The more I heard, the less sense it made. Her stepfather was under investigation for the death of her mother, possibly facing trial. Ariana would have to testify — to relive everything she’d spent her life trying to escape.
At the same time, she had to prove she was stable enough to raise Georgie.
And that was where the real nightmare came in.
Because Jay was Georgie’s biological father.
Even locked up in county jail awaiting trial, his lawyers were already circling, filing motions, angling to argue that Ariana was too young, too unstable, too unfit to keep custody. Emergencyguardianship was only a stopgap — proof of stability would determine whether it stuck. One misstep, one hint of chaos, and Georgie could end up living with Jay — or with another member of Jay’s family, which Ariana made clear was no better.
We had an apartment, and we immediately made room for Georgie, but it was more complicated than just having a place for him to rest his head at night. Courts demanded roots, not chaos. Predictability, not press coverage. They wanted boring, steady, safe.
And I was anything but.
It was my coach who talked to me first, his brows pinched together as he looked at me with a mixture of pity and true sadness. “It would be impossible to keep this quiet, you understand?” he’d said. “You’re a rookie, a hot one everyone expects great things from. And your girlfriend’s stepfather being under investigation for murder isn’t going to be something you can hide.”
Ariana’s lawyers had cornered me next.
“She won’t listen to us, Shane,” her counsel said quietly. “So you have to get through to her. You have to make her understand that being with you — with an NHL career about to take off — could jeopardize everything she’s fighting for.”
I hated them for saying it.
I hated that they were right.
My life was about to be airports, hotels, reporters, and cameras. Hers needed to be court hearings, steady routines, and bedtime stories for a scared little boy. I couldn’t give her what she needed, and worse, staying by her side might cost her everything.
I lay awake at night, staring at the ceiling while Ariana’s soft breaths whispered against my chest, and I thought about the choice in front of me. The truth was, I only had one.
The only way I could protect her, the only way I could love her the way she needed me to… was to let her go.
And I had no idea how I’d ever find the strength to do it.
Brief Breath of Time
Ariana
Present
Nathan was in a good mood when he got home.
I knew it the second I heard him humming as he kicked off his shoes in the entryway, the sound light and unburdened in a way that made my shoulders loosen. He appeared in the kitchen moments later, sleeves already rolled up, smile easy as he crossed the space between us and pressed a kiss to my temple.
Sometimes, when I saw him like that, I could remember why it was so easy to fall in love with him.
“Hey,” he said airily, sweeping me up into his arms. I tried not to be stiff under his kiss. “I missed you today.”
The words landed softly, warmly. I didn’t realize I’d been needing to hear them.
“Hey, yourself,” I replied, smiling despite myself. “You saw me this morning.”
“Far too long ago.” He glanced around the kitchen, taking in the clean counters, the candles I’d lit, the simmering pot on the stove. “Something smells good.”
“I made your favorite,” I said. “The lemon chicken.”
His brows lifted. “With the pine nuts?”
“Of course. And I finally finished unpacking.”
“Completely?”
