Of course I do.
The charm is warm from his hand, small enough to closemy fist around. I don’t say anything right away, because I can’t. My brain is buzzing and blank all at once.
“You didn’t throw the gloves in the trash…you wore them,” he says. “You said I’m still in your heart. That means I have a chance to make things right here.”
“Landon—”
“I’m not trying to take anything from you,” he cuts in, shaking his head. “I see how they look at you. I’m not blind. I just…I need you to know I meant every damn word of my apology. And this time, I’m not walking away. I’m fighting for this. For you, Willow.”
I stare at him.
I want to hate him.
But he smells like home as much as Graham does. And his eyes are full of every memory we never got to make.
My fingers tighten around the charm.
I should go.
I should say something cold. Draw a line. Shut this down.
But all I manage is, “You’re not making this easy.”
He gives me a crooked smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “It’s not supposed to be easy, Willow. Not when it’s real.”
And the worst part of all of this? It feels real.
I turn before I let my body make the decision for me. Before I lean in. Before I let him kiss me.
The charm burns in my palm as I walk away. And I don’t even realize I’m crying until I taste salt on my lips.
CHAPTER 68
Willow
By the timeI make it back into the rink, the laughter has quieted. Most of the team is packing up, already halfway out the doors, still riding the high of Coach’s announcement.
I keep my head down as I cross to the bench. The charm is still in my hand.
I don’t let go of it until I drop to sit and start working on my laces. My fingers tremble.
Then he’s there.
Graham.
On his feet and by my side like he’d been waiting for the second I needed him. He crouches in front of me, calm and solid, and without a single word, he reaches up and gently wipes the tears from my cheeks with his knuckles.
He doesn’t ask what happened.
Doesn’t ask if I’m okay.
He just sees me.
His thumb lingers under my eye for a second before he tilts my chin up with that quiet authority he always carries. His gaze finds mine—steady, warm, all-knowing.
“Dry your tears, sweetheart,” he says. “We’ve got a bigday ahead of us. One that’s going to make you smile and forget all about everything.”
My throat tightens again, but this time it’s from the way he says it; a promise that’s already true..
