So I’d do the job.
I’d wear the smile.
I’d sit next to him on the red carpet or the charity gala or the morning show and say all the right things.
And when it was over?
It was over.
No lingering texts. No late-night check-ins. No pretending it could’ve gone another way.
He made me feel something I thought I’d buried. But it didn’t change who I was—or who he was. We were on different paths. Always had been.
So let the spotlight shift to Kakashi. Let the fans obsess over his stats, his story, his comeback arc. Let the cameras turn.
I’d be right where I belong—behind them.
In control again.
Untouched. Unbothered.
Unbreakable.
Chapter 24
Kieren
Cam called me into his office first thing the next morning.
I already knew what it was about. Didn’t even need to see the glare in his eyes or the ESPN tab still open on his desktop.
“Sit,” he said, voice tight.
I didn’t. Just leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.
He sighed like I was already making his blood pressure spike. “You need to soften the edge.”
I blinked slowly. “Good morning to you, too.”
Cam didn’t smile. “People still think you’re volatile after what happened with Theo. Now we’ve got footage of you barking at him like you were ready to throw down in the tunnel.”
“Did you see his apathetic play?”
“I know. And off the record? I would’ve decked him too.” Cam paused, then added, “But the cameras caught the worst angle, and you looked like a rabid dog. Which means we have a PR problem. Another one, I should say."
I blew out a slow breath. “So we spin it.”
Cam nodded. “Exactly. Protective boyfriend. Emotional growth. She grounds you. You bring her to the fundraiser tomorrow night—hand on her back, tux that fits, maybe a few smiles that don’t look like a threat.”
I scoffed. “How long do you want me to keep doing this?”
He gave me a look. “Until we get Hayashi and people will be more interested in that than how volatile you are. What's going on? Did something happen with her? You know what? I don’t care what happened between you two, and I’m not asking. But this helps you. The board sees it. The league sees it. You want to keep the captain’s armband next season? You don’t just need goals. You need polish.”
I pushed off the doorframe and stepped inside, jaw tight. “You want me to keep lying."
“Well, when you put it like that…” Cam said, calm and direct. “I want you to put on a damn suit and not punch anyone for two hours.”
I almost laughed. Almost.
