Page 85 of Perfectly Faked

Brax looks at me. “This is serious, isn’t it? You were thinking it could happen again, but not if you’re being pulled away from each other.”

I sink onto the bed. “I don’t know. I always thought if her parents weren’t in the way, things could work out—maybe even get a second chance. But now? No matter how much Victoria wants to make her own life, we’re still tied to our families and our careers just like we were before. She has this opportunity in Seattle. I’ve got the Crushers, at least for now, but no guarantee of the future. Plus, I still haven’t figured out Tina’s mess. Maybe it’s just never going to work out.”

Lucian leans forward and grabs the box from me. “Then do something about it. If all those obstacles—her parents, Peter, your career—didn’t exist, would you want to be with her?”

“Yes,” I say without hesitation. “Of course I would. No question.”

“Then figure out a way to make it happen,” Lucian says simply.

“But how?” I run a hand through my hair. “Our schedules are insane. How do you make a relationship work when you’re always going in different directions?”

“Whoa, slow down,” Brax cuts in, holding up his hands. “You’re putting the cart before the horse. You don’t know what’ll happen down the road. All you need to figure out is if you want to be together. Does she want to be with you? If the answer is yes, then you’ll figure the rest out later.”

“Got any advice for handling a mother-in-law who hates me?” I ask.

“Besides sucking up to her?” Brax shakes his head. “Even if Victoria’s mom doesn’t come around, a marriage isn’t about her parents, or Peter, or anyone else. It’s about the two of you deciding to fight for each other. Everyone else? They don’t get a vote.”

“I know that, but Peter’s the one taking her thousands of miles away from me. We’ve gone from spending every day together to almost no time at all. I’m afraid I’m losing her.”

Brendan lifts his hands. “I’ve got the perfect solution. You know how we’ve got the team retreat heading to Uncle Rafael’s cabin in the mountains?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“What if you stay back, have the whole house to yourselves, and figure out the future? Maybe even bring somespecial skatesinto the conversation?” He waggles his eyebrows at the box in my hands.

I glare at him. “She’s not ready for this,” I say firmly. “We need to figure out what our future looks like before any talk of marriage happens.”

Brax leans forward, his voice steady. “Is she worth it to you?”

“Yes,” I say automatically. “She’s everything to me.”

“Then don’t overthink it,” Brax says. “Get her away from Peter, the rink, and all the voices, and find a way to convince her.”

THIRTY-TWO

victoria

“How long do I have to keep my eyes closed?” I ask, laughing as Leo leads me out the back door of Rose & Thorn toward the pergola near the rose garden.

“Just a little longer,” he says, his voice hinting there’s a surprise waiting. “We’re almost to the table.” His hand stays over my eyes, his other arm steady around my waist, guiding me forward. A soft breeze brushes my skin, carrying the faint scent of roses on the brilliantly spring-like evening. The backyard rose garden was Jaz and Sloan’s grandma’s proudest achievement, and the sisters have kept the tradition alive.

Leo convinced me to take the day off to watch his game, and I’m so glad I did, because he was on fire—two brilliant shots that sealed the win and made him the team’s top scorer of the night. Each time Leo scored, I glanced over at my dad and noticed a small flicker of approval. Maybe Leo was growing on him, after all.

Besides, this might be the last weekend I get to spend with him for a while. Once I tell Leo about the big move, I havean intense training schedule to catch up on before our first competition. Peter’s rink in Seattle will make things enormously easier in the long run, but for now, everything in my life feels like it’s in transition.

“You can open your eyes now,” Leo whispers in my ear, his breath warm against my skin. When I open my eyes, I freeze. The scene in front of me looks like something straight out of a storybook. We’re standing under a pergola adorned with string lights, their soft glow reflecting off the beautifully decorated rose garden. A rustic farmhouse table sits beneath the pergola, set with candles and a bouquet of fresh roses in the center.

“I thought we were just having takeout,” I say, stunned. “This is... incredible.”

Leo motions for me to sit on the bench, a smile playing on his lips. “I like seeing your face when you’re surprised. Plus, you’ve been so busy. I wanted tonight to be special.”

My stomach knots at the reminder. It’s only going to get harder when I move. At least we can steal moments together right now, but in Seattle it won’t be possible, and that already makes me feel uneasy.

“Where is everyone?” I ask. “Usually the house is full after the game.”

“They left for the team retreat,” he says. “They wanted to give us some space tonight.”

“You didn’t warn me it was going to be a fancy dinner.” I glance down at my outfit—Leo’s jersey from the game. “I should’ve changed.”

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