Page 48 of Punked By the Playmaker
I whipped my phone out of my pocket, opened an app, and it took less than thirty seconds to find Maisie’s profile, which was set to public. The post that set Jenn off was right at the top, a picture of two champagne flutes, the bonfire blurred in the background with a caption congratulating the Cleary-Nixons.
Turning the screen around, I showed it to Arizona, and she cursed under her breath.
“Yeah, my thoughts exactly.” Pocketing my cell, I began jogging down the stairs. “Be back in fifteen!”
By the time I returned with breakfast, two tired teens were sitting at the kitchen island, their phones in Arizona’s possession.
I flipped the lid of the box open. “All right, get that blood sugar up first, then we need to talk.”
Austin didn’t hesitate to grab a frosted donut, consuming it in only two bites before grabbing another.
Maisie kept her hands tucked into her lap, eyeing me nervously. “Are we in trouble?”
My gaze slid to Arizona before returning to my daughter. “No. It’s my fault we didn’t discuss the rules surrounding social media before something that exposed our private lives was posted.”
“Isn’t that the whole point?” Austin asked.
“Maybe for some, but this family”—I made eye contact with each member of it individually—“needs to be more careful. It might sound cool that I’m ‘famous’ as a professional athlete, butmy privacy is limited; the spotlight is always on. The last thing I want is for anyone to think they deserve access to you guys just because of your ties to me. So, I’m going to institute a house rule. All social media needs to be set to private, friends-only access, and no posting about our family. At least, not until Maisie’s custody arrangements are permanent. Understood?”
Maisie nodded, voice small. “Understood. I’m sorry.”
I reached for her hand across the island. “No one’s mad. I’m only doing what I can to protect you.” Turning to Austin, I added, “Both of you.”
Austin bristled at having his autonomy restricted. “Might as well just delete the app at this point.”
“That’s your choice. Would make my life a hell of a lot easier if you did.”
He curled his fingers in his sister’s direction. “Can I have my phone back now?”
Arizona kept the electronic firmly in her grasp. “Are you going to agree to Levi’s rules?”
The boy scoffed. “Yeah, whatever.”
As soon as Arizona handed his cellphone over, Austin stormed out of the room.
“Well, isn’t he just a little ray of sunshine?” I joked.
My wife’s eyes slid shut as she pulled in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she reopened them. “He tests me every day.”
Maisie grabbed a donut before sliding off her stool. “I’ll go talk to him.”
I watched her walk out of the room, noticing what the doctors had mentioned about her gait being uneven with her current prosthetic now that she was back to wearing it. Thankfully, she’d already been fitted for a new one, and it would be ready in a few weeks. But in the meantime, we had to be careful she didn’t hurt herself again.
“Physical therapy this afternoon,” I called after her.
She lifted one hand. “Yep!”
Once she was out of sight, I sagged against the counter. “It’s seven in the morning, and I’m already exhausted.”
Arizona’s light laughter filled the air. “And people think babies are hard. They’ve got nothing on teenagers.”
Until today, I never understood it when my mom used to say that bigger kids meant bigger problems. Now, I had a whole new appreciation for my parents raising two teenagers, because I was certain this morning had only been the tip of the iceberg.
I was going to be tested in ways I couldn’t even begin to imagine.
Maisie kicked me out of her physical therapy session within the first ten minutes. To be fair, I was wearing a groove in the carpet of the waiting area with my pacing and growling every time she made the slightest sound of discomfort.
It was a good thing I hadn’t been there when she’d gone through her amputation, because after only a week, I’d learned there was nothing I hated more than seeing her in pain.
