I know Mrs. Williamson didn’t mean anything by her words, but they still triggered a sense of guilt that stings deeper than anything I’ve felt so far.
It feels like I’ve taken something from Carter. Some opportunity to fall in love—to have his mother see him get married for real.
He’s been ready to love someone since he was fifteen.
I see it in him. The way he’s so kind and gentle and good.
And now he’s married to me.
I sink onto the chaise.
Carter Williamson is myhusband.
A moment later, Miles steps through the door. He wore a dark blue suit for the ceremony, but he’s already lost the jacket and tie, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms to reveal a plethora of tattoos. We haven’t talked since right before he walked me down the aisle.
“I thought I saw you come in here,” he says. “How are you feeling?”
I take a deep breath. “I’m married,” I say simply, and he chuckles.
“Yeah. Pretty wild.” He clears his throat, and I get the sense he followed me for a very specific purpose. “So, listen. I know we don’t talk about it much, but none of the guys on the team know how things were with Dad.”
I sit up a little taller. Miles rarely evenmentionsDad. He definitely never talks about the abuse.
“The way I see it, Carter is going to be my teammate longer than he’s going to be your husband. So I would appreciate it if you’d help me keep it that way.”
His words are pragmatic and factual. Carter and I only committed to a year. But they still feel like a punch to the gut—like a very callous reminder that all of this is temporary.
Still, the root of his request is that he doesn’t want Carter to know, and I can’t judge him for that.
“Okay,” I say gently. “But Miles, I don’t think it would change the way your team?—”
“It would,” he says, cutting me off. “I’m their captain. I don’t want them to look at me differently.”
“They wouldn’t,” I say. “They respect and love you so much. I can see that just from how they interact with youoffthe ice.”
“But it’s different on the ice,” he says. “They need to know they can trust me. That I’ll always keep my head. I set the tone out there.”
“Which is exactly why it wouldn’t matter,” I say. “How Dad treated you doesn’t define you, Miles. Your life is evidence of that. And so is how you lead your team.”
He pushes his hands into his pockets. “Just promise me, all right?”
I hate promising to keep secrets from Carter, but I also understand that this isn’t really my secret to tell. “Okay,” I say. “I promise.”
He nods and breathes out a sigh, visibly relieved. “Good,” he says, finally letting himself smile. He’s quiet for a beat before he says, “Big day, huh? I can’t believe we actually pulled it off.”
Something about his tone chafes against my already frayed nerves. There’s no awe in Miles’s voice. No true sentiment. Just relief. A sense of completion.
“You don’t have to sound so heartless,” I say, and his brow furrows.
“Heartless?”
“Sorry,” I say, shaking my head. “I just…you’re making it seem like a scheme. Some giant ploy to fool everyone.”
He moves into the room and leans against the desk, feet crossed at the ankles. “Isn’t that what it was?”
“Yes. But…” I shake my head. “It’s fine. Just forget I said anything. I was talking to Carter’s mom, and she went on and on about Carter being ready to settle down and love someone, and it just made me sad. That’s all.”
Miles’s expression softens. “He didn’t go into this blind, Sarah. Neither of you did.”
