Page 118 of Heart Taker

“No!” I shouted. “That’s bullshit.”

“You don’t get a say in this, Silas, and don’t think you’re off the hook either,” Dave warned, pointing at me. “You’re also going to face disciplinary action for your behavior.”

“For what? Being married?” I spat out. “I don’t think so.”

“This is such a clusterfuck,” Dave muttered. “I have to inform Nora, our media team?—”

“Do what you need to do,” Damien bit out. “I’m sorry you had to find out like this, but how was I going to tell you? I knew how you’d react. But I won’t apologize for how I feel. Whether you like it or not, Silas is a permanent part of my life.”

“Your life is about to unravel,” Dave hit back. “You hit rock bottom before, Damien. You know how hard it is to get back up. But I don’t know that your career can survive this. What then?”

An overwhelming sense of panic, a fear I hadn’t felt in two years, not since Jo’s surgery, suddenly washed over me. If Damien lost his coaching career, lost hockey for good, what would happen? It was the one constant in his life.

This was all my fault. All of it.

“Damien—” I started, feeling like I was going to throw up.

He turned and recognized the look on my face. I didn’t need to say a word.

“I’ll take my leave,” he said and turned back to Dave. “You can find someone else to run the camp or cancel it.”

I thought about my teammates, and how all of this was going to impact them.

Fuck. Too late.

“Give me your work phone and the keys to your office,” Dave requested as he held out his hand.

I watched as Damien passed over his stuff, his hand visibly trembling. Then he reached for me.

“Let’s go.”

I took his hand again, both of us shaking, and we headed back outside.

“Baby, are you okay?” I asked.

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“Did I ruin your life?” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Your job, the team, your friendship with Dave?—”

Damien shook his head, his lips pressed together.

“No. It’s going to be all right. Dave will come around once the shock wears off. It might take another apology, or several, but personally, he’ll forgive me. Professionally, I don’t know what’s going to happen. But the camp and the team will continue on, and so will you, whether I’m on leave or not. As to my job, I don’t know. Right now, I’m more concerned about you.”

“You say that now, but?—”

“We made a promise to each other, and I meant every word. Did you?”

“Of course I did.” I cupped his face and brought him in to seal my words with a kiss. “Baby, I did. I do.”

“Then whatever happens next, we figure it out. Together.”

He kissed me soundly, and my fears subsided.

“We need to talk to your family, and I need to call mine,” Damien added. “Then I’ll get on the phone with my lawyer.”

Jo was finishing his shift at the driving range, so I called him to let him know I was on the way to pick him up. Damien, meanwhile, texted his brother and sister to arrange a video call for tonight. He also texted Selwin to tell him what happened since they were due to meet up in town for dinner.

We broke the news to Jo on the ride to the nursing home to see Dad. My brother wasn’t surprised. Well, being married, yes. At me and Damien as a couple, no. Apparently, I was shit at hiding from him too.

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