Chapter 57 Entertainment
Liam Carter
The room went dead silent. Ava’s dad sat back in his chair, arms crossed, his expression unreadable as his phone rested on the table. The image on the screen was unmistakable, Ava and I, right after the game, her arms wrapped around my neck, and my hand tangled in her hair as our lips crashed together in a way that didn’t scream roommates.
For a second, no one moved. The ticking of the wall clock suddenly sounded louder than it had any right to, each click landing like a tiny hammer against the tension in the air.
I bit back a smirk as Ava stiffened so hard I could practically hear her bones creak. Her shoulders locked, her fingers tightening around her glass, her whole body going rigid like she’d just been caught trespassing in a minefield. I wanted to laugh so hard but this was a serious daughter and father moment, and I wasn’t about to throw gasoline on that particular fire.
Still… when I caught sight of the slight smile on Ava’s mom’s face, it got a hell of a lot harder to keep my amusement buried. She was trying, God bless her, but the corners of her lips kept twitching like she was watching her favorite sitcom unfold live at the dinner table.
"Okay," Ava said, her voice an octave higher than normal. "I know what this looks like, but…"
But?
Did she really have a defense for this? I was genuinely curious now.
"Oh, do you?" Coach raised an eyebrow, his tone calm, almost thoughtful, which was somehow more intimidating than if he’d shouted.
She let out a nervous laugh. "Yes! It’s just…uh…one of those celebratory moments! You know, like when people get excited and do things in the heat of the moment without thinking?" She waved a hand dismissively, her eyes darting between her dad and the phone like she was hoping the picture would magically disappear or back her up in her flimsy attempt of an explanation.
I was trying so hard not to laugh here and it was obvious that her mom, sipping her wine across the table, looked like she was trying just as much as I was. Her shoulders shook slightly, and she quickly hid it behind her glass.
"So you’re saying this was… what? A heat-of-the-moment thing?" he hummed and nodded slowly, like he was humoring a particularly creative witness on the stand.
"Exactly!" Ava jumped on it, nodding so fast I was afraid she’d give herself whiplash. "It was nothing. A total fluke. It doesn’t mean anything…"
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms as I watched this disaster unfold with an amused tilt of my lips. She was panicking. Full-on, wide-eyed, digging herself deeper panicking. And the best part? She was so caught up in trying to convince her dad that she wasn’t even noticing that he wasn’t actually mad.
He was enjoying this.
I knew Coach way too well. If he was mad, I’d be out of this house in seconds, probably escorted by security and a lecture about professionalism echoing behind me. But this? This was entertainment.
And I had to admit, there was something wickedly satisfying about seeing my almighty Snowflakes panic like this. No witty comebacks, no cool composure, just her scrambling, cheeks flushed, eyes wide, looking like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole. It was oddly beautiful, in a chaotic, endearing sort of way.
"I see." Coach rubbed his chin, glancing between us. "So you’re telling me, Ava, that my star player and my daughter were ‘accidentally’ making out in the locker room?"
"Yes!"
Coach exhaled, shaking his head slowly. "Huh." Then, without missing a beat, he turned to me. "What do you think, Carter? That look accidental to you?"
Ava whipped around so fast I barely had time to school my features into something neutral. Her wide eyes screamed please, for the love of God, play along.
I shrugged. "I mean…" I tapped my fingers against the table, drawing it out just enough to make her sweat. "I do get pretty caught up in the moment after a big win. But if you’re asking me if that was a fluke?"
I looked Ava dead in the eye and smirked.
"Nope."
"Liam!" Ava choked.
Her dad just grunted, giving me a long, scrutinizing look. "At least one of you is honest."
"Dad!" Her mouth fell open, scandalized.
"You’re being ridiculous." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "You really think I didn’t know? That I haven’t noticed what’s going on?"
Ava made a noise that sounded half strangled. "There is nothing going on!"
Coach sighed, rubbing his temples like she was giving him a headache that had been years in the making. "For the love of… Ava, you were just about to fight a guy in the locker room for touching him. You threw a punch, for Christ’s sake."
Ava’s mom finally snorted, covering her mouth. "She really did."
I bit my lip to keep from grinning. The memory flashed vividly in my mind, Ava storming across the locker room, eyes blazing, shoving a six-foot defenseman like she was ready to declare war. It had been reckless, dramatic, and strangely impressive.
"You’re not helping!" Ava said, turning to her mom in betrayal.
Her dad ignored her outburst, pinning her with a pointed stare. "You wanna tell me again how it’s nothing?"
She opened her mouth, then shut it, her face a perfect mix of shit, I’ve been caught and I will still try to talk my way out of this if it kills me.
I could practically hear the wheels turning in her head, gears grinding, searching for some miracle excuse that didn’t exist.
Then, finally, she slumped back, arms crossed, muttering, "I hate this family."
"Is that why you go around accidentally kissing my star players?"
Ava groaned, dragging a hand down her face, and I had to look away for a second because if I met her eyes, I was going to laugh.
Silence stretched across the table for a beat, heavy but no longer sharp. The tension had shifted, softened at the edges, like a storm rolling out to sea.
Coach exhaled, shaking his head. "Alright. That’s enough entertainment for the night. I just wanted to see if you’d keep up the act. Plus, it’s unbearable to watch."
Ava shot me a glare like this was my fault, making me grin.
Under the table, her foot slammed against my shin. Hard.
I flinched, coughing to cover it, and reached for my glass like nothing had happened.
Yeah. Totally worth it.