He leans forward again, elbows on his knees, voice low. “But to me it’s all water under the bridge. I’m not hurt. I don’t resent him. I said some stupid things in the moment, but all I’ve ever wanted is what’s best for Sawyer and my brother. And that’s why I’m so damn glad they both have you. And that he’s talking to me again.”
He has me…But does he really? When I’m still hiding things. Still holding onto the secret about his trade. About the very real chance that he and Sawyer might have to leave Brookhaven and moveagain.
I bite my bottom lip, guilt curling in my chest, choking off my air. Because they feel like my home now. They feel like family. Now I understand Seth’s vulnerabilities, his insecurities with women. And I understand how badly Sawyer wants to connect with me, and just how much I love her too. I don’t want to let them go.
I have to talk to my dad.
Levi’s smile turns easy again. “So, when’s my little brother getting home?”
I glance at my phone. A text from ten minutes ago lights up the screen.
Seth:Almost there. Can’t wait to see you.
“Any second now.”
Levi stands, stretches, and shoots me a knowing smile. “Alright, that’s my cue. I’ll head upstairs and get outta your hair. You two enjoy your night, and I’ll see y’all in the morning.”
He moves toward the stairs and disappears without another word, the house falling still again in his wake. I rub my hands over my lap, smooth down my yoga pants, suddenly too warm in the fading light of a Brookhaven evening.
But it isn’t the weather, or even chasing Sawyer around outside, that’s making me sweat. It’s the weight of everything Levi just said. It’s the way he loved Rebecca once. The way Seth might carry guilt he never speaks of for dating his older brother’s ex-girlfriend, getting her pregnant, and then losing her. The history between them is more tangled than I knew.
I feel like I understand Seth much more now. The ache in his silences. The way he clings to Sawyer with a fierce, tender edge. The pain he wears like armor without even realizing it. The tortured hero. The guy who won’t stop blaming himself for things he couldn’t have controlled. Before I can get lost in it, the front door swings open and he’s walking inside.
He drops his bags at the door, those long legs crossing the room in seconds, and then I’m off the stool, swept into his arms, tucked against his chest tightly.
“Fuck, I missed you, baby.”
My throat tightens. “I missed you too,” I whisper, the words breaking around the edges.
He leans back just enough to find my eyes, then kisses me like the world’s ending. And maybe it is. Because in his arms, I forget everything else. The guilt. The doubt. The fear.
And in that moment, I believe what Levi said. Thisisdifferent. What we have is special even to Seth because it’s special to me too. And I won’t treat it like Elena did and I won’t leave if I can help it.
When we finally come up for air, I let my fingers thread into his hair, my forehead resting against his cheek, my heart racing. It might not be fair, knowing what my dad is considering, but I’ve always been a firm believer in telling people what they mean to you before it’s too late. On seizing the moments that we’re given to us while we have them and not holding back on love. Not withholding it because of conveniences or circumstances.
“Seth, I’m in love with you.”
His eyes open. “You think? Because Iknowthat I’m in love with you.” His hands cup my cheek gently as he tilts my face upward and then kisses me again. “Is Sawyer already asleep?”
I check the time, it’s close to nine thirty now and nod. He takes my hand in his and guides me to the steps.
“Come on. Let’s go cuddle in bed and catch up.”
Chapter 35 – Seth
I dig the edges of my skates into the ice, getting my legs prepped for game speed. The home crowd tonight is already hyped, roaring through our warmups like it’s a playoff game. That’s something I’ve appreciated about theMayhem. TheSunswere passionate but there’s been nothing in my career quite like playing in New York City.
Penn fires another puck at me, low and fast, and I deflect it like it’s nothing.
“Gotta do better than that to get one past me!” I call out to my teammate, stretching into a deep lunge that pulls at my hamstring just right while he gears up for another hit.
It feelsgood. The rehab regimen that the team doctor and PTs have been putting me through is finally paying off. But more importantly, all the special recovery work Brianna’s been doing in our downtime is making the real difference.
Two months ago, I could barely push off the crease without feeling like something might snap. But now, thanks to Bri’s recovery, rehab stretches, icing routines, thesexual therapy—I feel like I’ve got a second shot at my career. I might be thirty-two, but I’ve still got a lot of fire left in me. And hopefully I’ll be lighting it up with theMayhemlong past this contract’s end.
Even if we're still technically keeping this relationship in Brookhaven, or whatever you'd call it when most of our friends and family already know, this past month has been the happiest I've been in a long time. Maybe ever. She’s the best thing that's happened to me since I learned how to stand on skates.
I thought I'd been in love before. Thought I'd caught glimpses of it, at least. But now I know I was wrong. Love is a choice. I know that now because I’m choosing it every day.
