This is my happy ending.
Not perfect. Not traditional. Not what anyone expected.
But mine.
And I wouldn’t change a single thing.
PART TWO: THE TRUTH
Nothing is what it seems.
Chapter Fifty-Six: Jax
14 years old
I’m standing in the hallway of my house, watching my mom scream at Grant.
Grant Winchester. The man who’s been my hockey coach for four years. The man who taught me how to skate backward. The man who showed up to every single one of my games. The man my mom has been dating since I was ten.
The man whom I call dad because, legally, he’s my stepdad.
“You’ve been lying to me for four years!” My mom’s voice cracks. Raw. Broken. “Four fucking years, Grant!”
“Rebecca, please—”
“Don’t you dare.” She’s crying now. Mascara running down her face. “You have a whole other family you never told me about. You have a fucking daughter, Grant! And you kept us on the side like we’re some dirty secret!”
I should look away, should give them privacy, but I can’t move.
Grant runs his hand through his hair. The same way he does when he’s stressed during games. “She’s my ex-wife. I told you—”
“Ex?” My mom laughs. Hollow. “You took off our wedding ring! The one I gave to you! I checked your phone. I know you’ve been texting her, calling her. You’re meeting with her every time you leave here!”
“It’s not like that—”
“Then what is it like? Explain it to me. Explain why you’ve never let me meet your daughter. Why you’ve never brought her around. Why you keep us in separate worlds.”
Grant’s shoulders slump. “I can’t explain it, Bec––”
“What can’t you explain!” my mom snaps. Her face is bright red.
“Her husband is dangerous, Rebecca. He’s violent. I didn’t want him anywhere near you or Jax.”
My mom shakes her head. “That’s bullshit. That’s fucking bullshit, Grant!”
“It’s not. I’m trying to help her. I’m trying to help my daughter before things go south.”
“And in the meantime, what? You just keep fucking both of us?”
The word makes me flinch.
Grant reaches for her. She steps back. “Don’t touch me.”
“Rebecca—”
“Get out.” Her voice is steel now. “Get out of my house. Go back to your ex. Your daughter. Your real family.”
“You are my—”
