Semua Bab Puck, Passion, and Broken Promises: Bab 41 - Bab 50

The morning after the truth, I wake up alone.Ethan's side of the bed is cold. Empty. His pillow is untouched. The sheets are smooth, like he never even lay down. Like he spent the entire night walking, thinking, pacing, wrestling with demons I couldn't see. The room feels hollow without him. The silence is deafening. The emptiness is suffocating. The absence is unbearable.I find him in the kitchen. His back is to me. His shoulders are tense. His hands are flat against the counter like he's trying to hold himself up, like he's trying to keep from falling apart. The coffee is cold. He hasn't touched it. He hasn't moved. He hasn't blinked. He hasn't breathed."Ethan?"He doesn't turn around. He doesn't move. He doesn't speak. It's like he can't hear me. Like I'm not there. Like I'm already gone."Ethan, talk to me. Please. I need to know what's going on in your head. I need to know what you're thinking. I need to know what you're feeling. I need to know if we're okay.""About what?" Hi

The night after the open door, I wake up to his voice."Mine."Soft. Quiet. Almost a whisper. Like a secret he's been keeping. Like a prayer he's been saying. Like a truth he's been holding onto for years. Like a confession he's been afraid to speak. Like a promise he's been desperate to make. Like a word that's been living in his heart. Like a song that's been playing in his soul. Like a dream he's been chasing in his sleep. Like a hope he's been clinging to in the dark. Like a prayer he's been offering to the universe.I'm in his bed. His arms are around me. His face is buried in my hair. His breath is warm on my neck. His heart beats steady against my back. His body is wrapped around mine like he's afraid I'll disappear. Like he's afraid I'm a ghost. Like he's afraid he'll wake up and I'll be gone. Like he's afraid he's dreaming. Like he's afraid to believe this is real. Like he's afraid to trust the happiness. Like he's afraid to let himself hope."Mine," he says again.I turn. Lo

The invitation arrives on a Tuesday.Cream-colored cardstock. Gold embossing. The kind of paper that costs more than a meal. The kind that means this is important. The kind that makes your stomach drop. The kind that makes your hands sweat. The kind that makes your heart race. A team dinner. Ethan's teammates. Their wives. Their girlfriends. Everyone who matters in his world. Everyone who's been wondering about me. Everyone who's been waiting to meet the woman who broke and rebuilt their captain. Everyone who's been curious about the ghost in his life. Everyone who's been whispering behind his back. Everyone who's been placing bets on whether I even existed.I stare at the card like it's a bomb. My hands are shaking. My heart is racing. My mind is spinning. My throat is tight. My palms are sweating. My breathing is shallow. My whole body is trembling."We don't have to go. We can say no. We can make an excuse. We can stay home. We can order pizza. We can watch a movie. We can pretend

The jealousy fades, but the tension lingers.Ethan is more protective now. More watchful. More present. I'm more aware. His eyes scan every room we enter. His body positions itself between me and anyone who gets too close. His hand finds my lower back, guiding me, shielding me, claiming me. He's become a shield I didn't ask for but can't refuse. He's become my armour. He's become my guardian. He's become my everything. He's become my safety. He's become my home. He's become my refuge.At the rink, a fan approaches me. Drunk. Loud. His eyes are glassy. His words are slurred. His breath smells like whiskey and desperation and anger and resentment and bitterness and entitlement and loss. His clothes are dishevelled. His steps are unsteady. His face is flushed. His hands are shaking. His voice is rising. His eyes are wild."Hey, you're the girl who broke Hayes. The one who ruined him. The one who destroyed his career. The one who wrecked his life. The one who made him a shell. The one who

The rink is still empty.The ice gleams under the dim lights. The silence is thick. The world outside doesn't exist. The cold air wraps around us but his warmth is all I feel. His presence is all I know. His love is all I need. His voice is all I hear. His touch is all I crave. His eyes are all I see. His heart is all I want. His soul is all I need.Ethan is still holding me. His arms are still tight. His breath is still warm on my neck. His heart is still racing. His hands are still shaking. His soul is still open. His walls are still down. His fear is still fading. His love is still pouring out. His hope is still alive. His future is still mine."I need to tell you something else," he says."What? What else is there? What else could there be? What else could you possibly say? What else is left to say? What else is there to tell? What else is there to share?""Tonight. Everything changes tonight. Everything shifts. Everything moves. Everything becomes different. Everything becomes ne