Page 58 of The Dating Coach
The word 'together' settled around us like a promise. We fell asleep that way, curled into each other despite his injuries, choosing connection over fear.
But I should have known the universe wasn't done testing us.
I woke to Liam's phone buzzing insistently. He groaned, fumbling for it in the darkness. "What?" he muttered, picking up the call.
Henry's voice was audible even from where I lay. "Your father's here. In the living room. He's... it's not good, man."
Liam was up immediately, pulling on proper clothes with grim efficiency. "Stay here," he told me.
"No," I said, getting out of bed.
"Gemma—"
"Together," I reminded him. "Whatever comes, remember?"
His expression softened for a moment before hardening into something I'd never seen before. "Okay. But let me handle him."
We descended to find Victor Delacroix holding court in the living room like he owned it. Henry and Frank flanked the doorway like bodyguards, clearly uncomfortable but unwilling to leave Liam alone with his father.
"Liam," Victor said, his tone arctic. "We need to discuss your future. Privately."
"Anything you need to say can be said here," Liam replied evenly. "These are my friends. My family."
"Family," Victor repeated, the word dripping disdain. His eyes found me. "And I suppose she's family too?"
"Yes," Liam said simply.
What followed was twenty minutes of careful verbal warfare. Victor had spreadsheets showing Liam's "declining draft stock," quotes from scouts about his "divided attention," projections of lost earnings if he didn't "refocus immediately."
"You're throwing away millions," Victor said finally. "For what? A girl who'll move on when she realizes you gave up your dreams for her?"
"I'm not giving up my dreams," Liam said quietly. "I'm choosing different ones. Ones that are actually mine."
"Architecture." Victor spit the word like profanity. "You want to waste your talent building—"
"I want to build homes for families who accept their children unconditionally," Liam interrupted. "I want to create spaces where people can be themselves without judgment. I want a life where success isn't measured in goals scored or contracts signed."
"And you think she'll still want you when you're not the hockey star? When you're just another graduate student struggling to make ends meet?"
"Yes," I said, before Liam could respond. Both men turned to stare at me. "I'll want him when he's covered in drafting pencil smudges at 3 AM. When he's stressed about sustainable building materials. When he's fighting city planning committees for affordable housing initiatives. Because I fell in love with Liam, not his jersey number."
Victor's face went through several expressions before settling on cold dismissal. "Think about what you're throwing away," he told Liam, his voice dangerously quiet. "Everything we've worked for. Everything you've built. Think very carefully about whether this is worth destroying your career."
"I have thought about it," Liam said calmly. "I've been thinking about it for months. Drive safe, Dad."
Victor's jaw tightened. "When you realize what a mistake this is, don't come crying to me. I won't clean up this mess twice." He left in a cloud of expensive cologne and disappointment.
The moment the door closed, Liam sagged against me.
"Did I just throw away my entire future?" he asked quietly.
"No," I said firmly. "You just chose a different one."
Chapter 26: Liam
We'd been huddled around the TV in my room, dissecting Colorado team’s power play formations for this weekend's crucial match, when Frank's phone lit up. He glanced at the screen, and his usual smirk vanished.
"Shit," he muttered, then looked up at us. "Someone downstairs asking about Mia. Says he's investigating a missing person case."
