Page 25 of Penalty for Boarding

Thank fuck!

I let out a shaky breath, relief and love and anticipation swelling in my chest. She's there. Waiting for me. Ready to face this mess together, united.

I pick up my pace, practically sprinting through the halls and out into the parking lot. Olivia is my future, my forever. And I'll be damned if I waste another second without her by my side.

OLIVIA

Isit in my car outside Calvin's building, tears dry on my cheeks, and a cardboard box of office belongings that mocks me from the passenger seat. I’m pissed and hurt beyond measure, but underneath all that is a certainty that I know I made the right choice.

When my phone buzzes with Calvin's message saying he's coming to me, my heart does that familiar flip it's done since the moment I first saw him. I quickly text back that I'm already in his parking lot, not wanting him to go searching for me elsewhere. His response is immediate.

Calvin:

Stay there. Five minutes.

Those five minutes stretch like an eternity as I sit rehearsing what to say, how to tell him I've just walked away from my career. For us. But the moment his truck pulls in beside my car, all my carefully planned words evaporate. Our eyes meet through our windows, and the look on his face—part anguish, part fierce protectiveness—steals my breath.

We climb out simultaneously, meeting in the space between our vehicles. The late morning sun casts harsh shadows across his features, highlighting the tension in his jaw, the storm brewing in his eyes.

“Did you see—” we both start at once, then break off with weak laughs.

“The article,” I clarify, wrapping my arms around myself. “My GM had it waiting on his desk this morning.”

Calvin's expression darkens. “Sara ambushed me with it after training. Those pictures...”

“I know.” My voice cracks. “I guess we weren’t as alone in that parking lot as we thought.”

“Shit, Liv. I’m so sorry.” He closes the distance between us and pulls me into a gentle but urgent embrace. I melt into him, letting his warmth seep into my bones and wrap me in a feeling of safety. “I should have been more careful,” he murmurs into my hair. “I never wanted to put you in this position.”

I pull back just enough to look up at him, searching his eyes for the strength I need. “It's not your fault. We both knew this was a risk.”

A silence stretches between us, heavy with unspoken fears and the weight of our decisions. I think of the article, the grainy photos of Calvin and me locked in a passionate kiss. It was only a matter of time before someone put two and two together, but so soon? I thought we’d have managed to keep this to ourselves for the rest of the season, at least.

“What happened at work? What did the GM say to you?”

I swallow hard, fighting back fresh tears. “They gave me a choice. My career or...” I gesture between us, unable to finish the sentence.

His fingers tighten against me. “They made you choose?”

I nod, watching his face carefully. “What about you? What did the Nighthawks say?”

“Same thing.” His thumb brushes away a tear I didn't even realize had fallen. “Said I had to choose the game or the girl.”

My heart stops. “What did you do?”

“I walked.” He says it simply, like it's the most natural thing in the world. Like he didn't just throw away his entire career for me.

“You what?” Horror and love war in my chest. “Calvin, no. The playoffs?—”

“Mean nothing without you.” He pulls me tighter against him, and I bury my face in his chest, letting out a sob. His hand rubs gentle circles against my back. “Hey. It’s OK if you chose your job. The whole point of me quittin’ mine was so you didn’t have to.”

I shake my head, unable to speak. How can I tell him that his sacrifice makes everything so much harder, so much more real? That the thought of him giving up his dream for me is both the most beautiful and most terrifying thing I’ve ever heard?

“Liv,” he says softly, tilting my chin up so I have to meet his gaze. “Talk to me, baby. What’s going through your head?”

I let out a shaky breath. “I didn’t…”

“You didn’t what?”

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