Page 58 of One Pucking Chance

“I…”

“Anna…” His head falls back, and he sighs. “I have not so much as looked at another woman since I sat next to you on October first. Why would I tell you I love you and jump into bed with someone else the moment you leave? I can’t believe you thought I’d do that to you. I love you. And if we’re speaking truths here… I thought you were over me. I thought you’d moved on. I didn’t hear from you, so I just assumed. And even then, I couldn’t fathom being with anyone else. Now that I know what it’s like to be with you, I don’t ever want anyone else.”

“Really?” Sorrow lines my voice. I can’t believe I let my father manipulate the situation yet again. After a lifetime with him, I should know his tactics by now. “I’m so stupid.”

“No, you’re not. Your father’s an asshole.”

My sadness is replaced with fury as it dawns on me that my father used a lie to keep me away from my mother during her last two weeks of life. He robbed me of a goodbye, all in the name of control. He does not love me. He has never loved me. Miranda has been right this whole time. He loves to control me. The only person he cares about in this world is himself. If I’m truly being honest with myself, my mother was the same way. The pair of them used me as a pawn to make themselves look better. When they couldn’t control me, they tore me down until I was so shattered that they could. I wanted so badly to be loved that I convinced myself otherwise. Growing up, I took every awful thing they put me through and found a way to rationalize it to prove to myself that they cared. But they never did.

I’m devastated that my mom’s gone and heartbroken because I didn’t get to say goodbye. As much as I want to hate them both, they’re still my parents. I’ll always hold a space for them in my heart because I’m not them. I love deeply. But I am done. My father's actions over this past month are unforgivable. I will never let him manipulate or hurt me again.

“I’m such a mess,” I admit with a shake of my head.

“That’s fine. Who isn’t? I love you, Anna. Be my beautiful mess.”

Ever since I received the news that my mother was gone, it’s felt like the ground had disappeared beneath me. I was floating in some awful endless free fall where no one could catch me.

It no longer feels as if I’m falling. Jaden showed up here today, and he caught me. He’ll always catch me.

“I’m yours.” As the words leave my mouth, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SIX

JADEN

Iseal the last box with packing tape and slap a label on it. Every second that I’m here, I’m actively working on not thinking about the guys or how they’re playing. I work especially hard not to think about Miles skating in my position.

I can count on one hand how many practices I’ve missed, and those were all because I was actively puking with some bug or the last one because I was trying to get the girl before she got on a plane to fly across the country. I have never missed a game. I’ve played through a hundred-and-three-degree fever and an active bout of puking. One game, I was so sick with food poisoning from a very shady restaurant the night before—if this literal hole-in-the-wall joint can even be classified as a restaurant—and I still played. I had to take breaks to puke, but I still made it back on the ice. I take my profession very seriously.

Coach Albright said he understood and to take the days that I needed. I know the guys are sympathetic as well, but it still kills me. But nothing is more important to me than Anna. She has very quickly become my whole world, and she needs me.

Miranda enters the room. Her auburn hair is up in piggy buns, and her face is makeup-free, making her look younger than usual. “All done?”

“All done. This was the last box,” I state.

She rocks up on her heels. “Awesome. That didn’t take too long.”

“Nope. Not bad at all,” I agree.

Anna is leaving all of the furniture and selling it with the house. She said none of it holds any sentimental value. This way, we can choose furniture for our new home together. The movers are coming tomorrow to pick up the dozen boxes or so that contain her clothes and other personal items.

“Where’s Anna?” I ask.

“She is trying to decide between two almost identical black dresses for tomorrow. She’s tried them both on about five times.” She shrugs.

“Well, it’s something she has control over. I know she’s anxious about tomorrow.”

“I know. Exactly. I just can’t wait until the funeral is over so we can get out of here.”

“So you’re really moving to Michigan? Aren’t you going to miss the palm trees, ocean, and beautiful weather? You are flying back to cold and snow.” I chuckle.

“I can always visit warm places, but no, I’m not going to miss it here. Anna is my only family. Where she goes, I go.”

“She’s lucky to have you.”

Miranda’s eyes well with tears. “I’m lucky to have her. I don’t know if Anna has told you, but I literally wouldn’t be here without her, and by here, I mean on this earth. She was there for me during a very dark time when we were kids. She’s the best person I know.”

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