Chapter 30 - Tessa
I still have no idea how the Halloween bet actually worked. I don't even think it was a bet or a game or something that got lost in translation when Misha tried to explain it. Maybe it was something he made up. But it is all in fun and in the end for charity. So I am playing along.
It was announced that Marcus had won, which led Olivia, his seven-year-old daughter, to pick out our costumes.
Kenzie showed up at my house that morning, holding two garment bags and grinning like the devil. “Guess who’s a princess?” she announced.
“I swear to God...”
“And guess who gets to play sisters?” she added, sing-song, waving the second bag.
My groan probably could have scared the horses.
“I’m not wearing braids,” I said immediately.
“You literally wore one yesterday.”
“That was to keep my hair out of shit,” I snapped. “This is different.”
Kenzie wiggled the hanger at me. “Suck it up, Princess.”
So I do.
It actually wasn’t bad, the dress was pretty, soft blue, fitted bodice, floating skirt. Not too short. Not too tight. It had a romantic, Celtic kind of vibe that felt almost… like me.
Kenzie looked gorgeous in her Elsa dress, hair braided and dusted with silver glitter that was probably going to haunt my truck until next spring.
We met Olivia at the arena, dressed in a mini Rapunzel gown; someone had straightened her dark curls and wove in hair to match the character.
She threw a sassy hand on her hip and tossed her braid over her shoulder, saying, "You gotta be in character, play the part. If you don’t smile and give your best princess wave, I’m not giving you your candy bag. ”
The fire in that little girl's eyes is a powerful motivator, and so is chocolate, so both Kenzie and I quickly displayed our best princess waves.
The arena quickly became a madhouse. Kids in costumes everywhere.
Fans in full cosplay. I even saw a couple dressed as Nate and me.
A wave of nausea hit me at the sight, but I was distracted by Kenzie, who was wheezing and laughing beside me.
The ice crew dressed as Marvel heroes, and even security had on Mickey Mouse ears.
When we stepped into the concourse, a group of little girls gasped.
“Oh my gosh, Anna!” one squealed, pointing right at me.
I blinked, startled. “Me?”
“Yes! Can we take a picture?” another asked, eyes huge.
Before I could overthink it, I smiled, knelt, and let them gather around me.
Kenzie moved to help, keeping the line moving that had somehow gathered, and Olivia puffed up with pride like she was my manager.
Even though all the chaos, I heard a few murmurs: “That’s the Captain's girlfriend.”, “She’s so sweet.
”, “She looks like the real Anna.”, “Aww, she came for the kids.”
It was… nice. I didn’t think being recognized would ever feel right, but here, in this context, the kids, princess dresses, families, it felt harmless and warm. Then I saw her. Brielle was up in one of the box suites, framed perfectly in the glass like a magazine cover.
She wore something shimmering and tight, her hair curled in dramatic, glossy waves. Her face is perfectly contoured. She leaned forward at one point, posing for someone recording her… and then the Jumbotron split-screened.
On the left was me, kneeling with a little girl dressed as Olaf, and on the right was Brielle, flipping her hair and touching her thigh like she was filming an ad.
The crowd laughed, and a wave of awwwws filled the arena. I didn't think it was meant to be mean, but my stomach dipped hard. I hated that people were still comparing us.
When the puck dropped, the game felt electric. Every time the camera cut to us, Kenzie and Olivia waved and smiled big. Their excitement was infectious, so of course I had to join in. When Marcus scored a goal, Olivia screamed, “THAT’S MY DADDY!” so loudly I’m shocked they didn’t pick up her audio.
Nate skated by once during a whistle, tapped the glass, and mouthed, “Love you.”
I swear I melted through the floor.
After the win, we were shuttled to the charity event, a huge space done up like a fairytale ball.
The guys had changed into their costumes, and I nearly choked when I saw Misha dressed as Cinderella, enormous blue gown and all.
“That child is evil!” he mock growled, pointing at Olivia, who cackled like a gremlin.
Nate was obviously Prince Charming, in white pants and a dark jacket with gold trim.
He looked ridiculous and stupidly, unfairly hot.
When he saw me, the look he gave me, slow, hungry, possessive, sent heat straight down my core.
I didn’t get to spend much time with him before a team of PR members whisked him away for photos and sponsor mingling, which was fine; this was his world. I could handle my own for a bit.
A man approached after a while. He was tall, with dark hair and an expensive suit.
“I have been trying to make my way over to you for most of the day,” he said warmly, holding out a hand. “You’re Tessa, right? Tessa Lane?”
I nodded cautiously. “Yes?”
“I’m Aaron Huxley,” he said. “My company runs Northern Roots Foundation. I think you’ve worked with our rescue division.”
I brightened. “You do the shelter-to-farm programs with the Indigenous communities up north!”
His smile widened. “Yes. We’ve followed your work. You’ve made a real impact. I would love to talk to you more about opportunities you would be great for.”
We fell into conversation easily, animals, rescue programs, and veterinary partnerships.
He knew his stuff, respected the work, and wasn’t talking down to me.
It felt good that someone in this world could speak my language.
But then something shifted in the air. I felt it before I saw it, a prickling heat on the back of my neck.
I turned and saw Nate standing across the room, jaw tight, eyes dark, fists clenched.
He was staring at Aaron like he’d walked in on us kissing.
To the left of him, Brielle tracked it all.
Nate… me… Aaron... with a sharp, analytical expression like she was trying to assess where she stood in a hierarchy.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to breathe.
What is going on?
Kids rushed up then, tugging at my hands and asking for pictures and to dance with them for the costume contest. Aaron handed me a card and asked me to call him.
I let myself get pulled away, smiling, posing, twirling a little girl in a Snow White dress.
But the whole time, I felt it: Nate’s eyes, Brielle’s glare, the shift, the imbalance.
.. Something tipping in the wrong direction.
By the time the event wrapped, I was exhausted and overstimulated.
Too many cameras, too many staged moments and far too many people pulling at my attention. Nate found me by the coat check.
“You ready?” he asked, eyes too sharp. I could feel an agitated energy pulsing off of him. “We’re going to the after-party. I want you with me.”
“I’m… tired,” I admitted. “It’s been a long day. I think I’m going to head back with Kenzie.”
His jaw ticked. “Tess. Come with me.”
“Nate...”
“I got you another costume,” he said quickly, as if it would entice me. “Something for the party. You’ll look incredible.”
I stared at him, with a pit in my stomach. I already knew what kind of costume that meant.
I’d seen the glossy dresses he’d laid out for events.
“Nate,” I said gently, “I don’t want to change into something else. I don’t want another event. I just…want to feel like me. I want to unwind and go home.”
Nate went still, just for a second. But I felt it. Something in his expression shifted, wounded pride? Frustration? Panic? All of it tangled together. Flickered over his features before he smoothed it over.
“Fine,” he said tightly. “Go with Kenz.”
His tone stung more than I expected.
“Are you mad?” I asked.
“No,” he replied too quickly.
I didn't like how this felt, so I offered. "You could always skip the next party and come home with me instead."
Nate leaned in, kissed my cheek, quick, almost perfunctory, and turned away before I could say anything else. No response... he just walked away.
I watched him walk toward his team, shoulders tense, jaw sharp, smile already back in place for the cameras waiting near the entrance.
Kenzie touched my arm. “You okay?”
I nodded. But I wasn't, because today should have been fun. Light and easy.
Instead, as we walked out into the cool October night, dresses rustling in the wind, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed.
Like I had stepped off the edge of something and hadn’t realized it yet.
I hugged my arms around myself and whispered into the dark: “Everything is fine.”
But even I didn’t believe it anymore.