Kiss Me (Townsend Legacy)

Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

T ania

“What is that?” I groan from the incessant buzzing sound.

Taehyun grunts and stirs awake as well. But instead of investigating what the noise is, he pulls me against his body. His comforting warmth makes me hum out a sigh.

“It’s your phone,” he says, reaching for my phone that sits on his nightstand.

I blink my eyes open and peer up at the screen he holds over my face for me to see.

A gasp bursts from my lips as I snatch the phone from Taehyun and sit up.

“Dad!” I say a little too eagerly.

“Ace?” he asks. “You sound strange. Is everything alright?”

I clear my throat. “Great. Everything’s great. It’s just super early and I was still sleeping.”

“Sleeping?” He sounds stunned. “It’s almost eight o’clock in California. You should’ve been up hours ago.”

I pull the phone from my ear to look at the time. Yup, it’s 7:58. Ordinarily, I would’ve been up two hours ago but, then I remind my dad, “I must need a little more sleep to heal,” I lie.

“Oh, right. How’s the ankle?”

My shoulders deflate, and I unconsciously wiggle my ankle underneath the blanket.

“It’s on the mend.”

“That’s excellent news. I was thinking we’d get you out on the slopes training again on the twenty-sixth or twenty-seventh. I might even be able to schedule that video documentary I told you about sometime before January first. That way they should have the video edited in time for the X Games.

“It’ll be perfect to go along with the story of your ankle injury. We can showcase how you came back from it just in time to compete. You know how audiences love to root for the underdog.”

He launches into a conversation about training, sponsors, documentaries, and inevitably how we can leverage all of the publicity as a lead up to the X Games.

“I know my Ace is taking home the gold this year. You were at the top of your conditioning right before spraining your ankle. I bet you’re going to come back stronger than before.”

I don’t even have time to get two words in between my father’s planning and strategizing. He was already one of the top sports agents in the industry before I turned pro. Since he became my manager, it’s like he’s taken his workaholism to the next level.

I wish I could be as excited as he is for all of these deals. The thing is, though, I just miss my dad. Not the manager or the agent that’s just landed my latest deal.

My dad.

“What was that?”

My eyes bulge, and I cover the bottom of my phone with my free hand as I look over at Taehyun who’s just loudly cleared his throat.

I put my finger to my lips giving him the “sh” signal.

The frown already present on his face deepens. I can’t imagine what he’s not happy about. It’s not like I’m going to willingly confess to my father that I’m lying naked next to the man who blackmailed me into spending time with him this week.

He couldn’t possibly want me to tell my father that.

When he clears his throat again, I snatch away from the bed, pulling one of the bedsheets with me to cover my body.

“Sorry, Dad, I fell asleep with the TV on.” I shut myself inside of the bathroom.

“TV? Since when do you watch television?”

Ordinarily, I don’t. This is the one time of year where I crave spending hours in front of a TV screen, reminiscing on the films that brought me so much joy as a kid.

“I stayed up late watching holiday movies,” I tell him. It’s mostly true. Of course, I don’t say I missed a lot of the movies because I had a certain man distracting me.

“Hey, Dad,” I say with a certain courage rising inside of me. “It’s Christmas in two days. I know you’re busy but why don’t you take a couple of days off and come out to California to spend the holiday here?”

This isn’t the first time I’ve proposed the idea to him, but all of a sudden I think of introducing my dad to Taehyun in person. Something about that feels right even if I can’t explain it.

“I know it might be a lot to ask you to travel up from Atlanta at the last minute only a few days before Christmas, but I thought I’d ask,” I add on.

“I don’t know, Ace …” he draws out the answer.

My heart sinks. So much for Christmas miracles.

“Let me think about that and see what I can do.”

This is my father’s way of telling me no. He never tells me no directly. It’s always ‘let me see about that and get back to you.’

It took me a few years to realize that he never actually got back to me whenever he told me that.

“Don’t worry about it. I just thought I’d ask.”

There’s a pause on the other line.

“Are you sure you’re doing alright? You’re not in pain and not telling me, are you? Though the schedule’s kind of tight, we could schedule some additional rest time if you need it.”

His voice softens, and I briefly get a glimpse of the dad I knew many years ago.

“I’m fine. The ankle’s on the mend just like I told you.”

“You would let me know if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?”

No.

“I sure would,” I lie more for his sake than mine.

“Oh, one more thing. Are you with Liza? She hasn’t answered my emails in the last couple of days. That’s not like her.”

I haven’t seen Liza since she ran out of our shared suite. But she did send me a text letting me know that she’s okay.

“She’s, uh, still sleeping, I’m sure. It’s her vacation, too.”

“She’s not there on vacation. She’s supposed to?—”

“Dad, it’s the twenty-third of December. I don’t want Liza to work like it’s any other day of the year. She deserves a break, too.”

“Of course she does,” he replies instantly. “I was just following her wishes. She’s the one who told me she’s available any time of the day or night, anytime of the year.”

That does sound a lot like Liza.

However, I wonder if her workaholism is a result of her own personal preference or if she works this hard because she thinks it’s the only way to hold on to her job.

Suddenly, I feel guilty for not talking to her more about it. I don’t want her to be afraid of holding onto her job as my assistant simply because she needs time off every now and then.

“Dad, can you do me a favor?” I ask.

“Anything, Ace.”

My heart tightens because I know he means anything. Except for dropping work for a little while to spend with me on Christmas.

“If Liza does reach out to you within the next few days, remind her she has the time off. She needs a break whether she wants to take one or not.”

“Are you sure? What about?—”

“I’m sure,” I tell him before he can run down the litany of meetings and plans he has for me in the next couple of weeks. “I’ll talk to you soon, Dad. I love you.”

“I love you more, Ace.”

“Merry Christmas.”

I hang up before he responds because I know he won’t wish me a Merry Christmas back. He’ll say something mundane like ‘have a good day’ or ‘enjoy the holiday.’

“What happened to you?” I ask, staring at the blank phone screen in my hand.

The truth is, I already know the answer to my question. I don’t need him to tell me.

“What’s the matter?” Taehyun’s deep voice pulls me out of my thoughts as soon as I open the bathroom door.

He doesn’t wait for me to answer as he takes my face into his hands. His dark eyes peer down into mine searching for the truth within my soul.

“I miss my dad,” I tell him honestly.

Taehyun’s eyes soften and he pulls me into his warm embrace. It’s here that I find comfort. As I lay my head against his chest and let out a deep sigh, the pain of my father’s rejection starts to fade. No, it doesn’t completely go away, but it softens enough that I can breathe.

“This is the first Christmas in a while that I’ve had time to slow down and think. To remember,” I tell him as I pull away to look up into his eyes again.

He pushes one of my braids behind my ear. “Thinking about me, I hope.”

A smile pushes through my lips. “Among other things.”

He frowns which makes me laugh.

“I want to create a snowboarding camp for kids who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to attend.”

He cocks his head to the side, his interest obviously piqued.

“I grew up well off. My father was one of the top sports agents at a major agency until he formed his own. My mother was a corporate attorney. We could afford to take vacations to ski resorts. They could afford my snowboarding lessons.

“Not everyone has those same advantages, and I want to expose more children who look like me and look up to me and to this sport.”

My heart swells when Taehyun’s mouth parts on a smile so bright it’s almost blinding.

“For something like that, you’re going to need investors. Sign me up.”

I playfully hit his chest.

“I’m serious. I’ll make a transfer right now.”

“No,” I shake my head, laughing. “I don’t have anything set up yet. It’s just something I’ve been thinking about for a while now.” I push out a breath, my mood feeling much lighter than it had been upon hanging up the phone with my father.

“I’m going to make it happen, though.” A determination I only feel while in the middle of competition pushes through me. I hated lying to the people closest to me about my ankle just to get some time off.

But I’m realizing this time was needed for me to figure out what I truly want. What my priorities are and remind me that at the end of the day, I love this sport.

I want to share that love with others who might not have the opportunities I did.

Taehyun grins and cups my face once more after I say as much out loud. A small groan escapes my throat when he brushes his lips against mine.

It doesn’t even come close to being enough.

“Please,” I whisper against his mouth.

“Baby, do you know how much I love it when you beg?” he growls before pulling me in for a kiss that steals my breath.

He rips away the bedding sheet that I still have wrapped around my body.

“Mine,” he says before lifting me up and carrying me to his bed.