False Confidence: Chapter 19
Pairing: Javy “Coyote” Machado x Reader
Part of the San Diego Dogfighters universe
Summary: The Athletic named Javy Machado the fifth sluttiest player in the NHL last year. He’s a known playboy who leaves every game with a different girl. As far as he’s concerned he’s living the dream, playing his dream job with the dream lifestyle. Unfortunately his friends and bosses don’t agree. At 33, they think it’s time for him to settle down. You’re a kindergarten teacher at an esteemed private school. You don't expect much when you finally accept your colleague’s invitation to attend her husband’s hockey game but when you accidentally get separated in the post-game rush, you find yourself in a compromising situation with the last person you’d ever expected to meet. When his PR rep suggests a mutually beneficial agreement, your hands are tied. How long will you have to keep up the act? And how long will you be able to?
Series CW: 18+ ONLY, swearing, angst, fluff, fake relationship, suggestive language, anxiety, school system inaccuracies, hockey inaccuracies etc. There will be individual chapter warnings. No use of Y/N.
Word Count: 5.5k
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You groan in protest as your alarm pierces the cloud of your sleep. You and Nat stayed up way too late after she kicked Charlie out to return to his hotel in the name of girls’ night. All the sugar from Nat’s room service certainly didn’t help but you’re definitely feeling the effects now. Light dances through the cracks in the drawn curtains as you flop onto your back and stare at the ceiling, trying to wake yourself up against the protests of your body. The game isn’t until tonight, but you and Javy are supposed to be meeting his family for brunch this morning. You roll over to see if you’ve unintentionally woken up Nat, but you’re surprised to see her bed is empty. Confused, you grab your phone, squinting against the bright light of your screen as you try to make out the texts waiting for you. As your eyes adjust, your heart sinks and you feel anxiety start to coat your stomach as dread sets in.
***
“Man, what the heck?!” Javy protests, covering his head with a pillow as he tries to escape the sunlight streaming through the now-uncovered windows. He struggles to hold onto the pillow as his roommate drags it away. “Jake! Quit it!”
“Come on, Javy, we need to get moving.” Jake jerks the pillow away and Javy scowls at his best friend who’s standing over him.
“Why? The game isn’t until tonight, why the heck are you waking me up at,” Javy squints at the digital clock on the bedside table, “seven AM? Dude, what gives?!”
“Coach called, we have a last-minute morning practice.” Now that wakes Javy up.
“WHAT?!” He’s fully awake now, sitting up and he sees that Jake is dressed for practice, a grim smile on his face.
“The bathroom’s yours, I figured I’d give you as much extra time to sleep as possible, I know you went to bed late last night.”
“I have breakfast with my family at 9!” Jake winces and gives Javy an apologetic look.
“I had plans too, but Coach’s word goes. We need to be at the rink in thirty.” Dread fills Javy’s stomach as the reality of his situation becomes clear. He’s not going to be able to make brunch, which on the surface is nothing, but he was supposed to introduce you to his family this morning, and you were joining them for breakfast. As he thinks about you his stomach drops even lower. He needs to talk to you about what happened last night. He’d been planning to do it before breakfast. He had it all planned out. He was going to meet you beforehand, and then go down to breakfast together afterwards. Now he’s not only going to miss breakfast, but he’s not going to get a chance to talk to you either. And given that this practice wasn’t planned, he has no idea when he’ll be done and whether he’ll be able to make a later brunch or even see you before the game.
Javy loves Coach Dare. She’s hands-down the best coach he’s ever had. She’s meticulous and incredibly observant. Despite her seniority, she’s always making time to work with players one-on-one and giving them individual feedback. The only downside of being that good of a coach is that she’s extremely dedicated, so if she thinks that they need an extra practice this morning, she’s going to call one. Javy groans deeply before grabbing his phone, trying to figure out how he’s going to handle this. The idea of just canceling on you with a simple text feels inherently wrong and he types out a quick message in the family group chat before dragging himself to the bathroom. He doesn’t have long before he needs to leave, but if he can be quick getting ready, maybe he can stop by your room and talk to you before heading out.
Twenty minutes later, Javy’s standing outside your door, trying to muster up the courage to wake you up for a conversation that definitely shouldn’t be had half-asleep. He feels guilty for waking you up, but he knows he needs to talk to you sooner rather than later, Zam’s words echoing in his brain as he knocks. The action is met with silence before he tries again. Again, silence. He sighs, fidgeting with his phone as he considers calling you. He knocks one more time, and when you still don’t answer, he calls you. He’s sent straight to voicemail, you must have your phone on silent for the night. He gnaws on his lip as he tries to decide what to do. He needs to talk to you, but with every minute that ticks by, it becomes clear that that’s not happening. Resignedly, he shoots you a text, explaining that he’s not going to be able to make breakfast due to the impromptu practice and that he’s sorry for having to bail on you. As he hits send, his phone buzzes with a message from Jake telling him to hurry up and he heads for the elevator with a heavy heart.
***
The first message is from Nat, explaining in an annoyed tone that Coach Dare called an impromptu morning practice and she had to go and help. The second message is from Javy, explaining the same in a more apologetic way, also adding that he won’t be able to make breakfast. You’re supposed to be meeting Javy’s mom and sisters this morning at breakfast at the restaurant downstairs. Nerves kick up as you realize that you’re going to have to go alone. Javy doesn’t mention that breakfast is canceled or shifted back, simply that he can’t make it. You don’t have any of his family’s phone numbers to ask if breakfast is still on, so you’re going to have to assume that it is.
You’d hoped to have a chance to talk with Javy about what happened last night, but that also seems impossible now, just adding to your anxiety as you collect your things and head back to your own hotel room.
You go through the motions of getting ready, trying to ignore the dread in your stomach as you prepare for the elevated stakes of this breakfast. You look at your reflection in the mirror as you start second-guessing your choice of outfit. You’d chosen a yellow sundress that you were sure Javy would like, but now you’re wondering if it’s an odd choice for meeting his family. You would’ve been meeting them anyway, you tell yourself, even as your heart patters with fear at the idea of meeting them alone. In the end, you decide to keep the dress, trying to keep to your plans as much as possible, even if they’ve been turned on their head.
Thankfully you know what the Machado family looks like thanks to photos that Javy’s shown you so you find their table easily once you reach the restaurant. You put on what you hope to be an amiable smile that hides the pounding of your heart as you approach. Javy’s older sister, Isadora, catches sight of you and waves brightly and the other three women at the table turn to look at you. As you get closer, you can hear your blood in your ears. The table is set for six and you really wish Javy was here. When you reach the table, Cece, one of Javy’s other sisters gets up and comes over to greet you. You’re about to extend a hand when she wraps you in a hug, giving you a quick squeeze.
“Roadie, it's so nice to finally meet you! I love your dress!” She guides you to an empty seat next to Isa. “We weren’t sure if you were still coming after Javy had to cancel. He kind of failed to mention whether we were still doing breakfast, but we figured we’d show just in case, and in the worst-case scenario we still get to eat, but I’m so glad you could make it!” You try to relax but your spine is ramrod straight. “Sorry, where are my manners, I’m Cece, this is Phie,” she squeezes the shoulder of the younger woman next to her, “that’s Isa, she nods at the woman sitting next to you, and then that’s our mom, of course.”
“Laverne, it’s so nice to meet you, Roadie.” Javy’s mother extends a hand to you and you wipe the sweat off your palms hurriedly before taking it and shaking. “Thank you for meeting us this morning, even if Javier couldn’t make it.”
“Of course, I’ve been really looking forward to meeting all of you.” You pray that your voice doesn’t shake as you speak up.
“You’re telling me, we’ve been dying to meet you!” Phie pipes up. “It’s just like Javy to finally get a girlfriend and then have to miss us meeting you for the first time, I’m sure he’s sweating bullets right now at the idea of all of us meeting without him.” She grins conspiratorially and you see the similarity between her and Javy.
“And for extra practice too? How bad are they?” Cece rolls her eyes and you feel a twist in your gut.
“They’re actually having a pretty good season, I think? People seem to think so, at least.”
“Do you follow hockey?” Isa asks and you shake your head, embarrassed.
“Not really, I didn’t know anything about it when I went to my first game. I’m learning though, Nat’s been teaching me.”
“Nat! Oh, I love Nat! Isn’t she just the best?” Phie chirps and you smile and nod. “I can’t believe she’s working for the Dogfighters, that’s so cool. Back when they were in high school, I definitely thought she and Javy would get together.” This is a surprise to you, but Cece shuts it down with a snort before you can start worrying.
“There’s no way Nat would go for Javy, he’s not her type.” Given what you’ve seen of her and Charlie, you’re inclined to agree. “Plus, what do you know?”
“Didn’t they go to prom together?” Phie shoots back.
“So? Javy was Javy, remember? All the girls wanted to go with him, but he didn’t want to. So he took Nat as friends to stick it to them since she didn’t have a date either. I don’t think either of them wanted to go, really.”
“How can you not want to go? It’s your senior prom! Not to mention, Javy won prom king! Imagine if he didn’t go!”
“Girls,” Laverne makes an attempt to steer the conversation back on track.
Phie rounds on you, then. “Roadie, did you go to your prom?” You swallow hard before nodding as you struggle to find the words.
“I did,”
“And you took a date?” Phie pushes and you nod again.
“Yeah, but he wasn’t my boyfriend.” You try to ignore the memories of that night rising to the surface.
“Just a friend then?” Cece asks.
You give her a nervous smile, “Yeah, something like that.” You need to steer the conversation away from you so you pivot back to Javy. “So Javy and Nat went together? I know they’ve been friends since high school.” Phie nods.
“Less of friends, more of menaces-in-arms,” Cece says with a roll of her eyes.
“I’ll say,” Isa pipes up. “You’re lucky you only had one year of high school with them.”
“Speak for yourself, they got progressively worse and I had them as seniors.”
“Girls,” Laverne interjects again before turning to you, “Javier says that you’re a teacher, Roadie?”
You nod, “I teach kindergarten at a private elementary school in San Diego. I’ve been at Acacia Academy for a few years now.”
“How long have you known you wanted to be a teacher?” Isa asks and you brighten, happy to talk about your job.
“Growing up, I found myself observing my teachers a lot. I appreciated the patience they had to have to manage all of their students. Sure, they had to teach them in an educational capacity, but they were also some of the most influential adults in our lives. Especially in elementary school, teachers are a third parent in a lot of ways. By the time I was in high school, I knew I wanted to teach, but once I went through high school, I knew my area of focus needed to be younger. I can’t imagine teaching high schoolers, and even middle schoolers are a lot more rowdy than I’m comfortable with. I love kids, and there’s something so special about having the privilege of being one of their first teachers. As a kindergarten teacher, I’m their first impression of elementary school, so it’s important to set the tone that school is fun and learning doesn’t have to be this thing they dread. Admittedly that means the stakes are high, but I love being able to be the one to show them that.”
“What drew you to Acacia Academy?” Laverne asks and you try to ignore the bitterness that fills your stomach.
“Before teaching there, I tried public school but it wasn’t for me. I didn’t like how big the schools are, it makes learning more impersonal when you have so many students, and personally I’m more comfortable in smaller schools. That being said, there are definitely downsides to working at a private school, but the joy I get from teaching the kids outweighs that.”
“Okay, I have a question,” Phie speaks up and you turn to her. “I know it’s maybe getting ahead of things, but Javy said you guys were in a fake relationship before you started dating him. Why? He said he did it because Zam wanted to fix his public image, but why did you? What was the benefit of dating Javy?”
You try and hide your wince. “Well, one of the downsides of working at Acacia is that my boss, Principal Jackson can sometimes be capricious, and without a public school board to keep him from getting out of hand, he sometimes makes arbitrary decisions. The day I met Javy, we had a staff meeting at which he said that while it wasn’t a hard and fast rule, he’d be taking our relationship statuses into consideration when reviewing our contracts for next year.” Phie’s jaw drops and Cece and Isa look surprised as Laverne’s brows furrow.
“Some of the teachers are a little more cavalier in their personal lives, and sometimes that slips into their professional one, especially amongst some of the single teachers. So I think this was his way of trying to crack down on that without angering people with a full-on ban on inter-teacher dating. I didn’t have a boyfriend at the time and I was worried that it would have an adverse effect on me being able to keep my job. That being said, I wasn’t really interested in trying to find a boyfriend just to secure my teaching contract for next year. I didn’t really date before Javy. And then that night I met Javy at the hockey game.” You stop there, assuming that your story has caught up to the version they know but after examining their waiting faces you realize they may not know what comes next.
“Okay, but how did you meet him? And you said you don’t keep up with hockey, so why were you at the game?” Phie asks. Your stomach twists as you realize that Javy hasn’t bothered to discuss the minutiae of the beginning of your relationship with his family, and while you don’t blame him, you’re not exactly thrilled about having to be the one to break the news.
“So, one of my colleagues and friends is Josie Fitch who teaches fourth grade at Acacia. Her husband, Reuben, plays on the Dogfighters. Josie’s always invited me to come with her and her kids to the games, and I finally accepted that day. I’d never been to a hockey game and honestly, it was a lot. I got separated from Josie in the rush after the game and got lost in the arena. I guess I ended up somewhere that wasn’t public access and I ran into Javy.” You pause, trying your best not to visibly wince as you continue your story. “He mistook me for a fan, since I was wearing a sweatshirt Josie got me, and thought I came looking for him since I guess he usually hooked up with girls after games.” You swallow. “And then he kissed me.” Your cheeks are hot with embarrassment. You watch the shock register on the faces of everyone at the table. Even Laverne’s cool and collected expression is broken by the sharp rise of her eyebrows and purse of her lips. “Long story short, apparently someone got a photo of the kiss through a window nearby and I ended up in the tabloids. Zam called me in to try and get ahead of any lawsuit I might want to file based on sexual harassment, which I wasn’t planning to anyway, and Josie suggested a mutually beneficial agreement where Javy would have a girlfriend to convince the media that he had settled down and I would have a boyfriend so I’d have a better chance of keeping my job.”
Cece has her head in her hands. “That idiot,” she shakes her head. “I knew he was stupid, but that really takes the cake. What kind of person kisses some random girl he’s never met without even asking who you were?”
“Our brother, apparently,” Isa says grimly. “So you guys started fake dating?” You nod. “He said you were fake dating before you were regular dating, but he never really explained why it started in the first place.”
“He didn’t lie, necessarily,” Phie speaks up. “He said he met you through one of the guys’ wives, which I guess is true.”
“He probably didn’t want to embarrass you,” Isa says after a moment. “Or himself, but we already know he’s an idiot. When he finally told us about you, he was the most earnest I’ve ever seen him. He probably didn’t want to introduce anything that would make us make any assumptions about you before we actually met you.” You nod.
“I’m not mad at him for it, I just wish he’d told me you didn’t know. Though I’m sure he would have preferred to tell you himself, he just expected to be here today.” The two other girls nod somberly.
Javy’s mom has been quiet this whole time and you find yourself glancing at her nervously. She catches your gaze and straightens, a sigh on her lips. “You had every reason to bring a lawsuit against Javy, and yet you didn’t, why? I understand you managed to gain something out of your mutual agreement, but the money you would have received from the lawsuit would have been substantial.”
You sigh, trying to ignore the twinge of shame at the mild insinuation that you could have used Javy to make a quick buck. “I didn’t want to make a big deal about it. I’m a pretty private person, and I already had my face all over the tabloids. Sure, the press would move on, but people at my job saw the photo and that was already drawing unnecessary and unwanted attention to me. I just wanted to forget it happened and move on with my life. I didn’t even want to go and talk to Zam when she contacted me, I only went because Josie pressed me to. Even the fake-dating agreement wasn’t my idea, it was Josie’s. She saw that I was stressing out about potentially losing my job and offered me a way out.”
“Sure, it pushed me out of my comfort zone and straight into the spotlight but it wasn’t about me anymore. I love my job, and I love the kids that I work with. I did it for them. You’re right, I could work anywhere, but there’s something about the kids at Acacia. They’re usually the kids of wealthy or prominent parents. They don’t always get what you’d consider a normal childhood. Some of them are forced to grow up too fast. They deserve to be able to feel like normal kids as long as possible, and so I want to create an environment in the classroom where they can just be themselves and learn and grow together.”
“As I mentioned earlier, kindergarten is their first experience in elementary school. It sets the tone for the rest of their years at the school and maybe even how they approach education for the rest of their lives. I take my job very seriously and I love my students, so if I had to sacrifice my personal comfort to keep my job that was going to affect a lot more people than just me, it was worth it in my eyes.”
“I was never going to sue Javy. It’s never been about me, and even if I did want to, just because I teach at a private school doesn’t mean I make much more than the average teacher. I don’t have the money for a lawyer. Josie offered to pay for one if I wanted it, but I didn’t, that’s just not me.” You shrug.
“And I know what it looks like.” You twist your hands in your lap nervously. “I trapped Javy in a fake relationship, and seduced him, all in a ploy to get access to him and his money, but I’m telling you right now, that that’s not me. When I first started dating Javy, I was so uncomfortable, and I hated it. The only other time I dated someone was back in high school and it turned out that he only dated me as a dare.” Your gut twists. You never used to talk about Andrew and yet now the words flow so naturally, like you’ve abandoned the shame that held you captive for so long.
“I didn’t really have friends growing up, and I got used to being alone until I met Josie. When I started dating Javy I was so in over my head.” You let out a nervous laugh at the memory. “Even just hugging him or holding his hand made me so anxious that I wanted to throw up, nothing felt natural, and I guess it wasn’t. But he was so patient with me, he never pushed me to do anything I wasn’t comfortable with, and he always looked out for me even when he didn’t have to. I had a panic attack on our first date and he talked me off the ledge. When my car got wrecked, he lent me his car. He and Jake came to career day and taught my students about being a hockey player.” Your lips twitch in a fond smile. “Even when we decided to end the fake relationship, he just wanted to be my friend. He’s not perfect, but he’s always trying. Even when he messes up, he still tries. It’s what made me fall in love with him.” You squeeze your hands in your lap as the words come out yet again. Mentally you curse yourself for telling yet another person that isn’t Javy.
“You really love each other,” Isa speaks up, a fond smile on her lips. You nod, cheeks heating. Before, you might have brushed off the fact that a Javy loved you but his words from last night echo in your mind. You turn back to Laverne, waiting for her to say something, anything as your heart thunders in your chest.
Finally, she speaks up, “Javy’s never been easy. People rarely are, but some are harder than most. Very few people truly know him, especially with the persona that he chooses to show to the world. It’s always worried me. I know I raised a better man than the one that the world gets to see. I’m glad that you see him.” Her eyes are still unreadable but her soft smile fills you with relief.
“Just because someone’s not easy, doesn’t mean their not worth loving. We’ve taught each other that, I think. It’s something new to both of us but we’re figuring it out together.” Laverne nods at your words.
“You’re very wise, Roadie.” She remarks and your cheeks heat.
“I’m not sure about that, I think it’s just a byproduct of overthinking everything.” You admit with a nervous laugh.
“How you reach a result doesn’t change the result,” she says and you fall silent, unable to argue with that.
“So Roadie, Javy says you’re an artist?” Cece pipes up, changing the subject. You nod.
“I paint.”
“He sent me pictures of your gallery exhibit and you’re really good!” You feel your cheeks heat in embarrassment. “I mean it! I’m an art curator, I should know.” She says with a smirk and your eyes widen in surprise.
“You’re a curator?” She nods.
“I work for a museum right now, so not gallery work, but before this, I worked freelance for galleries around New Orleans as well as for a few private collectors. I’ve seen a lot of art, so let me say, you have a lot of promise if you want to take your work commercial. Freelance work gave me a great network, and I’d love to recommend you to some of the people I know. I know your work doesn’t give you a lot of flexibility to travel, so I can see if I’ve got any contacts who work in Southern California or if they know anyone. And then of course, if you wanted to come down to New Orleans this summer, I could absolutely get you into some exhibitions. If you send me your portfolio, I’ll spread it around.”
You’re dumbfounded. You’ve always loved painting and dreamed of a future where you’d be able to share it with the world and even sell it to supplement your income, but it had always been a pipe dream more than a goal. You’d gotten your first gallery show by chance, filling out some application that caught your eye the last time you visited the art museum. You hadn’t expected anything to come of it, but you’d tried not to let that stop you from trying. Now, here was Cecelia, offering you an actual chance to make your dream come true.
“Thank you,” you stammer, unable to hide your surprise at her kindness, “thank you so much, I’d love that!” She smiles warmly, clasping her hands in excitement.
“Perfect! I’ve been begging Javy to ask you, but he said it would be better coming from me, I’ve been obsessed ever since he showed me the painting he’s got in his living room. I’m jealous, honestly, it’s such a beautiful piece.” Your cheeks heat with pride at the praise. You hadn’t really considered who would see your painting when you agreed to sell it to Javy, you were just surprised that he wanted it and were way too focused on arguing with him about paying for it. He just shut down your protests, insisting that he wanted to be the privilege of being the first person to buy your art.
“You have to come visit this summer, Roadie, whether you decide to show off your art or not! You definitely should, it’s super good, but even if you decide not to, you have to come to New Orleans! It’s the perfect city for art lovers and I’m sure you’d love it!” Phie bubbles with excitement at the prospect.
Your heart warms at all the kindness and acceptance being shown to you. You’ve gotten used to having Javy around and the little bubble that’s your relationship and has grown into the Dogfighters family. And now you feel the Machados offering you entry into yet another family and you’re touched by how quickly and earnestly they’re welcoming you in. “What do you do, Sophie? I know Isadora runs a flower shop, Javy told me that.”
Phie waves you off, “It’s Phie, Isa, and Cece, no one calls us by our full names, I promise. Plus, you’re family now.” Your heart squeezes. “But as for me?” She lets out an exhausted groan and slumps over the table dramatically and you see a bit of Javy in the action, “I’m currently in the trenches getting my MBA. I want to get into sports management, so I’m trying to figure out if I need to go to law school to supplement that. Honestly, I’m sick of school, no offense, but if it's what I need to do, it’s what I need to do.”
You perk up at that. “You should talk to Bugs’s brother, Charlie, he’s in sports law. He’s here visiting a client so there’s a good chance he’ll be at the game tonight.”
Phie sits up, light in her eyes. “Really? That would be great!”
You nod, “I’ll introduce you.”
“Roadieeeee! You’re the best!” She bounds out of her seat and comes up behind you to give you a big hug and you’re touched. Once she makes her way back to her seat you turn to Isa.
“I’ve been meaning to thank you for the flowers. I know Javy bought them, but he said you helped him choose. I don’t know how you managed to guess it, but tiger lilies are my favorite.”
She gives you a knowing smile. “That’s my gift. It’s the reason that I love my job so much, there’s nothing more fulfilling than helping someone pick flowers for someone when they don’t know what to get.”
“That’s amazing, I’d never even considered that before. You’re an artist in a way, I mean that’s what art is.” She nods.
“Unfortunately I’m absolute rubbish at actual art, but it feels like painting or even writing in a way. That’s the reason people used to associate flowers with language. They say something as long as you’re listening.”
“Give her a call when you get married, she’ll give you a discount,” Phie says with a cheeky grin and a wink your way that makes your cheeks heat with embarrassment.
“Phie!” Cece exclaims, elbowing her sister with a bemused smile.
“What?! I want to know! Javy’s such a boy, he doesn’t tell us nearly enough details!” She turns from squabbling with her sister to look at you earnestly, “So do you think you want to marry Javy?”
Your heart thuds at the idea of a future with Javy. You have no intention of giving him up, but you’ve been so busy stressing over the immediate future that you haven’t considered the details of a long-term one. You think about Josie and Reuben and you allow yourself to imagine a life where you’re in a similar situation. You and Josie raising your kids together while your husbands, your heart flutters at the thought of the word, travel for a living. It won’t be easy. You know better than to romanticize the life you’ve been observing for months now. You’ll have to do a lot alone, and Javy won’t always be around to help. But even as you consider the downsides, you think about summers where both you and Javy will be free to enjoy every moment with your kids during vacation. The sweet summers will make up for the hard winters, and while it won’t be perfect, it’ll be yours. You realize that you want that, more than you expected. “Not right this second,” you admit. “I want to take things slow since this is my first real relationship, but one day,” you take a deep breath. “Yeah, I think I would.”
Phie screeches with excitement and Laverne gives her a stern look even as her own lips curve upwards. Isa and Cece can’t help their excitement even if they try to hide it. “We thought the day would never come!” Phie exclaims dramatically. “And here I was thinking he’d die alone in the basement of my mansion!”
Isa snorts at that. “What mansion? You live at home.”
Phie feigns affront. “For now, but once I’m a kickass sports manager, and I steal the Dogfighters from Beau Simpson, I’m going to have a California McMansion for me and my cats!” Cece rolls her eyes and you chuckle at their comfortable antics. It reminds you of the Dogfighters and the way Jake and Javy bicker.
You’re torn from your observation of the girls by Laverne’s hand on yours. You turn to her to see her smiling at you softly. “Thank you,” she says and you can’t help the way your heart flips at the sincerity of her words. “Javy’s important to all of us, and I can see he’s important to you too. So thank you, for being patient with him. As his mother, I’ve had decades of practice, yet sometimes even I don’t know what to do with him. I can see him changing, growing into the man I always knew he was capable of becoming. Thank you for helping him with that, and giving him a reason to do so.”
“He’s a good man,” you admit. “He’s just afraid of letting the rest of the world see that. I’m lucky to have him. Really,” you feel tears prick the back of your eyes as you consider what your life would look like if you’d never met Javy. You’d still be lonely, pushing away Josie’s attempts to get closer to you, living in fear of trying anything remotely new and out of your comfort zone. Now you have friends, a family, and a future that you’re nervously excited to experience.
A/N: Roadie’s officially met the family and I think it went well! Javy and her still have an important conversation that they need to have, though 🫣
I mean, if there’s anyone who can steal the team from Cyclone, Phie Machado is probably the one.
Javy is most definitely unaware that all his female relatives are already planning his wedding. Jake is going to laugh himself sick.
Is there a betting pool on who gets married first? Because they all might want to reconsider their bets.
