Page 34

CHAPTER

THIRTY-FOUR

Fable

I don’t regret much, JT, but that day after Salt Lake is a day that has haunted me for years. I should have stood beside you, not agreed with what my son and his wife wanted. I don’t know if you hate me for how that played out, but I want you to know I’m sorry. I’ve watched you, your failed relationships, and your loneliness, knowing I had a hand in it. I wish I had known what I know now. I wouldn’t have agreed. I truly wouldn’t have. Maybe that’s another reason why I’m asking her to stay, to give you the chance I took away.

I can’t stop staring at the paragraph, and something seems so wrong about it. What does he mean? I wouldn’t have even seen it if I hadn’t turned my head to look out at the trees and my lingering tears hadn’t made his letter stick to my face. Pretty sure my grandfather wouldn’t be happy with how I found his letter. Alas, here I am.

While I had no desire to read it, my eyes settled on the sentence about regret, and I had to know what he was talking about. My head is pounding, my heart working overtime, as I gaze up at the man I love. Needing answers surely he has. Jett just stares at me, unsure what to say, and it’s only allowing my head to make up all kinds of things.

Did they break us up?

Did they send him away?

Was it not his choice?

I don’t know, but my stomach hurts, and I’m fighting back tears as he comes toward me. He uses the damp paper towel to wipe away his release, but he won’t look at me. “What do you want me to say, Fable?”

“I want you to tell me the truth. What does this mean?”

He sends me a sheepish smile, though it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Pretty sure you weren’t supposed to read that.”

I press my lips together at his deflection. “I am very sorry for invading your privacy. Would you like to read mine? I can tell you for sure it doesn’t say anything about any regrets.”

When he is satisfied that I’m clean, he sits back in his chair, tossing the paper towels in the trash by his desk. I sit up, meeting his hollow gaze, and everything starts to ache. “Jett.”

He shrugs, shaking his head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Tell me,” I demand, and he nods.

“This doesn’t change anything between us.” It’s not a question, but it’s almost like he’s begging me to believe his words. Why, though?

I knit my brows as I stare down at him. “You’re scaring me.”

He swallows hard, then cups the back of his neck. He sighs deeply. “You were taking a shower when they cornered me.” He meets my gaze and clarifies, “Your parents, with Phillip, but your grandfather never spoke. He just stood there as they told me that they wouldn’t pay for me to skate with you. That the sponsorships we would draw would only support your career, not mine.”

My mouth parts, my whole body starting to itch. “What? That’s not true. We had a lot of offers lined up, according to Kitty.”

“I didn’t know, and I didn’t find out the truth until I came home after my injury.” He looks so stricken, and it guts me. I move to him, crawling into his lap, and he wraps his arms around me, pressing his chin against the top of my head. “They told me that the coach in Ohio wanted me, but I think they paid him off to give me the spot.”

“Why would they do that?”

“To keep me away from you,” he answers softly. “They never let a moment pass, telling me I shouldn’t have been chosen, that you were too good for me, that you’d never think of me as more than just a partner.”

I cover my mouth to keep in the sob. “And Phillip didn’t stop them?”

“He couldn’t, or maybe he tried. But I don’t know, Fable.”

“Why did you believe them? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“They manipulated me,” he admits, and I watch his Adam’s apple as he swallows. “They made me believe it was my choice to walk away when, really, it wasn’t. If I had said no, it wouldn’t have mattered. They already had Colorado lined up for you to get you out of Thistlebrook and away from me.”

“I thought you wanted to go.”

“No,” he answers harshly, making me jump. “I didn’t want to be anywhere but with you, but they scared me. They told me if I skated with you, I’d never have money and my family would go into debt. Bea had already refinanced the house to help my mom pay for what they did make her pay for, and I couldn’t do that to my girls.” He presses his nose into my hair and breathes me in deeply. “Then they offered me the Ice Thistle. Said they’d give it to me after my four years in Ohio were up as a thank-you for getting you the gold medal.”

Tears spill down my cheeks as I slowly shake my head. I lift his chin to look into his eyes, needing to know his answer. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugs. “I didn’t want to open old wounds. I knew you had nothing to do with the choice, and what could we do to change it? We were just kids, princess.”

I search his gaze, only seeing pain. My whole body hurts, but most of all, my heart. So long, I didn’t have him beside me. So long, I thought he’d left of his own accord. “But you wanted to skate with me?”

Compassion fills his eyes as he cups my face. “I did. I loved every moment of it.”

“I thought you left me because I was too much.”

He shakes his head vehemently. “No, I would never. I missed you every day, and when I’d write you, you’d never write back, so I assumed you didn’t care.”

My stomach drops as I cover my mouth. Through my fingers, I ask, “You wrote me?”

“Daily,” he says simply. “Did you not get them?”

My lip trembles. “No.”

He presses his forehead to mine. “Fuck, Fable. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have listened to them.”

My whole body shakes with a sob. They took him away from me. They stole my happiness. They stole part of my soul. As my tears fall, my heart pounds hard, and with each pump, I feel a little more fury. How dare they do this to him?

To me.

I stand suddenly, and he looks up at me, confused. “Princess?”

I can only shake my head as I grab my leggings, but then I pause before putting them on. “Wait, did Kitty know?”

He pauses, his eyes flashing with guilt. “I think she found out when the girls did. Bea and Kitty didn’t talk for a month.”

I curl my lips as I pull my leggings up my body. I am sick with anger. How could they do this! How could Kitty allow them to? Why didn’t anyone protect us?

Once my pants are on, I’m storming out of his office, but Jett is hot on my heels. “What are you doing?”

“Going to my parents’.”

He takes ahold of my wrist, stopping me. “It’s over. We’re happy. They don’t matter.”

I yank my hand from his. “No, they need to know that they already fucked me once, but they won’t do it again.”

“Fable—”

“No! Damn it, Jett. Why aren’t you angry?”

He presses his lips together, rocking on his heels, and he shrugs. “I was mad for twenty years,” he admits, his eyes clouding with tears. “But I got you back, Fable. I have you. You’re mine. And I don’t want to reopen old wounds. I just want us. I just want to love you.”

A sob explodes from me as I shake my head. “I’m so sorry they did this to us.”

“They don’t matter,” he tries once more, but the pain is still in his eyes.

“You’re right, but I want them to know I know and that this is not okay. I am tired of them constantly hurting you. Going out of their way to make you feel like anything but the amazing man you are. I refuse to let them think they got away with it.”

“Princess, they did get away with it.” His voice is soft, laced with torment.

“No!” I roar. “No,” I say more softly, and I hate how all these feelings make me feel like I’m drowning. I’m so angry, so sad, but most of all, my heart hurts that I went twenty years without a part of my soul. “I won’t let this be swept under the rug. They’ll know I know, and they’ll apologize.”

I turn on my heel, and once more, Jett is there. When we get down the stairs, he threads his fingers through mine, and I look over at him. “I’m coming with you.”

My lip trembles. “You don’t have to. I know you hate them.”

“I want to be there in case you need me.”

I swallow hard before leaning over and pressing my lips to his. “You didn’t want to leave me? You wanted to be my partner?” I ask again, needing to hear him confirm it. How many times did they tell me he chose hockey so he wouldn’t have to deal with me?

How could they?

Jett’s lips curve in a sad smile as he brushes his thumb along my top lip. “Princess, I agreed to put my body through hell just to skate with you again at the ripe old age of thirty-eight, when I’m pretty sure my knees and hips are sixty.” We share a smile, and he kisses my nose. “I would have skated with you until we decided we were done, and then I would have convinced you to marry me.”

My heart swells as I cover his hand with my hand. “I’m so glad I came back to Thistlebrook and argued with you.”

His lips pull up into the sweet, boyish grin I love as he nods. “Arguing with you is my favorite pastime.” He brings my hand up, kissing my palm. “But princess, you don’t need to argue with them.”

“I do,” I insist, stepping back. “I need them to know they won’t mess with the man I love ever again.”