Chapter 64
sixty-four
Jackson
I know it’s bad before she even finishes the sentence. The way her tone shifts. The way she pauses like she’s choosing her words carefully.
That’s never a good sign.
“Jackson… I’m not going to sugarcoat this,” my PR manager says through the phone. “This has blown up overnight.”
I lean against the wall just outside the kitchen, dragging a hand through my hair as I look down at the floor.
“How bad?”
There’s a beat.
“Your relationship announcement is trending across multiple platforms. That alone isn’t the issue.”
Of course it isn’t.
“It’s everything around it,” she continues. “People have identified Lia. They’ve found her accounts. They’ve found... the video.”
My jaw tightens. Of course they have.
“And it’s not just curiosity,” she adds. “It’s turned into a narrative.”
“What narrative?” I ask, even though I already know.
“That this is a stunt,” she says. “That this is a publicity move. ‘Sex tape romance author dates three hockey players’, that’s the angle being pushed right now.”
I close my eyes briefly.
Fuck.
“They’re questioning your credibility,” she continues. “They’re questioning her intentions. There’s speculation that this is a coordinated release tied to a book.”
My head drops back against the wall.
“That’s bullshit.”
“I know that,” she says. “But perception matters, Jackson. And right now, the perception is out of control.”
I push off the wall, pacing slightly now, the tension sitting sharp in my chest.
“This isn’t a stunt,” I say, my voice hardening. “We’re in a relationship. This is real.”
“I understand that,” she replies calmly. “But we need to get ahead of this before it defines the narrative.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“We prepare a statement,” she says. “Something clear. Controlled. We reinforce that this is a private relationship and shut down the speculation before it escalates further.”
I run my hand over my mouth, exhaling slowly.
“This is going to hit the next game,” she adds. “Media attention is going to spike. You need to be prepared for that.”
Of course it will. Everything always bleeds into hockey.
“Alright,” I mutter. “Draft something. I’ll look at it.”
“And Jackson?”
I pause.
“Be careful how you respond publicly,” she says. “This could impact more than just your personal life.”
I don’t answer straight away. Because I already know that.
“I’ll call you back,” I say finally.
Then I hang up. For a second, I just stand there, letting it settle, letting the weight of it hit properly.
This is exactly what I knew would happen. Exactly what I’d been trying to get ahead of.
And it’s still not enough.
I walk back into the kitchen. They all look at me immediately.
“What’s wrong?” she asks softly.
I drag a hand through my hair again, exhaling sharply.
“It’s blown up,” I say. “Everything. The relationship. You. The video.”
I see it hit her. Not shock. Not panic. Just… recognition.
“Well,” she mutters quietly, “shit.”
I let out a short breath that might be a laugh if it didn’t feel so tight.
“They think it’s a stunt,” I add. “That we’re doing this for publicity. That you’re promoting a book.”
Her brows pull together slightly.
“Of course they do.”
I step closer to her, my focus narrowing.
“PR wants to get ahead of it. Statement. Damage control.”
I expect her to react. To pull back. To panic. But she doesn’t. Not in the way I think she will.
“This is what I was worried about,” she says quietly.
I step closer immediately.
“Hey, it’s okay...”
“I’m not worried about me.” She cuts in.
I stop.
That wasn’t what I expected.
She looks at me properly now. Steady. Clear.
“I’ve been through this before,” she says. “I know what it feels like to be torn apart publicly. I survived it.”
My chest tightens.
“You three taught me that I can survive it again,” she continues softly. “I’m worried about you.”
That hits harder than anything else.
“My career?” I ask.
She nods.
“You’re at the beginning of everything,” she says. “You don’t get to hide behind a name or step back from it. You are your career. You are the face of it.”
Her voice tightens slightly.
“If this affects that… if I affect that… maybe we should think about stepping back and taking a break.”
“No.”
The word comes out sharper than I intend.
“Absolutely not.”
She blinks slightly.
“Jackson,”
“I finally get to say you’re mine,” I cut in, stepping closer. “I’m not stepping back from that. I’m not giving that up because people don’t understand it.”
Her expression shifts and concern crosses her face.
“Jackson, you need to think about...”
“If this affects my career,” I interrupt again, “then that says more about them than it does about me.”
My jaw tightens.
“I don’t want to play for people who can’t accept my life. My relationship. That’s not something I’m hiding.”
“You can’t say that,” she says, her voice soft but firm.
“Hockey isn’t the end of the world, Lia,” I shoot back. “Yeah, it’s a dream. But it’s not the only one.”
I step closer again.
“You are more important than that.”
The room goes quiet. Zach moves first.
“Hey,” he says calmly, stepping in. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves.”
Elijah’s voice follows, steadier, more controlled.
“Let PR do their job.”
I exhale sharply, dragging a hand through my hair again.
“I’ll get my mother involved too,” I say. “She knows media. She can help manage this.”
Zach nods.
“That’s a better approach.”
Elijah’s gaze shifts to Lia.
“Do not get on social media,” he says quietly.
She lets out a soft breath.
“I wasn’t planning to.”
They both look at her.
“I’ve done that before,” she continues. “I don’t need to see what people are saying about me. I don’t need to read it. I know what that does.”
There’s something heavy in her voice. Something experienced. Something that doesn’t need to be explained.
“I don’t have the capacity for that again,” she adds softly.
Zach steps in closer, his hand brushing gently over her arm.
“You’re not doing this alone,” he says. “You need to remember that.”
I nod immediately.
“Yeah. We’re here. All of us.”
Elijah’s voice is quieter, but just as firm.
“No one touches you without going through us first.”
She looks between us. Something soft flickers in her expression and I feel it settle again.
That pull. That certainty.
I step closer, taking her hand, squeezing it gently.
“I’m not backing down from this,” I say quietly. “Not from you. Not from us.”
My thumb brushes over her knuckles.
“I’ll deal with it. Whatever it takes.”
There’s a pause.
“I’m going to talk to my mom,” I add. “And I might… do something myself.”
Zach glances at me.
“What kind of something?”
I hesitate for a second.
“A post. Maybe a live. Something direct.”
Elijah’s gaze sharpens slightly.
“Talk to Lucian first,” he says. “And Christian. Make sure you’re protected before you move.”
I nod.
“Yeah. I will.”
Because he’s right.
This isn’t just about saying something. It’s about doing it right. I look back at Lia. Really look at her.
And something in my chest locks into place.
Determination.
Certainty.
Resolve.
No matter how messy this gets, no matter how loud it becomes, no matter what it costs, she’s still my first choice.
And I’m not letting the world take that from me.
Not now.
Not ever.