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I won’t keep holding back.

After tonight, I’m going to talk to Abby.

I need to know if there’s a real chance for us… Or if I’m just risking my heart for something that’s never going to happen.

Because I can’t keep falling…

If she’s not willing to catch me.

Chapter fourteen

Abby

Ican’tstopthinkingabout Beck.

Ever since the VIP event, my mind keeps drifting back—not to my usual fears or reasons to keep my guard up—but to how it felt being around him.

It’s… easy.

Beck fits into our world effortlessly, like he’d always been there. Jake is happy, laughing more than I’d seen in months. And Beck? He isn’t just patient and kind with Jake—he is all in. Every smile, every encouraging word, every playful nudge is genuine.

And for once… I’m not scared.

I’m not analyzing every interaction or trying to convince myself that it is safer to keep him at a distance. Instead, I’m doing something I haven’t done in a long time.

I’m yearning.

Yearning for more nights where Jake’s laughter echoes through the house. Yearning for Beck’s easy smile over dinner. Yearning for the way he looks at me—like I am someone worth taking a chance on.

And that’s what terrifies me now.

Because I don’t justwantBeck.

I’m starting to need him.

***

The next morning, I wake up with a decision I can’t ignore.

I’m done waiting.

For three years, I’ve hidden behind my grief and fear. I’ve kept my heart locked up so tight that no one could get close—not even someone as good as Beck. But after everything he’s done… everything he’s shown me…

Maybe it’s time I stop protecting my heart and start listening to it.

So, instead of overthinking it, I grab my keys and tell Jake we’re taking a detour before school.

Beck is on the ice when we get to the rink, running through drills with the team. Jake’s eyes light up when he sees him, but this time…

This time, it’s not just about Jake.

I lean against the boards, my heart pounding as I watch Beck glide across the ice. He moves with such effortless grace, his body perfectly in tune with the rhythm of the game. But it’s not just his skill that catches my breath.

It’s the way his eyes find Jake immediately, lighting up with warmth.

And then… they findme.

For a moment, Beck’s movements falter, his focus slipping as our eyes lock.