Page 84 of Breaking the Pucking Rules (LA Vipers #1)

CASEY

I stare at Kodie, my heart slamming against my chest.

Something is wrong.

No. Something is really wrong. All the blood has drained from him face.

“Kodie? What is it? What’s—” He reaches out and turns his screen around, showing me a news article. I frown. It takes me a second to process, but the moment I do, the world crashes down around me.

“No,” I gasp, my hand flying up to cover my mouth as I stand from the chair so fast, it topples over and crashes to the floor behind me.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m so fucking sorry. I had no idea they were there. If I did?—”

“N-not your fault,” I whisper, my vision blurring as I study the images.

The first ones are of us walking out of the arena hand in hand this morning. Then there’s another at Sutton’s school, saying goodbye to her. Getting our takeout coffee. And it continues. Our entire day has been documented by some asshole.

Acid fills my stomach before burning up my throat. But as angry as I am at someone doing this to us, mostly, I’m angry at myself.

I’ve lived this life long enough to know better.

I’ve seen photographers hiding outside our house when I was a kid, trying to get a glimpse of Dad when he was at his peak. I’ve seen the way they clamor for any shot they can get as the players both arrive and leave the stadium.

I just…

Fuck.

I didn’t even think.

“Casey,” Kodie says softly, but I barely hear it. The only thing I can focus on is how fucking stupid I’ve been. How careless. How selfish.

I was so lost this morning. And then Kodie turned up and everything changed.

The pain and grief became bearable as other emotions took over.

Happiness. So much happiness.

His warm hand cups my cheeks, and I suck in a shaky breath.

“Casey, look at me,” he commands, his voice deep and steady. “Everything is going to be okay.”

“M-my dad,” I whimper.

If he sees this and learns that I’ve been lying to him...

Oh god.

He’s going to hate me.

A sob erupts.

We don’t lie to each other.

We never lie to each other.

“He’ll understand, baby. He’s a good person.”

“B-but…” My words trail off as I spiral again. “I need to go to him. I need?—”

“Sutton wants you to read her a bedtime story,” he reminds me.

The memory of her asking me to do tonight’s story flickers through my mind, and my heart swells as love rushes through my veins.

I feel so wanted here. So loved.

I never want to leave.

“While you do that, I’ll speak to Mom and see if she’s okay to come over, and then I’ll drive you to your dad’s. ”

“I-I can go,” I offer weakly. “I’m not sure you being there?—”

“You’re not going alone, Casey. You’re mine, and we fight our battles side by side. If he wants to get rid of me, he’ll have to say it to my face.”

Another whimper spills free. “Please don’t say that.”

His brow wrinkles. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen. Everything will be fine.”

He’s lying.

He’s as worried as I am. He just doesn’t want me to see it.

If Dad trades him, sends him across the country…

I blow out a long, slow breath.

I’d follow him. I’d follow him to the ends of the earth if necessary.

“If the worst happens, I’ll come. No matter where it is. You and me, Kodie. We’re it.”

“Casey,” he whispers, leaning forward to press his forehead against mine and closing his eyes, savoring our closeness.

When he opens them again, they’re glassy and full of emotion, which makes my heart race faster and my stomach knot harder.

“I love you, Casey. I love you so fucking much.”

“But?” I prompt, feeling like there’s more that he doesn’t want to say.

“But…” The word punches all the air out of my lungs. My grip on his upper arms tightens as I wait for what he needs to say. “I could never ask you to uproot your entire life. LA is your home. Your jobs are here. Parker is here. Your Dad.”

“I don’t care. My dad and Parker will always be here, and at the end of a phone. I can get new jobs. But I can’t get a new you. I love you, and I have no intention of living my life again without you. And plus, you’re not asking me to do anything.”

“Fucking hell,” he groans. “What did I do to deserve you?”

I don’t respond. I’m pretty sure it’s a rhetorical question.

“Everything is going to be okay,” he repeats as if him saying it over and over will make it true.

Leaning forward, he presses his lips to mine. It’s the sweetest, most heartfelt kiss I think we’ve ever shared, and it ensures more tears spill from my eyes.

He doesn’t deepen it, and neither do I.

The connection between us in this moment is everything we need.

I t’s almost an hour later by the time I step out of Sutton’s bedroom, letting her drift off to sleep.

After her shower, I braided her wet hair so it’ll be pretty in the morning. Then, she pulled out her favorite hockey book for me to read.

Although I love that she wanted me to do this, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it, half of my head was focused on what the rest of my night is going to hold.

The rational side of me believes that Dad will be okay. We’ll turn up and he’ll see how in love we are, and he’ll just let it go.

But then there’s the other side. The rule-follower side. The side that is terrified of letting him down. That side is fucking petrified that he’s going to be beyond disappointed in me and make me choose.

My body is trembling as I make my way down the stairs. Hushed voices float from the kitchen, where Kodie and Kathleen are discussing something—probably me—but I’m too in my own head to even attempt to eavesdrop.

Their heads snap up as I step into the room, their concerned expressions softening.

The sight does nothing for the unease raging inside me.

“Everything okay?” Kodie asks.

“Of course. She was incredible, as always.”

He smiles as he slips from the stool he was perched on and walks toward me.

“I’m going to kiss her goodnight, then we’ll go.”

I swallow thickly. The thought of standing before my father and confessing my sins makes me feel like a seven-year-old myself.

The only difference is that when I was seven, I always had Mom in my corner. She was always the more lenient parent. Dad has always been the stricter one, something I’ve always respected…until this moment.

I watch Kodie go before my chest compresses on an exhale, and I lower my head.

“Your dad will understand, Casey,” Kathleen says, startling me.

Looking up, I meet her soft, empathic expression.

“He’ll be able to see how much you care about each other. He’ll be happy for you.”

God, I hope she’s right.

“But what if he’s not?” I whisper, terrified to even ask the question out loud.

“Then make him,” she says fiercely. “Love and relationships aren’t always easy. But if you’ve found the right person, they’re always worth fighting for.”

I nod as I blow out another long breath. At some point, one will work and help settle me.

The sound of Kodie’s footsteps pounding down the stairs ends my time hiding here from reality.

“Ready?” he asks, looking as confident and as self-assured as ever.

“Is that a serious question?” I ask.

“Trust him, Casey,” Kathleen says from her spot at the island. “Trust him to know you well enough to know when something is really important.”

I nod. It’s all I’m capable of as Kodie takes my hand and leads me to the hallway. I slip my feet into my sneakers, and together, probably being photographed, we leave his house and make the journey to my childhood home.

The butterflies in my stomach get wilder and wilder the closer we get to Dad’s.

Kodie’s grip on my hand gets tighter, and the sick feeling gets worse. There is a solid chance that I might vomit on him before I manage to get a word out.

We’ve barely said a word to each other during the drive, and I know it’s because Kodie is freaking out as much as I am. He doesn’t want to show it, but he is. If Dad takes this badly, his entire life will be thrown into chaos.

The second we turn into the driveway, every muscle in my body tenses at the sight of his car sitting there.

He’s home.

At least if he were out, there’d be a chance he wouldn’t have seen the pictures circling the internet.

I haven’t looked, but I know for a fact that the hot new gossip about Kodie Rivers isn’t restricted to one site. It’ll be going viral right as we speak.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Kodie says, killing the engine and reaching for his door handle without taking another second to think about it.

“No,” I cry, making him twist back to look at me. “No, can I just…I need to go in there alone first.”

“Casey," he warns.

“Please, Kodie. I need?—”

I don’t know what he sees in my eyes or in my expression, but he cuts me off in agreement.

“Thank you. I’ll message you.”

His jaw tics as his eyes search my face, silently begging me not to do this.

But I need to. It’s been Dad and me against the world for so long. It’s important I find the courage to do this alone.

“Okay,” I say, sucking in a deep breath through my nose and then out through my mouth. “I can do this.”

I push the door open, one of the only times I’ve ever done that in Kodie’s car, and step out.

“I love you, Casey. Don’t forget that.”

“Impossible. I love you, too.”

Before I talk myself out of it, I slam his door closed and march toward the house.

My entire body trembles as adrenaline shoots through my veins, but nowhere is it more noticeable than in my hand as I reach out to knock in warning and then open the door.

“Hey, Dad,” I call out, my voice breaking. Even if he hasn’t already seen, he’s going to take one look at me and know something is wrong. “It’s just me.”

I head for the kitchen first when I don’t get a response, and my steps falter when I find him sitting at the island with his phone before him on the counter, his eyes immediately on mine.

“H-hey, how are you?”

He quirks a brow.

He knows.

Holy shit. He knows.

I attempt to discreetly shake my arms at my sides as if it’ll help dispel some of my nerves.

“So…um…I’vegotsomethingtotellyou,” I say in a rush.

“Go on,” he says, his voice firm and cold.

Oh god. He hates me.

I’ve lied to him, and he hates me.

I fight to keep breathing and lick my dry lips as I figure out what to say next.

“I’m seeing someone, and it’s serious. I’m in love with him and?—”

“Where is he?” Dad asks, cutting me off.

I glance back over my shoulder as if just seeing where he is will give me the strength I need to get through this.

“Umm…out in the car. I thought it would be best if?—”

“Do you love him?”

“Yes. I love him so much. He’s…he’s everything to me.”

Something flickers in Dad’s eyes, but it’s gone so fast I can’t identify it.

“Go and get him.”

My mouth opens and closes like a fish before I spin around and summon the man I hope isn’t about to be traded as far away from me as possible.