Page 114 of Cold Feet
A soft knock at my door made me look up. Katie stood there, purse in hand.
"You should go home," she said gently. "There's nothing more you can do tonight."
I nodded, too tired to argue. "Thanks, Katie. For everything today."
"That's what I'm here for." She hesitated. "For what it's worth, the staff is on your side."
I managed a weak smile. "That means a lot."
After she left, I began gathering my things, wincing as I scrolled through yet more notifications on my phone. The hashtag #FireLanaDecker was gaining traction. Several sports blogs were calling me "the most hated woman in hockey right now." Wonderful.
Another knock, this one more hesitant. I looked up to see Cam standing in my doorway, his expression uncertain.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hey."
An awkward silence stretched between us. There was so much to say, and yet I had no energy left to say any of it.
"I just wanted to check on you before I left," he finally said. "It's been... a day."
I laughed, the sound hollow and brittle. "That's one way to put it."
"Lana, I – "
"Don't," I cut him off, unable to bear whatever he was about to say. Apologies, explanations, regrets – none of it would change what had happened. "Please. I can't do this right now. I need to stay focused if I'm going to salvage this situation."
"You think I care about the damned sneakers? If this goes sideways, I lose my brother, my team…" he paused, "and the only woman I've ever loved."
My heart ached and tears stung my eyes, "I can't do this with you right now."
He nodded, understanding in his eyes. "Okay. But I meant what I told Josh. Every word."
I looked away, afraid of the hurricane of emotions threatening to sweep me away . "You shouldn't have done that. The Redline deal – "
"I don't care about the deal," he interrupted. "Not if it comes at the expense of your reputation."
"It's my job to protect your reputation, Cam. Not the other way around."
"Maybe I'm tired of everyone protecting me." He stepped further into the office, his voice low and intense. "Maybe I wanted to be the one who stood up for someone else. For you."
I was too exhausted for this conversation, too raw to navigate the complicated feelings his words stirred up. "Thank you for what you did today. But I think I need some time. Space."
He nodded, a flash of hurt crossing his face before he schooled his expression. "Of course. Whatever you need." He turned to go, then paused. "For what it's worth, I'd do it again. All of it. Even knowing how it would end."
After he left, I sat alone in my darkened office, surrounded by the wreckage of the day. My phone buzzed with a text from my mother:
MOM: Saw the news. Call us when you can. We love you sweetheart.
Another from Coco:
COCO: These assholes on Twitter don't know what they're talking about. You're a badass and everyone who actually knows you knows that.
And finally, from Zayne:
ZAYNE: Coming over with pizza and bourbon in 30. No arguments.
My brother. Always the protector. The thought finally broke the dam of tears I'd been holding in all day.
