Chapter 52 Cassie
Cassie
“Cupcake?” I offer to one of the equipment guys in the Nor’easters’ arena hallway.
“Hell yeah. Thanks, Cassie.” He takes it with a grin.
No, I don’t have a grudge against the equipment guys.
Unlike every other batch of cupcakes I’ve made the past few years, these are happy, joyful cupcakes. All for the team, the staff, the people who’ve become a second family to me over this season.
I made them this morning in my own apartment kitchen. It’s Cole’s fault that I now associate his kitchen with sex and can’t bake in there anymore.
I have a lot of reasons to be joyful. I’m still giddy with happiness every time I walk into my new office.
My very own office at Legacy Sports with my name on the door.
It’s not as big as Rick’s—a girl still has to have something to aspire to—but it’s mine and it’s beautiful.
I immediately filled it with as many decorations as I could while still seeming plausibly professional.
If a prospective client comes in for a meeting, I hope they like bright colors.
Anyway, they should know what they’re getting into, because I have no interest in doing this job the super traditional, corporate, man-in-a-suit way.
There’s a buzz in the air tonight. With this win at home, the Nor’easters will officially clinch a playoff position.
There’s a little while until the game starts, so I’m heading through the arena toward the players’ lounge to wish the team luck before puck drop. I’ve been giving Noah nightly pep talks on the phone or over late night diner meals, but I want to be there in person before this game.
I’m so deliriously happy and distracted that I don’t even notice my dad walking past until he’s right in front of me.
My stomach jolts, because I had no idea he was on the national broadcast for this game. He’s wearing a suit with a mic clip on his belt, clearly ready to go live on TV.
He freezes, staring at me. By the wide-eyed look on his face, he wasn’t expecting to run into me either.
“Cassie,” he says, caught off guard. “What are you—what are you doing here?”
I pause, waiting for those familiar waves of bad feelings to wash over me, to threaten to drag me down.
But it doesn’t come.
No fear. No hurt.
Instead, I actually feel good. Secure and confident and proud enough to raise my head and look him dead in the eye.
Maybe it’s because I had brunch with my mom yesterday. She hugged me hard and told me how proud she is of me becoming an agent. We giggled and drank mimosas and not for a single second did I want a single thing to be different in our little family of two.
Maybe it’s because I’m just not afraid of what my father could do to my career any longer. As an agent representing Noah, he doesn’t have leverage over me.
“I’m here to watch the Nor’easters game,” I say coolly. “Because my client and boyfriend both happen to be on the team. Should that be a surprise to you?”
He warily glances back at where the camera crew is set up near the tunnel, ready to do pre-game interviews with the players. He grabs my elbow, pulling me to the side of the hallway. I wrench my arm back from him.
I haven’t seen him since the night of the agency party when he first threatened my career. But by now he has to know that I went against everything he told me to do. I didn’t leave the industry. I didn’t take his money and run away in fear.
Instead, I got myself promoted to agent and started representing the best rookie in the league.
“I heard about your big signing. Noah Roy.” He runs a hand through his gray hair, agitated, glancing up and down the hallway. “Impressive. That’s a huge get for Legacy Sports.”
I cross my arms across my chest. “Seriously? That’s all you have to say to me?
Nothing about that photo you sent to my boss?
” He’s silent, a guilty look flickering over his face, and I scoff.
“Come on. I know it was you. I mean, hiring someone to follow me and take photos for blackmail? That’s low. ”
His shoulders sag, a deep exhale breaking from his lips.
“I never wanted things to go that far. If you’d just listened to me in the first place, we could’ve come to a much cleaner arrangement. I was just trying to protect—”
“Your reputation. I’m aware.”
“Both of our reputations. I thought you’d be happier getting a fresh start somewhere else.”
“Bullshit,” I accuse, my voice thick with emotion. “You tried to run me out of the job that I love. But soon, everyone will know about me and Cole. You can’t use that against us.”
His expression wavers pathetically.
I suddenly see him for what he is.
A scared man. An insecure man. A man who’s too afraid to confront what he’s done and is lashing out to keep a hold on his good reputation. A man who’s hurting over something too big to accept, and who’s handling it in the worst way possible.
For the first time in my life, I feel sorry for my father.
“You don’t scare me anymore,” I say. “I’m not alone.
I wasn’t alone when you left me because I had my mom to raise me like the warrior she is.
I’m not alone now because I have a whole team in my corner.
People who care about me because I’m a good friend and treat them with kindness.
So if you want to exile me from this industry, you’re going to have to go through every single one of them. ”
I’m not an athlete, but I do have a team around me. I have Noah, Rick, and the Nor’easters.
And I have Cole. Cole, who would rip up his contract for me. Cole, who would give up millions of dollars in a heartbeat just to keep me. Cole, who would do anything for me, fight any enemy, weather any storm.
A flash of anger replaces the desperation on his face. “Fine,” he sputters. “Good luck with playing around with your little junior agent career—”
That does it.
In a flash, I slide one of my business cards out of my pocket and wave it in his face. “That’s NHLPA certified agent to you, asshole. Don’t forget it.”
I smile sweetly at the look of shock on his face, and I suddenly know I’m free from the shadow of him holding me back. For good.
“Cass.”
I hear Cole’s deep voice behind me and turn. He’s walking out of the locker room, followed by some other Nor’easters: Landon, Roman, Miller, and Coach Reed.
Jitters rush through me at the sight of them all staring at me and my dad. Probably wondering why on earth this retired NHL star turned broadcaster is glaring at me.
In a second, Cole is by my side.
“Are you giving her trouble?” Cole asks him.
John shakes his head quickly, not meeting Cole’s eyes. “I was just leaving. I’m due on the broadcast.”
“That’s right. Walk away, John. It’s what you know best.” Cole’s voice is a low rumble.
“When I started in the league as a rookie, I looked up to you. I thought you knew everything. About hockey and about life. Now I realize all you knew was how to make a great shot on goal. You’re one of the best to ever do it, but that doesn’t make you a good man.
Cassie is the strongest woman I’ve ever met, and that’s no damn thanks to you. ”
He finally meets Cole’s eyes, waving his arms in exasperation. “Are you seriously siding against me? After everything I did for you? I’m sorry you became collateral damage, Cole, but I knew your career would survive this.”
Cole takes an imposing step closer, pressing his finger against my dad’s chest, who shrinks back. His voice drops lower.
“You better shut your mouth and lawyer up, John. Because if you ever come after Cassie again—if you even look at her without her permission—I’m going to make sure every damn person in hockey knows what kind of man you are. And unlike you, I don’t give a shit about my reputation.”
I glance between them, breathless. Warmth rushes through my body, seeping under my skin.
John looks flustered, his bright blue eyes flickering between us and the team hanging back across the tunnel. “Fine,” he says in a rush, “we’re done here. I have a game to broadcast.”
He strides off, and Cole turns to me. “You okay, baby?”
I’m more okay than I’ve been in years.
Before I can give him an answer, Cole’s teammates quickly crowd around us.
“Yo, what in the hell was that about?” Miller asks. “Dude looked like he was about to flip his lid.”
Landon looks concerned. “Yeah, was John Novak giving you trouble, Cole? I thought you and him go way back.”
Cole glances down at me, his gaze full of understanding—waiting for my cue. “Well, fellas. This isn’t my story to tell.”
And god, does it touch me, how this big, blunt man respects me. Respects my voice. Respects my right to fight my own battles and respects when I need a teammate alongside me when it gets too hard to fight alone.
I take a deep breath. I held onto this secret so tightly for so long. I don’t want to hold on to it a second longer.
So, instead… I let it go. Like releasing a dove into the sky.
I turn to the other Nor’easters and Coach Reed. “It’s a long story. But John Novak is my deadbeat dad. Emphasis on deadbeat. He threatened to destroy my career because he didn’t want my inconvenient existence to ruin his perfect reputation.”
There’s a moment of silence. Cole meets my gaze and gives a small, firm smile. His hand presses against my back for a moment, warm and solid and grounding, before he drops it.
“Are you serious?” Landon asks.
I nod. “Unfortunately. Serious as a torn ACL in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup.”
Coach Reed’s eyebrows shoot up. “Christ alive. I had no idea.”
“Fuck him,” Roman growls. “I have no respect for deadbeats.” He says something in Russian which, at least going by his tone, I’m pretty sure contains a lot of creative curse words.
“Agreed,” Miller chimes in. “Cassie says he’s bad news? I believe her.”
After all that fear I held inside for so long…
No one’s judging me for it.
No one’s looking at me differently.
No one’s calling me broken or telling me I don’t belong.
My eyes well with tears. Joyful tears, not like the ones I’ve shed over my father in the past. I know in my heart these will be the last tears I ever cry over him.
“Thank you, guys.” My heart feels so warm at how they’re supporting me without a second thought. “All of you. It means a lot to me.”
Cole tugs me aside to talk in private. “I’m proud of you, baby. That was really brave of you. Are you okay? What did John say before I showed up?”
“Nothing I can’t handle. Just some stupid insult, telling me to have fun with my little junior agent career.”
That look flashes across Cole’s face.
I haven’t seen it in a while, but I recognize it—from the night he threw my iced coffee at the Florida fan. From every time he did something reckless.
My stomach lurches with a flood of nerves. Cole has been so steady and in control of his emotions for months now, and I don’t want that to change because he’s doing this for me.
“I’m glad you’re free from worrying about him, Cassie. But he deserves more consequences than that.”
“Oh my god, Cole, we talked about this! Please don’t punch him—”
But instead…
Instead, Cole grabs my box of cupcakes, and confusion cuts off my sentence.
“No punching,” he calls over his shoulder. “I’m going to do this the Cassie way and offer him a cupcake.”
I… genuinely don’t know what to say to that.
Cole disappears through the tunnel. I spin around to face the TV, showing the live feed of the pregame broadcast that’s just started.
The rest of the Nor’easters glance over, turning to look up at the screen too.
The other host gives a slightly nervous laugh at the sight of Cole striding toward them, out of the tunnel and over to where they’re interviewing an analyst about the game.
“Whoa, this is unexpected!” the other broadcasters exclaims. “Looks like New England’s star goalie Cole Taylor wants to join in on the interview—”
Miller grabs my arm, hopping up and down like a six-foot, overexcited kid. “Dude, what is he doing?!”
“Holy shit,” Landon mutters next to me. “There’s no way he’s going to actually—”
I watch as Cole reaches into the box of cupcakes and plucks out a particularly beautiful pink-frosted one. “Have a cupcake, asshole.”
Cole smashes it right into my dad’s face live on air.
There’s a split second of silence, then the entire arena seems to gasp and explode at the same time.
“Cut back to the studio!” a camera guy is yelling.
The Nor’easters are doubled over with laughter, hooting at the sight of my dad sputtering out pink frosting like a fool.
And I’m laughing, too. I’m laughing so hard I think I’m going to fall over. So hard I think I might start crying.
Where everything once felt heavy and broken and terrifying…
Thanks to Cole, now everything just feels like sunshine.