Chapter 20
CHAPTER
TWENTY
ROMAN
“Thank you, son.” A hand lands heavy on my shoulder, and when I turn, it’s Coach Hope standing beside me—the man I used to respect more than anyone, even when I hated him for taking Addie from me. “The things you said up there… they meant a lot to me. More than I probably deserve.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, though part of me already knows.
He gives me a long look, one that makes my chest tighten before he even says a word. “It’s been a long time, you know. I’ve had a lot of time to think.”
I look away from him, forcing myself to let go and swallow the bitterness that wants to rise. “It’s in the past. No point digging up something that can’t be changed.”
“I didn’t always get things right, Roman, and looking back, I probably could’ve handled things differently, especially with how much pain I caused Addison. But when I told her to stop seeing you, it wasn’t out of spite. I was thinking about your future and what I knew you could become.”
“And what about her? Did her happiness not factor in?” He doesn’t answer right away. Maybe because we both know the truth—he made a call that cost both of us something.
“I love my daughter, but I didn’t want her to be the reason you missed your shot, and I couldn’t stand the idea of her heart breaking when you went off and did something huge with your life while she was left behind.”
“You shouldn’t have taken that choice from us.
Do you know I almost quit the team after I lost her?
I couldn’t think straight, couldn’t focus.
And yeah… some part of me understood what you were trying to do.
I get that you thought you were doing the right thing.
But losing her?” I pause, the ache crawling up my throat.
“That was the worst pain I’ve ever felt.
Worse than any time I’ve been slammed into the boards or had a bone snap clean. ”
“Yet you always pick yourself back up after the knockdowns.”
“Because I have to.”
“No, it’s because you’re stubborn as hell,” he says, trying to soften the air between us with a small smile as he lifts his glass for a sip of champagne.
“So I’ve been told.”
“And you’re a fighter. You never stop chasing what you want, which is why you made it to Boston.”
“Took a hell of a lot of work,” I admit. “And some damn good guidance along the way.”
“Maybe, but please don’t forget—no matter how hard you fight on the ice, you’ve got to fight for a life too. You deserve more than just the game. You’ve got to be happy, Roman.”
“I am mostly.”
“That’s all we can hope for.”
“I could be happier.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, you see, I’m just missing one thing…
” My heart’s pounding so hard I’m sure he can hear it.
“I’m still in love with your daughter, Bill.
” I look him dead in the eyes as I use his name for the first time ever.
“I never stopped, and I don’t think I can walk away again.
Losing Addie once nearly destroyed me. I don’t think I’ll survive losing her twice. ”
There’s a flicker of surprise in his face, but it fades quickly.
“Then don’t,” he says. “Because if anyone deserves her, it’s you. I knew it then… and I know it now.”
The weight that lifts off me just from saying how I feel about her out loud—it’s heavier than I ever realized, and bigger than I expected.
“I’m proud of you,” he adds. “You, Jasper, and Zeke… I always knew the three of you would make it.”
Always together. Always us.
“Does Addison share your feelings?” I nod because I’m certain she does.
“Then, please, for the love of God, don’t let Mikey King worm his way back in.
That kid shouldn’t have been allowed to marry her in the first place.
Just don’t tell my wife I said that. She’s got this whole belief about vows and for better or worse that doesn’t exactly line up with mine—especially when it comes to some egotistical prick who wouldn’t know loyalty if it bit him on the damn dick.
” He pauses, his jaw tightening like he’s forcing himself to stay calm.
“You know what his excuse was? Why he did it?”
I hesitate, not sure if I want to hear this, but I lean in anyway, needing to understand how anyone could cheat on Addison.
“He blamed her,” he says, his eyes narrowing with disgust. “Not to her face—he didn’t have the balls for that. But to me, her father. He said he couldn’t come to terms with never being a dad and blamed her for not being able to carry a child. He said that’s why he started chasing tail.”
It hits me like a fist to the chest.
Addie can’t have kids.
And that son of a bitch made it her fault?
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because if you love her, you need to be okay with it. Really okay. Not just in the way people say it when they’re still figuring out how much they can carry. You can’t use this against her, not ever.”
"I would never," I snap, and suddenly all that's fueling me is pure anger and the visceral need to break Mikey's fucking legs.
He nods, as if that was the answer he expected, but he just needed to hear it out loud.
“I know she’s been up here the past few days.
Addie’s sister already chewed me out tonight about her happiness, about you, and what you mean to her—about what they mean to her.
” He means Zeke and Jasper, and that throws me for a second, but he just keeps talking.
“Judging by the look on your face, I’m guessing Addie didn’t tell you about her fertility issues herself, so please don’t tell her you heard it from me.
She needs to feel safe, not exposed, and I don’t want her to think she’s being talked about behind her back. ”
“I trust you with her, Roman. I know I’m just an old man who probably doesn’t fully understand how what the three of you have works.
But I see it. I see the way you all look at her and the way she looks back, and if she finally gets out of here…
I want to believe you’ll take care of her the way she deserves. ”
“I appreciate you saying that, and if that’s what Addie wants—if this works—then none of us would ever hurt her. I swear to you.”
Bill looks like he wants to say more, but I catch Zeke in my periphery, practically jumping out of his skin, trying to get my attention.
“Sorry, Coach, give me a minute,” I say, already moving.
Zeke doesn’t say a word, just flashes his phone as I follow him into the hall. A message from Jasper lights the screen, and I hear the chaos before we even turn the corner.
“Open the fucking door!” Mikey’s voice cracks through the hallway, completely unhinged. Zeke’s there in seconds, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him back hard.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Zeke snaps, shoving him hard enough that he stumbles.
It’s just us out here, for now, but the shouting is going to pull everyone’s eyes in this direction if we don’t get a handle on it, and I’ll be damned if I let this dickhead ruin the night for anyone.
“Your fucking friend is in there with Addison,” Mikey spits, practically foaming at the mouth.
I should probably be trying to diffuse this. But instead, I feel this sick, satisfied pull in my chest. I love that Jasper’s in there with her right now while Mikey’s out here, red-faced and rabid, and losing his mind.
“And?” I say flatly.
He whips around to face me, his eyes wild with fury. “What the fuck do you mean and?”
“You’re not together anymore, so what the hell does it matter?”
“She’s still my wife.”
Yeah, see, I don’t fucking love that.
“For now,” Zeke cuts in, calm as hell and twice as confident.
That’s when I hear the bathroom door creak open, and Jasper strolls out, his arm slung casually over Addison’s shoulders.
Jasper’s hair is tousled, but he’s wound tight.
I can see it all over his face. I’ve edged him enough times to know the signs—jaw clenched, brown eyes darker than usual, hands twitching like he’s seconds from snapping.
Addison’s lipstick is smeared just enough to give her away, and there’s a fresh bite mark blooming on her shoulder where one strap of her dress has slipped down her arm.
She looks thoroughly kissed and almost fucked.
Out of nowhere, I get butterflies—actual, honest-to-God butterflies. Do guys even get those? What’s the guy’s version—adrenaline? Nerves? Love? Hell if I know, but whatever it is, it’s happening.
“Hey, man,” Jasper says, cocky as hell, flashing Mikey a smile that could get him punched. “Bathrooms all yours.”
God, I love this idiot.
“I’m gonna kick your ass, Hastings.”
I ignore Mikey’s threat because if I let it land, I’ll knock him flat on his ass, and this whole thing will explode.
But Jasper doesn’t even blink. He keeps smiling like the smug bastard he is, grinning like the cat that got the cream.
Or, in this case, the lucky fuck who just got his fill of Addison’s pussy and isn’t even trying to pretend otherwise.
“You’re not gonna do anything, Mikey,” Addie says, stepping forward. “This has to stop. I can do whoever and whatever I want. You don’t get a say, not anymore.”
“Bullshit,” he spits. “We’re still married.”
She lets out a quiet, bitter laugh. “Don’t pretend those vows ever meant anything to you. They didn’t when you were inside my friend, and they sure as shit don’t now.”
“Addison, please, can we talk about this away from them? I just—I want to talk.”
“All I want from you is a divorce and for you to never come around my family again.”
There’s my strong girl.
“You shouldn’t even be here tonight. My father might have respected you once, but not anymore. Now go. We’re done.”
“You think I’m just going to accept that you’re with Hastings now?”
She stares him down, unblinking. “Not just him.”
Zeke steps forward, moving in behind her, and presses a kiss to the side of her head like it’s the most natural thing in the world.