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“That sounds … dire. Okay. Tell me.”

“Liam came to see me on Oakley. After you broke up with me.”

She stiffens. “He did?”

“He wanted me to stay. He was crying and—” I have to pause and clear my throat. “I think I realized why you broke up with me. For him. It didn’t make sense until I saw his face.”

“So, when I called you and apologized, it was because of Liam you left.”

Her voice is flat, and I can’t tell if she’s angry or maybe just processing the information.

“Yes. I probably should have told you but?—”

“Not probably, Cam. You should have.” Her voice is firm, but not angry. “Like you should have texted me to say you were working with him during hockey classes. When it comes to Liam, there can’t be secrets or things you don’t tell me.”

“I’m sorry.” I cup her cheek. “You’re right; I shouldn’t have kept this from you. I … didn’t think of it like that.”

When she smiles, relief is a balm washing over me. “I appreciate you looking out for Liam. And for me.”

“So, this isn’t a dealbreaker?”

“No. I’m not going anywhere, Camden,” she promises.

But as I gaze into her stormy blue eyes, the tiniest flicker of something flashes there and then is gone. It looked an awful lot like hesitation, almost like she’s trying to convince herself but isn’t quite certain yet.

This tiny, possibly imagined emotion I see plants a tiny seed of concern.

I may not have known her favorite color until moments ago, but what Idoknow and what I can see in her is a woman who still runs when she’s scared. And if I’m being completely honest with myself, I only recognize it because running away is my tendency as well.

CHAPTER14

Naomi

“Mom,we’re going to be late,” Liam says. He’s nervously pacing by the front door, every so often opening and closing it, letting cold air gush in.

The snow didn’t stick and was barely more than a magical flurry enhancing a romantic moment. But it’s still cold. The downside of this old house is how drafty it is. Some of the rooms heat better than others, and it’s really making me miss the beach. Even in winter, the winds don’t feel punishing like this.

Without snow to make things pretty and fun, freezing weather just seems cruel.

“Close the door!”

He does. With a sigh.

“And we can’t be late because we’re already going early,” I grumble, fussing with my purse. I can’t remember if there is a bag policy at the Summit.

Do I need to worry about a bag policy if we’re not going through normal security?

Parker, as promised—or threatened, made plans for us to attend the Appies game. “I have something special planned,” she’d said over the phone, and I could hear the smile in her voice. I might have made the decision right then and there to bow out of this “special plan” if she hadn’t added, “Mostly, this is something special for Liam. But I think you’ll enjoy it too.”

I am a person who doesn’t like surprises. This might seem at odds with my whole restless energy thing, but it’s more about being out of control. When other people surprise me, I can’t prepare, mentally or otherwise. As opposed to when I decide to impulsively choose a new direction, which allows me to be the captain of my own ship—a ship headed toward new, adventurous waters of some kind.

Parker’s surprise has me feeling extra layers of nerves when I already had enough of them. I’m not sure if it’s because things with Camden are still kind of up in the air, or maybe just because I’m still struggling a little to switch my brain into seeing hockey as not bad or at least neutral when I’ve carried a chip on my shoulder about it since last summer. Some of it might be the residual fear of not fitting in, despite the dinner with Parker and friends this week that I genuinely enjoyed.

It’s just a lot at once, and that’s not even considering what Parker’s secret is.

But she said the magic words:something special for Liam.

So, we’re going to the Summit a few hours before the game starts—puck drop, Liam keeps correcting me—and doing I don’t know what. I’m not even sure if I’m wearing the right thing. According to my social media WAG search, getting ready for a game involves a lot of work to look super hot.