, I do!" Logan exclaims.

He kisses me one last time before our hands begin exploring one another. I don't know how we've lasted this long without tearing each other's clothes off, but now we can't stop ourselves.

Logan helped me tear down my walls. I found my truth and, honestly, the love of my life. I can't believe this is my life.