Chapter Fifteen
Presley
Saint is gone by the time I wake up, and in his place is a little girl sound asleep, mouth wide open, snoring. She came in late last night and asked to sleep with us, so I pulled the covers back, and she climbed over me right between Saint and me.
I don’t move right away. I just lay here looking at Rhyan.
This little girl lost her mom. And she’s so young, so I’m not sure how much she understands about that loss yet.
I roll onto my back and stare at the ceiling, letting my and Saint’s conversation from last night settle over me again.
“Marry me.”
It wasn’t said as a joke or a someday maybe. It was now, and it was real, and it was immediate.
And somehow, in the quiet of the morning, it feels even bigger than it did in the dim light of the room last night.
I press the heel of my palm against my chest, like it might somehow help to slow my heartbeat. I’m a doctor, so I know it won’t, but the reality is hitting me, and I need to do something with the pressure in my chest.
This morning, I have space to think about him, the kids, the court, and … the pact.
I’m thinking about how everything will change if I say yes, but it could break if I say no.
I exhale slowly and roll to my side again, watching Rhyan sleep.
“Don’t spiral,” I whisper to myself.
A little too late.
I quietly slip out of bed and pull on a sweatshirt over the T-shirt I’m wearing and grab some sweatpants from the closet.
Just as I walk out of the room, I hear the front door open.
“Pres!” My sister’s voice carries through the house like she owns the place. Which, honestly, she’s here almost every day, so she might as well.
“It’s breakfast time!” she adds. “Wake up!”
I look over the railing and see a small blur of energy burst through the door.
“SERA IS HERE!”
Seraphina. My niece.
Only three years old and already louder than some adults.
Rhyan comes flying out of the room, hair sticking up all over the place, and zips down the stairs like she’s been summoned by chaos.
“Battle friend!”
“Battle friend!” Sera echoes.
And just like that, the house explodes into noise. But it’s really nice to hear after all the silence since Savannah’s and Chris’s deaths. Sure, we have pockets of good days too, more and more, but their loss is still very much present.
I walk down the stairs and follow Alie into the kitchen. She’s holding two oversize bags, and she looks over her shoulder at me with an arched brow.
“You look like you didn’t get any sleep,” she says.
“Eh, a little,” I reply.
She gives me a look, like only a pesty little sister can. “Why just a little?”
I nod toward the girls, who are now arguing over whose dragon was stronger.
“Should we intervene?”
Alie claps her hands once. “We must break our fast, warrior queens. Then you may destroy each other in battle.”
They immediately redirect.
Food always won.
Alie gets some plates out, again like she owns the place, and puts a muffin and some fruit on a plate for Sera and one for Rhyan.
She walks into the family room and sets both plates on the coffee table.
“Eat up so we can go watch Remy’s hockey game,” she tells the girls.
When she walks back in, I’m pouring a cup of coffee that Saint must have made before he left.
Bless him.
Alie pours herself a cup, then leans her hip on the counter, staring at me.
“Well, what’s going on?” she asks quietly. “You’re acting weird.”
I exhale slowly because I know she won’t let it go.
“Okay,” I start.
She sets her cup on the counter and crosses her arms. “I’m listening.”
My head drops back, and I sigh. “There’s something I never told you about.”
Her brows lift. “Okay …”
“When Saint and I were in college, my last year and the year he got drafted”—I pause—“we made a pact.”
She frowns. “What kind of pact?”
I exhale. “Like a if we’re both single at thirty, we marry each other kind of pact.”
She stares. Then blinks. “You never told me that. And you didn't mention this when we were talking about him at the Bubble Place.”
“I know.”
“I knew you guys were close, even back then, but …” She shakes her head. “I can’t believe you never told me. We tell each other everything, Pres.”
“Honestly, I didn’t think it mattered.”
“And now?”
I meet her stare. “Now it does.”
Her expression sharpens. “Does this have to do with the meeting yesterday?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“And?”
I bite my lip, trying to think of the best way to say it, but then it just comes out. “He told me last night that he’s cashing in on it.”
Alie’s mouth drops open.
“He asked me to marry him.”
She just stares.
“Alie?”
“Not … hypothetically?” she finally asks.
“No.”
“And not joking?”
“No.”
“Like an actual, ‘Will you marry me?’”
“More like, ‘Marry me,’” I say, mimicking his voice.
Alie inhales sharply. “Oh my God.”
“Yeah.”
“Oh. My. God.”
“I know.”
She presses a hand to her chest. “Okay. Wow. That is … wow.”
I laugh weakly. “That’s about where I’m at with it too.”
She stares at me for another second.
“And,” she says slowly, “you’re acting weird because?”
I blink at her. “Because he asked me to marry him.”
“Yeah, but that’s not the only reason,” she says.
She’s not wrong.
“I mean, I’m a little shaken by it,” I admit. “He’s my best friend, Alie. I love him.”
Her expression softens. “I know you do.”
“And I want to help him,” I continue. “Because he can’t lose those kids.”
“I understand that.”
“He lost his sister. They just lost their parents. If the Harts get them, I think it would wreck him. Like a whole other loss, if that makes sense. This is all he has left of his family.”
“Okay, look. You can’t think like that,” she says quickly.
“Well, they could possibly get them,” I say.
“But I’m telling you, that’s not gonna happen.” Her jaw clenches. “We’ll fight.”
“We?” I ask.
She gives me a look. “Obviously.”
I love my little sister. She knows exactly what to say to me when I need her. I’m usually the blunt sister with all the answers, but this has me all over the place emotionally.
“I just don’t know what to do,” I shake my head.
Alie stares at me like her wheels are spinning. Then she gasps. “Oh my God, Pres!”
“What?”
“Your trust.”
I freeze. “What?”
“If you get married, you get access to your trust,” she says.
“I … yes.”
“And your foundation,” she presses. “The one you want to develop.”
I go still.
I didn’t connect those dots. But now that she’s said it, my brain starts moving in another direction.
Everything I’ve wanted to do.
It could be part of this …
A life-changing part.
“That’s not why I’d do it though,” I say quickly.
Alie holds up her hands. “I didn’t say it was the reason to do it.”
“But I mean it.”
“I know.”
I look away.
“Maybe …” I pause. “Maybe it wouldn’t be bad if it was part of the equation, but just not the whole reason.”
Alie picks up her cup and takes a sip while assessing me.
“It’s a lot to think about,” she says.
I let out a breath. “Yeah.”
She squints. “What else would hold you back?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I can’t imagine not being in his life,” I say. “I just can’t.”
“Right.”
“But this is a little bigger”—I pause—“than anything we’ve ever done.”
“True.”
“And what if it goes wrong?” I add. “What if it backfires and he still doesn’t get them?”
Alie’s expression softens. “And you’re afraid you’ll lose him.”
“Yes,” I say immediately. Because that is it. The fear lying under everything else. “I can’t lose him, Alie. I wouldn’t survive it.”
She’s quiet for a second. “Then you need to follow your heart.”
I roll my eyes. “Obvious answer, but also not helpful.”
“And your gut,” she adds.
“Really, Alie?”
She bumps my shoulder with hers. “You know what I mean.”
And I did. I’m just not sure I can admit it to myself yet.
The hockey game is loud and absolutely as chaotic as I thought it would be with seven-year-olds sliding around on the ice. Surprisingly, these kids are incredibly competitive.
I love seeing Saint locked in on the game. The way he’s watching Remy. The way he’s cheering. But more than anything … it’s simply his presence. And that’s what matters the most to Remy.
“That’s it, buddy!” he shouts, then turns to look at me with a wide smile on his face.
The clock is running down. It’s in the third period with one minute thirty-four seconds left on the clock. Then Remy scores. Barely. It trickles into the net like it wasn’t sure if it wanted to be there or not. But the buzzer goes off, and it counts.
The look on Remy’s face … he looks like he might just explode; he’s so excited, and his teammates tackle him to the ground with the force of their excitement too.
I’m on my feet, cheering, and Saint jumps up like Remy just won a championship.
“Slay the enemy, Rem!” Rhyan screams.
“Sway the ememy, Wemmy!” Sera screams louder.
I look at Alie over their heads and we just laugh.
“I can’t believe he did it!” Saint says, a smile splitting his face.
He looks so happy, and for a second, everything seems normal.
We watch as Remy’s teammates all skate to the goalie and tap his helmet. I love that tradition in hockey, and I love that it’s starting young.
“Should we go get something to eat?” Liam says.
“Yeah, I’m sure he’ll be hungry,” Saint says, then looks at Rhyan. “You want to eat Ry?”
She nods enthusiastically. “I’m starving! I haven’t eaten in forever!”
“Me too, Mommy,” Sera turns to Alie.
“Okay,” I chime in, pulling Rhyan into me. “Rhyan, you ate breakfast before we came. And you also ate a soft pretzel an hour ago.”
She wraps her arms around my waist. “Well, it feels like a really long time.”
“Okay, I’ll go see if he needs any help in the locker room, then we’ll head out.” Saint reaches for my hand, and I take Rhyan’s, and we make our way down the bleachers to the waiting area.