Reeves’s gaze drifted to Ben standing shattered in the open, to the guests frozen in place, to the phones raised and recording.
“It was clever,” Reeves said. “And it bought you time.”
Then his eyes locked back onto Nathan’s.
“But all it did was delay me long enough to see the truth loud and clear. You’re not the only one with influence, Mr. Black. And this stopped being something you could control a long time ago.”
Security stepped in beside him.
“Now,” Reeves finished, “you’re coming with us one way or another. My suggestion is that you don’t make more of a scene than you already have.”
And just like that, Nathan Black was escorted out of his own party, the crowd buzzing with shock, whispers, and the unmistakable sense that something irreversible had just occurred.
For a beat, I couldn’t move.
The adrenaline that had carried me through the last hour drained all at once, leaving my limbs heavy, my chest tight. The noise of the party faded into something distant and unreal, like I was underwater again — except this time, I wasn’t panicking.
I was finding the sweetest release.
Carter moved to Ben, approaching him carefully before our goalie let Carter take him into an embrace. Carter nodded to me that he had it under control, and with that taken off my plate, my heart could follow the magnet pulling it so forcefully.
My gaze found Ariana.
She stood frozen near the edge of the ballroom doors, Georgie still beside her, one hand hovering at her back like he wasn’t sure whether to pull her close or let her go. Her face was pale, eyes glassy, her breath coming too fast. She looked like she was bracing for impact that had already passed.
I didn’t think.
I crossed the distance between us in long, urgent strides, my heart thundering in my ears with every step.Go easy, my common sense told me.You’re still in public. She’s still a married woman. You’ve got to take this slow.
But I just fucking couldn’t.
I swept through that crowd with everyone watching me and pulled her into my arms.
She made a small, broken sound as she crashed into me, her hands fisting in my jacket like she was afraid I’d disappear if she let go. I wrapped myself around her, one arm tight across her back, the other cradling her head against my chest, breathing her in like that first sip of oxygen upon ascension.
“I can’t believe what just happened,” she whispered, her voice muffled against my collarbone. She was shaking so hard. “I was so scared, Shane. I thought it was over. I thought I’d have to leave with him. I didn’t know what he’d do, I didn’t—”
“I know,” I said hoarsely, pressing my mouth to her hair. “I’ve got you. It’s over. He can’t touch you anymore.”
I pulled back just enough to see her face, my hands sliding to cup her cheeks. Her eyes searched mine, raw and unguarded, and in that moment, I didn’t care who was watching. I didn’t care about optics or timing or consequences.
I kissed her.
It was urgent and inescapable, my mouth firm on hers, hers soft against mine, our bodies melding together as we clung to each other like the rope that led to the safety of the shoreline. Ikissed her like relief and grief and love had tangled together and there was no separating them, like I’d been holding my breath under that icy water since the day I left her and finally got to exhale.
She kissed me back without hesitation, her hands sliding up my chest, anchoring herself to me.
Somewhere beside us, Georgie cleared his throat.
“Well,” he said mildly, a crooked smile tugging at his mouth as Ariana and I broke apart. We still held fast to one another even as Ariana’s cheeks burned from the realization of how many people were watching. “I see you two have done a bit more than reacquaint yourselves.”
A few startled laughs rippled through the small cluster of people nearby, the tension breaking just enough to let the night breathe again. Ariana let out a shaky laugh of her own, her forehead resting against my chest as she exhaled. When she looked up at me, her eyes were wet but resolute.
And then, as if out of nowhere, like Mother Nature was putting on a show just for us…
It began to rain.
It was soft at first, a few warning droplets that had anyone still loitering outside moving quickly for the doors — Georgie included. But Ariana and I just looked up at the sky as it began to open, the rain falling harder and faster and soaking us to the bone.
