Chapter Thirty-Three
I stare at my dad, each one of his threats landing like a physical blow not only to me, but to Aiden.
I knew this reaction was a possibility, but deep down, I didn’t want to think my own father would not only think so little of my ability to be an adult, but that he would resort to destroying Aiden to prove it.
Aiden stands beside me, his hand gripped around mine, remaining silent in the aftermath of my dad’s declaration, but his look of devastation rips my heart in half. The second I see Aiden’s anguish, the pain and vulnerability reflected in those soft gray eyes of his, something snaps within me.
It’s time for me to be an adult.
“I have never been more disappointed in both of you as my parents than I am right now,” I say, my voice shaking with barely suppressed rage. “But this is partially my fault. My fault for letting this go on for far too long.”
“Scar—” my dad begins, but I immediately cut him off.
“No. You had your say, and I stood here and watched Aiden silently absorb all of your hateful comments. Now you’re going to hear me.
This whole family has interfered with my personal life since I was a teenager.
You let Ethan and Jamie scare boys off from asking me out since high school.
You made it very clear you didn’t want me to date a hockey player, although my whole family is full of them.
Do you know how hypocritical that is? Do you?
“And you married one!” I continue, turning and looking at my mother. “How do you explain that? You raised two hockey-playing sons. You married a former player and a coach. But I can’t date one? Do you understand how absurd that is?”
“I wasn’t the coach’s daughter,” Mom retorts.
“I don’t care!” I cry, exasperated. “I’ve always done what you all wanted me to do.
Always. You would have to know for me even to consider dating Aiden, let alone actually being in a relationship with him, he would have to be an exceptional man.
Dad, you know that. You put the A on him before he even played his first game as a Manatee.
You said at the time that you’ve never done that before. None of that has changed.”
“Wrong!” he shouts. “I can’t trust him now. I’ll never trust him.”
“Then I feel sorry for you. Because you’re making a huge mistake.
And you’re making a mistake in not trusting me.
You both raised me to be a good girl. To follow the rules.
To believe in my family and value them. I am still those things.
But I have become an adult. Capable of making my own decisions.
And the best decision I ever made was to fall in love with Aiden. ”
I pause and look at Aiden, squeezing his hand once again. He looks down at me, and I smile up at him. “I love this man. He is not a mistake. Aiden was a choice.”
Aiden swallows hard as he hears my words. “You were my choice, too.”
I turn and look at my dad. “You can choose to be petty and ruthless and send Aiden away because he dared to date your adult daughter. Let me say that again, because this family can’t seem to grasp it—your adult daughter.
You raised me to be smart. Capable. Kind.
Most of all, you raised me to make the right decisions.
It’s time you not only trust me to do that, but respect my ability to pick the man I want to love, to pick a man who will treat me the way you taught me to expect a man to treat me.
You need to trust that I know what is best for me. And that is Aiden.”
A silence falls over the room. Then Aiden clears his throat.
“Sir, I’m here not as your player, but as the man who has fallen in love with your daughter.
Scarlett has changed everything in my life for the better.
I’m in love with who she is and the heart she has.
I knew what I was doing when I chose to date her.
I tried to ignore my feelings. I couldn’t.
I couldn’t ignore them or her. But I was only willing to take this risk because of who she is.
Scarlett made me braver. Willing to fight for something other than hockey.
If you want to trade me for that, so be it.
Because no matter where you send me, I’m still going to love her.
That,” Aiden says firmly, “will not change.”
I have never felt more loved than I do in this moment.
Aiden is being both brave and vulnerable, laying everything in his heart out for my parents to see.
I am so lucky to have this man love me. After what he just said, my parents should see that, too.
I look back at them and find myself holding my breath.
The vein twitches in my dad’s neck. Mom’s face is of grave concern.
And they remain silent.
My anger now swirls with deep disappointment. They don’t care that Aiden is boldly putting his heart before them, telling them how much he loves me. They still think this is wrong, that I need their guidance, and Aiden should be punished.
“You say this puts you in an awkward position as a coach,” I say.
“But you know what the reality is? The only thing that becomes awkward is if Aiden plays poorly and you ignore it because of me, which you would never do. If you wanted to trade him down the line for a player that makes sense for the Manatees? We would understand that. If you move him to the fourth line because his play is crap? We would understand that. But you trading him out of spite over your adult daughter? That stupidity is on you to answer for.”
“How dare you tell me how to do my job.” My dad is seething.
“How dare you tell me who I can and cannot date,” I retort. “Especially when you know I won’t embarrass you or interfere with your job. This is on you, not me, and until you see that, we have nothing more to talk about.”
“Scarlett!” Mom gasps, her hand flying to her mouth.
“We aren’t finished here,” Dad snaps.
“Oh yes, we are,” I say, adrenaline coursing through me. “I will not step foot in this house again unless Aiden is welcome here. And if you trade him for no good reason? Like you just threatened to do? That won’t change anything between us.”
“Scarlett, no,” Mom cries, tears beginning to fall. “What about Christmas?”
I remain firm. “I will not be here for Christmas unless I’m treated like an adult and respected. And you need to respect the man I love, too.”
I take Aiden’s hand and lead him out of the house.
I’m shaking with all kinds of emotions, and Aiden grips my hand tighter, as if he knows I need it.
He ushers me inside his car, and as soon as he’s slipped behind the wheel, he turns to me, his eyes searching mine in the darkness.
The twinkling lights from the house shine through the windows and illuminate his face, and I feel sick when I see how worried he looks.
The look isn’t because he’s worried about his hockey career. It’s because he’s worried about me.
“I love you,” I blurt out, my voice breaking.
“You keep giving me more reasons to love you. More reasons to get down on my knees and be grateful that you broke your code of conduct for me. Tonight you proved over and over why I’m so lucky to have you.
And I will choose you every time, Aiden. Every. Single. Time.”
A tear rolls down my cheek, and Aiden brushes it away with his fingertips. “I … I just hate that you have to suffer to love me.”
“You have the greater price to pay,” I insist. “I’m so sorry. I can’t say I’m sorry enough.”
“It’s not your fault,” he reminds me. “I don’t want to be traded.
I’ve always dreamed of playing with Wyatt, and I’ve been so lucky to do that here in Miami.
Obviously, I want to stay here, not just for him, but for you.
But if I’m traded …” Aiden pauses and swallows before continuing.
“If I’m traded, I’ll still be playing hockey. And you’ll still be mine.”
“Yes, I will,” I say, my voice thick.
Aiden leans over and kisses me, and I hold his face in my hands as I kiss him back. I reach up, pushing back the hair that has fallen across his brow, and tracing my fingers over the scar above his eyebrow.
Aiden breaks the kiss, resting his forehead against mine. I close my eyes.
He can’t be traded.
I have to believe that Dad will calm down and see this rationally. That Aiden is not only one of his alternate captains, a popular player on this team, but his best defenseman, too.
That has to happen. For Aiden’s sake.
And for the sake of my heart, too.
* * *
The silence speaks volumes.
I glumly stare at the tree in my apartment on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, remembering how joyful I felt putting it up with Aiden. It was my first adult Christmas tree, and I loved having Aiden help me decorate it and figure out the best way to string the lights.
Now it’s a reminder that I will not be spending Christmas at my parents’ house tonight.
They haven’t come to their senses. There’s been no text or phone call.
They have chosen hockey over me.
Mom and Dad don’t trust me to make my own decisions. They don’t trust Aiden, the man my dad was so impressed by in training camp, he made him an alternate captain before he ever played a game in a Manatees uniform—something my dad has never done in his entire career.
I swallow as I hug a throw pillow closer to my chest. Jamie called and said he would try to talk to Dad, which I appreciated.
Ethan texted, wishing me a Merry Christmas and saying this would all blow over—but he didn’t mention a single word about supporting me or Aiden with Mom and Dad.
Not that I expected him to. As soon as he punched Aiden in the face, I knew where his mind was on the matter.
I turn down the Christmas music I’m playing. I’ve moved past the anger of last night to new emotions. Sad. Disappointed.
And so, so afraid Aiden will be traded.
I try to push that thought aside and focus on tonight instead.
Aiden will be coming over to spend the night, and we’ve already decided to eat a Nochebuena feast—something Ava mentioned that her family will do tonight in our group chat.
It’s a big Christmas Eve dinner that includes Cuban-style roast pork, plantains, black beans and rice, yuca, and flan for dessert.
I ordered one from a Cuban restaurant, and Aiden is going to pick it up on his way over.
Wyatt is going to join us, so perhaps it’s the start of a new tradition we’re creating.
But my heart hurts at the reason why we’re creating this new tradition.
We’re creating it because my own family would rather have Christmas without me than acknowledge Aiden is the man I’ve chosen to love.
My thoughts switch to Cam and Brit Wentworth, Aiden’s parents.
They are coming in on Christmas morning, and Aiden is going to introduce me as his girlfriend at dinner tomorrow.
I’m excited to meet them, but also nervous.
If dating me causes their son to lose the alternate captaincy he loves so much and be traded from the Manatees, how can they not hate me?
Aiden told me that when his parents see how happy he is, they won’t judge anything.
He also said he will explain to them the choices he made, why he made them, and he’s confident his parents will support him.
I bite my lower lip. If only I could be as sure as Aiden is. I mean, I hope with all my heart that it’s true, but that’s a big ask of his parents.
I reach for my phone, and even though I knew this was the case, there are no new messages. The last one I have is from Georgie, telling me she’s been released from the hospital and is resting at home, and Beckham is the best round-the-clock nurse anyone could ever ask for.
I smile. That’s definitely the best news of Christmas Eve.
Suddenly, my phone rings in my hand, and I feel my heart in my throat as I glance down at the screen. One word is on it to identify the caller.
Dad.