“You’re right,” I agree.
“Besides, son, you’re only twenty-six years old,” he says gently. “And while that’s not an excuse, I understand. Just thissummer you were living it up on your yacht without a care in the world. You’ve never had a serious relationship, never let anyone outside the family get too close. We all make questionable decisions while we’re figuring things out. It’s part of growing up.”
He’s right. Four months ago, I was knee-deep in white powder and models.
“What if she hates me for it?”
Dad rubs Mom’s back. “Relationships built on truth might get shaken, but they can weather the storm. It’s the ones built on secrets that crumble. Tell her everything, give her time to process it, and then respect whatever she decides. That’s all you can do.”
Fuck, they’re right. Of course they’re right. My mind circles back through every moment with Reese—the late-night conversations, the way she calls me on my shit, how she makes me want to be better without making me feel worse. For the first time in my life, I’m not running from this feeling.
I’m running toward it.
“Okay,” I say, standing. “I’m going to find her.”
Dad grins, squeezing my shoulder. “Go get her.”
I head toward the door.
Fuck. The thought of laying it all bare makes my throat tight. I’ve done this a thousand times before—the chase, the game, the carefully crafted lines. But this isn’t that. This is real. This is Reese. And I’m terrified.
The weight of every headline I’ve generated, every scandal I’ve sparked, every heart I’ve carelessly handled—it all crashes down on me now. But with her…God, with her, I can see a different version of myself. One who watches fog roll in from a San Francisco balcony, who makes plans that stretch past tomorrow, who finally, finally stops running.
When I enter the ballroom, I spot her at a table by the window. The band has already packed up. My stomach lurches. Christ, I’ve never been this nervous about a relationship in my life. My palms are actually sweating.
“Reese?”
She turns, and fuck—even exhausted, even with her shoulders slumped, she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Her smile, lazy and worn, makes my chest ache.
“Is Em okay?”
“Yeah, she is. My siblings are adopting her.” I attempt a joke and sink into the chair beside her, trying to steady my racing pulse. “She’s going to stay with my parents for the rest of the weekend.”
Reese rests her head on my shoulder, and I have to close my eyes against the wave of guilt. “Does that mean I get you all to myself?”
I want to drown in that question, let myself believe I deserve the trust I hear in her voice. But I love her too much to keep lying. “Can we actually talk about something?”
She sits up, brown eyes searching mine. “Of course.”
Chapter 44
Reese
“Over the pastcouple of months, you’ve made me want to be more than just the person the world thinks they know. No one’s ever held all of me so gently in their hands, Reese,” Dante says.
My breath catches in that delicate way it does when you realize you’re living inside a moment you’ll remember forever.
He’s going to say it.
“You changed me too, Dante.”
He runs a hand through his hair. “Which is why I need to come clean about something.”
“Tell me anything, I’m here,” I say tentatively, noticing his expression shift from nervous to a face I’ve never seen on him before.Guilt? Pain?
“Back in the summer, after my whole suspension mess, I did something stupid. I brought a reporter onto my yacht to spin the narrative.” His jaw tightens with self-loathing. “Thought if I had them there, reporting on my whereabouts, it would pull the attention away from the fact that I wasn’t at the Olympics this year.
“Okay…” This is not where I thought this was going. I rub my hands along the skirt of my silver gown.
