She pulled back to look at me. "Are you in trouble? For saying those things?"
Smart kid."A little bit. But it's worth it."
"Why?"
"Because you and your mom are more important than anything else."
She hugged me again, and over her shoulder, I saw Palisade standing in the doorway. Her eyes were red from crying, but she was smiling.
"Come on, kiddo," I said, setting Casey down. "Let's go inside. I have a feeling we have some things to talk about."
As we walked toward the house, Casey's hand in mine, I felt something settle in my chest.
The captaincy was gone. The consequences were just beginning.
But I'd made the right choice.
For the first time in my life, I knew exactly where I belonged.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Palisade
After Easton talked with Casey for another hour, answering her questions about the press conference, reassuring her that yes, thewhole worldnow knew she was his daughter and yes, he was proud of that, my father arrived to take her for the evening.
"You two need time to talk," Dad said, giving Easton a meaningful look. "Without little ears around."
Casey hugged Easton goodbye, then me, still buzzing with excitement about the press conference. "Dad was on TV, and he said I'm a privilege!"
"We know, baby." I kissed the top of her head. "We'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
After they left, the house felt suddenly too quiet. Easton and I stood in my living room, and for the first time all day, we were alone.
"So," I said, not sure where to start.
"So." He ran a hand through his hair. "That was a day."
He walked to the couch and sat down heavily, elbows on his knees, hands clasped.
"Sit with me," he said quietly. "We need to talk about this. Really talk about it."
My heart started pounding. "Easton."
"Please, Sadie." He looked up at me, and the exhaustion in his eyes made my chest ache. "We never finished this conversation. The paparazzi interrupted us, then the press conference happened, and we just… kept moving forward. But we need to do this. I need to understand why."
I sat down slowly, leaving a space between us on the couch. My hands were shaking.
"I told you already," I said. "That night seven years ago, I was scared and—"
"No," he cut me off gently. "I don't mean the official explanation. I mean, what's the real reason? Why did you leave that night, Sadie? We'd just…" He gestured vaguely, his voice rough. "It was good. We connected. And I woke up, and you were just… gone."
The memory hit me like a physical blow. Waking up in his bed, with his arm around me, the lingering warmth of what we'd done. The panic that had clawed up my throat.
"I was twenty-four," I said, my voice barely audible. "You were this rising hockey star. Everyone knew who you were. And I was just… me. Holly's friend. Nobody special."
"That's not—"
"Let me finish." I took a shaky breath. "When I woke up that morning, you were still asleep. And I looked at you, and Ithought… this was a mistake. Not because it wasn't good, but because it was too good. Because I could already feel myself falling, and I knew that to you I was just another girl."
