Page 59 of Penalty Kiss
"Of course."
"Cameron is the kind of man who doesn’t hesitate to protect someone he cares about. It's what makes him an exceptional defenseman—and what’s put his body on the line more times than I can count. He doesn't calculate odds when someone he loves is threatened. He just acts—he dives, he shields, he absorbs the hit. And that instinct, the same one that made him great, is the one I’m worried about right now."
Someone he loves.
The words claw at me. They flood my chest with heat, my stomach with cold. Beingtheone someone would choose to burn for—it’s exhilarating, and it’s terrifying.
My skin prickles like he’s already chosen me, and I don’t know if the warmth spreading through me is safety or a warning.
"But right now," Erik continues, "his recall isn’t reliable. And under stress, that can mean gaps. His ability to assess threats and remember crucial details is compromised. So I need you to be his judgment. I need you to be the one who calculates the odds."
"I understand."
"Do you? Because from what I'm hearing, you're dealing with people who have resources and connections that could put both of you in real danger. And Cameron's solution is to plant himself between you and a threat like he's still in pads."
I hear movement from the bedroom—Cam stirring, probably wondering where I went.
"He knows he's not wearing hockey pads anymore," I say quietly. "But he's still trying to protect everyone."
"Exactly. So let me ask you directly: Are you in love with my son?"
The question catches me completely off guard. I nearly drop the phone.
"I—what?"
"It's a simple question. Do you love him?"
My mouth opens and closes like a fish. "That's... that's pretty personal."
"It's also relevant. Because if you're not, if this is just convenience or gratitude or misplaced attraction, then you need to end it now. Cameron doesn't do casual, especially not in his current state.”
I pace to the window, phone pressed to my ear. Outside, Cedar Falls looks impossibly normal—sun on the lake, a dog tugging its owner down Main—while my world tilts off its axis with every word Cam’s dad says.
Erik’s voice cuts back in, low and relentless. “He forms deep attachments quickly, and losing someone he's invested in could set back his recovery significantly."
I lean against the kitchen counter, my free hand pressed to my chest where my heart is hammering.
"And if I am?" The words slip out, barely above a whisper.
"Then you fight for him the same way he's fighting for you. You be smart when he's being reckless. You remember the things he might forget. You keep him safe so he can keep you safe."
Footsteps in the hallway. Cam appears in the kitchen doorway, hair mussed from sleep, wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. He takes one look at me on the phone and immediately goes alert, protective instincts kicking in.
"Everything okay?" he mouths.
I nod, trying to look reassuring. "Erik, I should go. I think Cam's awake."
“One more thing. Luke and I consulted with his neurologist. Given the persistence of these symptoms, we believe a more comprehensive evaluation might be necessary—something beyond what Cedar Falls can provide. We think it might be time for him to come.”
The floor seems to drop an inch beneath me. "Home? To Dallas?"
"The PCS symptoms should be improving more by now. The episodes, the memory issues—they're not following theexpected pattern. We're concerned there might be something we missed."
"You want to take him away." The words come out flat, dull. Of course. Of course they want to take him away.
"We want to help him heal. And right now, staying in Cedar Falls playing hero might not be what's best for his recovery."
Cam's eyes narrow. He can't hear Erik's side of the conversation, but he's reading my body language like a roadmap. He crosses to me, his hands settling on my shoulders.
