Page 82 of Before We Break Again
There’s a thick, heavy silence that follows.But my mom surprises me.She steps forward, her face softening as she takes Halsey’s free hand, her voice trembling.“We wanted to make sure you’re okay,” she says, her tone so gentle I almost don’t recognize it.“The media isn’t being kind to you.I was worried and thought it’d be best to check on the three of you.”
My dad is silent, but I can see the way his lips are pressed into a tight line, like he’s holding something back.“Checking on the three of you,” he mutters, and I can tell he’s trying—trying to accept this, trying to be okay with it, but failing.
“Of course she’s not okay,” Halsey’s mom cuts in, her voice sharp, slicing through the tension like a knife.“Your son is still trying to?—”
“Mom,” Halsey snaps.“I’m done with the same conversation, the same accusations.If you say one more time that we’re perverts, I swear?—”
But before she can finish, my mom—my own mom—steps in, her voice stronger than I’ve ever heard it.“My son is not a pervert,” she says, her eyes burning with something fierce, something protective.“He’s a man who has loved your daughter since the day he met her and later fell for Dustin who is a kind soul just as Halsey.They’re soulmates, the three of them.And if you can’t understand that, then maybe it’d be best if you left.”
Her words hit me hard.I’m stunned, standing there, trying to process the fact that she’s defending me—defending us.It’s not like her, not the mom who always avoided the tough conversations.She’s let my father treat me like shit since the moment he decided I had to take his place and become the best hockey player in the league because he couldn’t do so.
“Leave,” my dad agrees quietly, his voice raw in a way I’ve never heard before.“We already put them through enough.”
Dad sighs, then looks at me.“I’m sorry for everything I said or did.It was out of ignorance and fear.I thought ...my only goal was for you to have the perfect career.Everything else was a distraction.First it was her”—he points at Halsey then at Dustin—“When she left I thought it was over but then it was him too and then what would happened to your reputation.Now I know that wasn’t the point.”
And now I’m fucking confused.What happened to him?Is this really my father?
Dustin raises an eyebrow.“Is he drunk?”
“No,” my mom says softly, her face turning toward my dad, something tender and sad in her expression.“He’s been going to therapy.He’s learning that what he was taught growing up ...all that hate, all that fear of the unknown ...it’s only hurt you, Santos.He’s now realizing that he’s losing you—and me too.You hate him of course, after everything he’s done, you can’t even stand him.”
“I don’t exactly hate him,” I blurt, the words tumbling out before I can really think about them.“I don’t.”
There’s silence.A pause.I breathe before saying, “I just ...You’re right, I can’t stand him sometimes.But I don’t hate him.”
It’s the truth.I’ve been angry—angry for years—for all the things he’s said, for making me feel like I was something to be ashamed of.But hate?No.It’s so much more complicated than that.Maybe it’s something we need to take to family therapy, something that’ll take years to fix—if it ever gets fixed at all.
One of the bodyguards approaches, his posture stiff and professional, and Dustin steps away to talk to him in hushed tones.In the meantime, the rest of us stand there, trapped in this heavy, awkward impasse.I don’t know what to say.My father—who once made me feel so small—is here,defending me.At least, that’s what it feels like.It’s like some strange, emotional Mexican standoff, and I’m not sure what’s going to happen next.
Everything is on edge—one wrong word, and this delicate balance could shatter.
A few minutes pass, though it feels like hours, before Dustin returns.His expression is calm, but his eyes search mine, as if he’s weighing the situation carefully.He leans in close, his breath warm against my ear as he whispers, “Do you want your parents relocated to the Merkel Hotel for the night?We could talk with them tomorrow.Or would you rather they be out of the area entirely?”
I look at my mom.She’s standing a little ways off, her arms folded tightly across her chest like she’s hugging herself, like she’s trying to hold herself together.I haven’t let her in—not since the accident.
I love her, I really do, but the distance between us has grown so wide.I know she’s been trying.She’s even made my father change—or at least, he’s trying—but I’m skeptical.It’s hard not to be.Change doesn’t happen overnight, and I don’t know if I’m ready to trust that yet.
I swallow.My voice is low, barely audible as I respond to Dustin, “I want them to stay.Make sure the other two are out of the state.”
Dustin nods, his hand brushing gently against my back in a way that feels like reassurance.“Done,” he says softly.He presses a quick kiss to my cheek, then moves to Halsey, kissing her lips tenderly, as if to ground her, too, in this storm we’re all caught in.“You two go inside.We’ve got a few things to sort out here.”
Halsey squeezes my hand, in a gesture for me to wait.“I just want you both to know that I meant what I said to my parents.I love you with all that I am,” she declares, and we begin walking toward the house, our footsteps slow and measured.I can feel the tension in her body, mirroring my own.The night air feels too thick, too heavy with everything unsaid, but as we reach the door, I stop.I can’t leave things hanging like this, not completely.
I turn back to my parents, my voice steady but soft, “Thank you ...for coming and for trying.”My eyes linger on my mom’s face, searching for something—hope, maybe?Some sign that this could be the beginning of healing.“Hope to see you soon.”
Five minutes later, Dustin steps back inside.The air is warmer, filled with the quiet buzz of what’s to come.Halsey and I are lounging on our favorite couch, the one that feels like home no matter what chaos is swirling around us.
“Ready for me to brief you?”Dust asks, his voice steady but laced with that teasing edge that always makes my heart lift.
Halsey nods, tucking her feet beneath her, her lips curling into a soft smile.She’s calm, collected, but there’s a glint of something in her eyes—something playful, something at ease.
“Your parents left town, they’ll be escorted to the airport,” Dustin starts, his gaze moving from her to me.“Yours are in Baker’s Creek.They’ll be back tomorrow for lunch—I invited them.”
He pauses, glancing at us both before continuing, “Beacon, our new head of security, told me everything is being handled now.They’re cleaning up the story, straightening out the mess, and tomorrow there will be posts on social media about our relationship.They’ll make sure to highlight that you’re a surgeon, baby, and the three of us are high school sweethearts reunited.This is our second chance.”
Halsey’s smile widens, a soft laugh escaping her lips.“That sounds ...cute,” she says, her voice light and warm.“I like that.”
“It’s true,” I remind her, my hand brushing against hers, that simple touch grounding us in something real.
