Page 136 of Unsteady

“He’s been my coach since I was eleven.” It isn’t the right thing to say, but it’s all that comes out. “He’s—he loves me, but he pushes me. That isn’t bad.”

Lies lies lies.

A hand falls to my shoulder so suddenly I flinch, watching Mr. Koteskiy pull back with a somber look on his face, apologies in his eyes. But it’s Anna who wraps me up from behind, her chin settling over the top of my head as she holds me close.

“You’ve done nothing wrong,” she whispers into my hair. “Nothing, okay? But you deserve better than this.”

“I don’t—”

“Sadie,” Rhys beckons. He’s still fuming, but his fierce expression softens as he looks at me. “You’ve got to report him.”

I can’t speak, my tongue heavy in my mouth. It isn’t until his mom grabs me in a tight hug that I even realize I’m shaking.

The tears come easily then, and Anna Koteskiy holds me until they stop.

* * *

Rhys follows me upstairs after I tuck my brothers into their temporary rooms.

“I’m not sure where I’m supposed to go,” I admit, the hopeless, lost feeling in my stomach climbing up until it tightens my throat. “I don’t—”

“Come here, Gray,” he whispers, opening his arms so I can crawl into the safe, warm space of his embrace. He just holds me there for a moment, murmuring soft words into my hair and littering kisses along my scalp and forehead.

“I’m sorry I pushed you away,” I murmur into the fabric of his shirt.

“I was never going anywhere, anyway.” He chuckles, the words serious even as he tries to pull a smile from me.

It works, like it always does.

I pull back just slightly, keeping my fists balled into the fabric of his shirt at his waist. Like I’m holding tight just in case. But if there’s anything this man has shown me, it’s that he’s not leaving.

Guilt tries to take root, and he must see it cross my face because he’s gripping my chin and angling my gaze to his before the first tear can fly free.

“I will spend every day forever reminding you how amazing and special you are. How lucky I am to have someone so brave and smart and talented and beautiful love me. I see the way you love your brothers. I know how special your kind of love is.”

He tucks my hair behind my ears and holds my entire face in the cradle of his massive palms.

“You are worth it. And if I have to fight the little demons in your mind that convince you otherwise for every day for the rest of our lives? I’ll happily do it. Do you understand?”

He waits for an answer.

“I love you,” I say instead. “I trust you. And I’m sorry I didn’t show you that sooner.”

He kisses me, soft and sweet.

“We have all the time in the world for you to make it up to me.” He smirks, all boyish and it makes my heart flip and my entire body turn to mush in his arms.

I love Rhys Koteskiy. And I’m learning that I do deserve him.

I’m never letting go of his hand again.

FORTY-EIGHT

SADIE

Three Weeks Later

“Today was great, Sadie,” the woman says over the screen. I nod gently and furrow a little deeper into the covers.

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