36. Weston
WESTON
I peel out of the arena parking lot and speed through town, rock music blaring so loudly I’m surprised I don’t immediately get a citation for noise violation.
Harbor’s leaving.
By tomorrow, she’ll be gone.
Where will she go? What will she do?
Because her career’s tanked after this. She’ll be blacklisted from hockey. No team owner will risk hiring the PR consultant who became the scandal she was supposed to prevent.
What’s worse is she’s not trying to spin anything anymore—she’s just accepting her fate.
And it’s all because of me.
She warned me, but I didn’t listen. Wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Because you love her.
Yeah, but at what cost? Because now she has nothing.
The way she looked in her office—defeated, broken—those wide hazel eyes filled with pain. The hollow note in her voice.
I’m resigning.
Her father’s going to eviscerate her. She’s told me enough about him that I know she’ll never live this down.
Coach Hayes makes my father look like Dad of the fucking Year.
The irony of all this is I’m the one who crossed the line. Yet I’ll be fine.
Sure, I’ll likely lose the captaincy. And that sucks. It’s gonna be hard for me to take a step back from the position, to transition from being the leader to the led.
But at least I’ll keep my job, my career.
None of it means anything without her.
Pain radiates through my chest, pumping through my veins with each beat of my heart.
For the first time in years, I let myself feel something again. I let her in—to my life, my heart—and it felt good. Right.
She’s the only person I’ve ever connected with like this.
I thought we were forever. The real deal.
And now it’s done. Over.
I’m leaving.
Pulling into my driveway, I cut the engine and rest my head on the smooth leather wheel. I close my eyes, pain and sadness washing over me in heavy waves, one rolling after the other.
I’m drowning, gasping for air, my chest tight.
So fucking tight.
I can’t do this without her.
I’ve only felt like this—this crushing grief—one other time in my life .
When my mom died.
Harbor’s so much like her. Calm, centered, focused. Fun and relaxed once you get to know her. Smart and sweet, full of light and love.
Another wave of misery sweeps over me and I vaguely wonder how I’m going to survive this.
Body heavy, I haul myself into the house. Bennett’s on the couch playing Call of Duty , not a care in the world.
I try to dodge him, but he catches sight of me out of the corner of his eye. Yanking his headphones off, he gives me a quick once over.
“Bro, who died?”
“Not now, Bennett.” My voice is harsh and ragged.
“Whoa.” He holds up his palms. “I’d ask if you’re okay, but I don’t fucking need to. What the hell happened?”
“Harbor’s leaving.”
“What? Why?”
“I take it you haven’t checked social media today.”
He shakes his head, hair flopping on his forehead. “Nope. Phone’s dead. Didn’t charge last night.”
I click on a text message and the video pops up.
Bennett hits play, his brows furrowing as he takes in the scene. “Shit.”
“Yeah, Prince is pissed. Keller’s upset, too. The whole damn thing’s a mess.”
“So Harbor got fired?”
I shake my head. “No, she resigned. Said it’s the best thing for the team…” My heart pounds hard, remembering her words. “And for me.”
Bennett kicks the coffee table with his bare foot, a loud thud echoing through the living room. “That’s bullshit, man. And you know it. ”
“I do, yeah. She’s always had the team’s best interest at heart.”
“And she’s damn good at her job. Between her and legal, I’m pretty much off the hook. She even talked to one of my sponsors and convinced them not to void my contract.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. She’s a keeper, man.”
I sink down next to my brother on the couch, holding my head in my hands to stop the incessant throbbing. “I don’t know if I can go through this again. I don’t want to lose her.”
“So don’t.”
He says it like it’s easy, simple.
So don’t.
“She resigned, Bennett.”
“Then stop her.”
“I tried. But she won’t listen. She’s throwing herself on the sword at the team meeting—to save me and my career.”
“Don’t let her.”
“What?”
“If you love her—and I know you fucking do, you sap—stop her at that meeting. Don’t let her walk out like this. If you do, you’ll regret it the rest of your life.”
Something flickers inside me, and it feels a helluva lot like hope.
Damn, my brother’s right.
Now’s not the time to sit around and wallow. I have to show up to that meeting ready to fight.
For Harbor’s job.
And for us .
Hopping up from the couch, a surge of energy roars through me.
I need to get back to the rink.
I have a relationship to save.