The air feels heavy between us. Raindrops tap softly against the balcony railing.
“And you know what?” I say, my voice raw. “Every horrible thing that’s ever happened to me…”
I look him straight in the eye, even though it hurts.
“It’s either something I brought upon myself… or it somehow ties back to hockey.”
My chest feels like it’s splitting open.
“Hockey’s given me nothing but pain. Hurt. And more heartbreak than I know what to do with.”
Liam steps closer, so close I can feel the heat of him even though the night air is freezing.
His hand brushes against mine – slow, gentle – like he’s asking for permission.
I squeeze my eyes shut and pull away.
It hurts.
God, it hurts.
I keep my gaze on the ground, too scared to meet his eyes. “I know you said I didn’t have to give you an answer,” I say, voice barely above a whisper. “But… this is it, Liam. I’m walking away.
0.00%
17:00 D
Chapter 85
288 Vouchers
I’m putting hockey behind me.”
There’s a long pause.
Then his voice, soft but rough around the edges: “And what does that mean for me?”
I open my eyes, heart hammering so loud it’s all I can hear.
“I’m putting this behind too,” I say, forcing the words out before I can change my mind. “Whatever you think you feel for me whether it’s real or not – it doesn’t matter.”
–
Liam’s jaw tightens. His hands curl into fists at his sides. “What‘ s that supposed to mean?”
“It means we stick to the contract. Nothing more.” For a second, he just stares at me like I’ve ripped something out of him.
And I see it – the pain in his eyes
—
so raw, so real.
And it kills me because I don’t understand why.
Why he’d pretend to care so much about someone like me.
“But, Emilia,” he says, stepping even closer, “have you ever thought… maybe it’s not your fault? Maybe the people who hurt you are the ones to blame? Maybe you’re just a victim of their cruelty-”
“Yet still a victim!” I scream, cutting him off.
The word feels ugly in my mouth.
Heavy. Shameful.
19.70%
17.00
Chapter 85
299 Neuchars
Liam’s eyes blaze. “And there’s nothing wrong with that!” he fires back. “There’s no shame in surviving, Emilia!”
I huff, my chest rising. “You don’t understand anything.”
The air between us crackles, full of anger and something else something deeper.
He takes a shaking breath, fighting for control. “I’ll respect your decision. I swear I will.”
His voice drops to a raw whisper. “But if you think for a second that your guilt… your fear… your walls… are going to stop me from caring about you, then you don’t know me at all.”
My heart pounds so hard it hurts.
–
“I’ll chase you, Emilia Janice Carter,” he says, like a promise. “I’ll chase you – patiently, endlessly – until every scar you have remembers what it’s like to feel safe again. Until every broken memory you carry… is rewritten with nothing but me.”
He disappears for a moment, leaving me cold and aching.
Then he’s back, draping a soft throw blanket around my shoulders like it’s the easiest thing in the world.
His hands linger for a second longer than they should, warm against the fabric. “You shouldn’t have to be cold,” he says quietly, “I’ll draw you a bath.” He looks at me for a moment, then pinches my cheek. His lips pull into a breathtaking smile. “Here, your phone’s been going off nonstop. Thought you might want to check that.”
He slips my phone into my hand, then leaves, closing the sliding
Chapter 85
288 Nouchers
doors quietly behind him.
EMILIA
If you ask, I probably won’t be able to explain what the hell just happened.
The image of Liam, screaming back at me, shouting
declarations I’m sure he doesn’t even mean, then giving me a smile that steals the breath from my lungs like I didn’t just turn him down.
Christ.
I push Liam to the very back of my mind, holding the blanket tighter to me.
First thing I do is check my phone.
[BREAKING: Sources Claim Emily Vanderbilt, Billionaire Heiress and Liam Calloway’s Girlfriend, Allegedly Cheated With Chicago Blizzards‘ Stone Maxwell last night!]
[EXCLUSIVE: Insider Claims Emily Vanderbilt Cheated on Liam Calloway With Hockey Star Stone Maxwell]
[Puck Bunny or Heartbreaker? Sources Allege Emily Vanderbilt’s Secret Affair With Stone Maxwell]
[JUST IN: Allegations Fly as Emily Vanderbilt Accused of Cheating on Liam Calloway With Zane Whitmoore’s Teammate]
[Sources Spill: Liam Calloway’s Blow–Up With Stone Maxwell Allegedly Tied to Emily Vanderbilt]
Me. Liam. Stone. And some mysterious “source“. All over the
73.35%
17.000
And the weirdest part? I don’t feel anything. Not panic. Not shame. Just… calm. The kind that comes when you’ve already survived the worst of it.
Chapter 85
