Page 35

Chapter 35

Carter

T he rich aroma of coffee lingers in the air as the three of us sit at the kitchen table, the morning still quiet aside from the occasional creak of the house settling. Ginny is still sound asleep in Blake and Chase’s bed after the night they had—hell, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still reeling from the way her moans echoed through the walls. The memory alone has my body tightening.

But right now, my mind is on something else.

“I didn’t like seeing her crying like that yesterday.” I break the silence, wrapping my hands around my warm mug.

“Neither did we,” Blake and Chase say in unison.

I exhale a heavy breath, rubbing the back of my neck. “So what are we going to do about Coach? That prick Antony has already planted the seed of doubt. Maybe this is our sign to go to him, come clean. I know I, for one, am tired of hiding. I want to take her out on a date. I want us to all go out as a couple, a throuple, a fucking family unit… I don’t know what this is called, but I want the world to know.”

Chase nods, his jaw tightening. “I spent too much of my life hiding. Then I made the mistake of asking Blake to do the same. I don’t want to make that mistake again.” His gaze flicks to Blake, and when their hands find each other across the table, my heart warms. The way they love each other, unashamed and open, is something I admire. The team has seen it too, offering support rather than judgment, and I want the same for Ginny.

“Coach isn’t going to take this well. Are we all ready for his reaction?” I speak up, knowing we need to look at the whole picture. This is huge, and we’re about to unleash a storm of epic proportions.

“Then I’ll quit,” Blake blurts.

Chase and I snap our heads to him, our mouths dropping open in surprise at this bold statement.

“I can’t have you do that.” Ginny’s small frame stands just inside the kitchen, her eyes heavy with worry. Dressed in one of my brother’s oversized shirts that swallows her petite body, she looks fragile but determined.

“Come here, Little One.” Blake immediately holds out a hand, and she hesitates only a second before crossing the room, slipping onto his lap. His arms wrap around her, holding her close as if shielding her from the weight of this conversation.

“Are you sure? What about playing in the NHL?” Chase asks him.

“That’s been your dream since we first started playing,” I add. The thought of him giving up something he’s dreamed of doing doesn’t sit right with me.

Blake’s fingers stroke absentmindedly over Ginny’s thigh as he exhales deeply. “Dreams change,” he replies, his voice full of resolve. “I love hockey. I love the team, the feeling of unity, the excitement when we win, and the devastation when we lose. But I don’t feel the same love for the sport that I once did.”

“Do you not want to play anymore?” Ginny asks him, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

“No, I do. But for fun. I love coaching our youth team and just messing around playing with you guys, but playing professionally is not what I see myself doing for the rest of my life. I love being able to skate freely on the ice.” I watch his face, seeing it light up with the last part.

“Have you thought about changing positions?” Ginny asks.

“Yeah, it’s still not what I want to do.”

“You should just be my partner. I’m not skating with Antony any longer. So my only option is a new partner or switch all my routines to solos and begin competing that way if I still plan to make it to the Olympics.” Ginny laughs at the end, like she’s made a joke.

Blake’s entire face lights up, a spark of excitement in his eyes. “I’d do it. Of course, I’d still fulfill the rest of this year and next, but I’d love nothing more than to skate with you.”

“Really?!” we all almost shout in unison as if we’d planned it.

“Yeah, that morning on the ice when we skated together, I haven’t felt that happy in a while. When I glide across the ice, free of the gear that holds me in the net, I feel free, happy, and that’s how I want to feel. I love hockey but if I were to continue and go to the NHL, I would resent it. And I don’t want that to happen.” Blake’s face lights up as he speaks.

“You’d quit for me?” Ginny asks again, jaw dropped.

“Yes. So if your dad has issues when we confront him today, then that’s what I’ll do. Just sooner than anticipated.”

Blake’s eyes shift between me and Chase, waiting for us to answer.

“Chase, baby, how do you feel about what I’ve just said? My plans.”

“I want you to do what makes you happy, Blake. If playing professionally isn’t it, then I don’t care. Plus, I have to admit the idea of seeing the two people I love performing together on the ice, bodies moving in sync, is kinda hot.” Chase leans in, kissing Blake gently, before doing the same to Ginny.

Ginny squeals, throwing her arms around Blake’s neck. “Fuck, Blakey Blake is going to be my new partner.” Then she pauses, eyes narrowing. “Are you sure you’re ready for the extra practice that comes with learning the routines, jumps, and lifts?”

“Absolutely. It’ll be some hard work, but I’m not opposed to it. Plus, getting to touch you all over while on the ice combines my two favorite things.”

“I’ll quit too,” Chase adds.

“Me too.” Looks like Coach better start looking for some replacements if he doesn’t approve of us.

Ginny’s joy falters, her eyes darting between us. “Are you sure? Please don’t ruin your careers for me. It’s not worth it.”

“But that’s where you’re wrong. If we make it to the NHL, that’s great. But we know how hard that is. It’s why we focus hard on our education. And Ginny, never say you’re not worth it, because Babydoll, you’re worth everything to us,” Chase says boldly, expressing everything the three of us feel.

“Pixie, we finally have you. Chase and Blake are happy and together. Life is perfect and right where we want it. Anything else that happens is just icing on the cake, but we don’t need it. As long as the four of us are together, a family, we are good,” I add.

Ginny swallows hard, blinking rapidly before exhaling a deep breath. “Then I guess it’s time to head to my house and confront my dad. I’ll let him know I’m coming to talk and don’t want Antony there. Should I tell him that you’re coming with me?” she asks, worrying her bottom lip.

“No, keep us a surprise,” Blake says loudly. Ginny stands from his lap, letting his fingers slip through hers. “I’m going to get dressed and let him know I’m coming.” She turns, walking out of the room, with a new sense of purpose.

I glance at Chase and Blake, my stomach knotting with anticipation.

It’s time. Time to end the secrets. Time to fight for her. For us.

Nerves radiate off all of us as we step onto the porch at Ginny’s house. I opted to drive today, knowing that this confrontation with her father would be emotional and she’d be in no shape to get behind the wheel afterward.

She doesn’t knock, just opens the door. The air is suffocating. The moment we step inside, tension wraps around my chest like a vise, making it hard to breathe.

“Dad, I’m here,” she shouts.

“Coming,” he calls back. He stops dead in his tracks when he sees Ginny, with the three of us standing behind her.

Ginny stands tall in front of us, her body firm and in control, but I can see the slight tremble in her fingers as she clenches them into fists. Blake, Chase, and I stand at her back, unyielding, ready to support her no matter what.

Coach Lein—no, her father —stands across from us, his face set in a tight scowl, arms crossed over his broad chest. He looks at Ginny first, then at the three of us, his gaze burning holes into the three of us.

“So it’s true,” he mutters, his voice low and laced with something I can’t quite place—disappointment? Disgust? Maybe both. “Antony wasn’t lying.” His gaze darkens as it settles back on his daughter. “You’re with them. All of them. My players. ”

Ginny lets out a sharp breath. “So you believe Antony over me? You believe I’m a whore?” Her voice cracks, but she doesn’t back down; she stands tall. Ready to defend herself, and I’m fucking proud of her.

Coach’s expression hardens. “That’s not what I said,” he says with a huff.

“But it’s what you think, isn’t it?” she challenges, taking a step forward. “Is it so hard to believe that I love them? That they love me?” She gestures to us, her body trembling with emotion. “You always put your team ahead of me. Always. Sending me away to live with trainers, pushing Antony into my life, never once listening when I told you I didn’t want this!” Her voice wavers but only grows stronger. “And now, the second I make a choice for myself, you judge me? You believe a liar, a manipulating abuser, over your own daughter?”

Her father’s nostrils flare. “But there are three of them, Geneva.” His voice is firm, his eyes almost pleading, like he’s trying to make her see reason. “Think about how it looks. How it will look to the world.” He turns to us, his eyes blazing with anger. “And you three. How could you use my daughter like this? You are like sons to me.”

Blake moves first, stepping in front of Ginny. His voice is calm, but there’s an unmistakable steel beneath it. “We’re not using her.”

Chase and I step up beside her, ready to be her support if she needs us.

“This isn’t some game,” Chase adds, his jaw tight. “This isn’t about sex or something temporary. We love her. She loves us.”

I nod. “We’d do anything for her. Protect her, fight for her, stand by her side no matter what. Just like we’re doing right now.”

Ginny lifts her chin, fire burning in her gaze. “This isn’t about them, Dad. It’s about you . ” She exhales sharply, her eyes wet with unshed tears. “Either you accept that I’m with them, that I love them, or you can excuse yourself from my life.”

Her father’s face twists in conflict. I can see the war raging inside him, the hesitation, the pain flickering in his eyes.

“Geneva…” He sighs, rubbing a hand down his face. “I only ever wanted the best for you. I knew Antony liked you, that he wanted something with you, and he had the drive to go to the Olympics. I thought… I thought he was the right partner, the right person for you.” His voice drops lower. “I swear to you, until I walked into the rink yesterday and saw the way he was touching you, the things he was saying—I never knew what was happening.” His jaw clenches. “He’s gone. For good. If I ever hear of him badmouthing you, I swear I’ll—” He stops himself, his fists tightening at his sides. “I’ll kill him and make sure no one ever finds his mangled body.”

Ginny lets out a shaky breath. “It’s about time you saw him for what he really is.”

Her father nods, but then his expression shifts. He straightens his posture, his coach’s mask slipping back into place. “What’s your plan for skating?” he asks.

She doesn’t hesitate. “I already have a new partner.”

His jaw tightens. “And I assume you want me to coach you?”

“That depends.” Ginny lifts her chin, her voice unwavering. “Are you going to accept my love life for what it is, or am I walking away from you right here, right now?”

The silence that follows is unbearable. He stares at her, his fingers tapping against his leg, his expression tight with conflict. But then—

“I can’t accept it,” he says finally, his voice low but firm. “I won’t.”

Ginny sucks in a sharp breath. A single tear slips down her cheek, but she doesn’t let it break her. “Then this is goodbye until you can,” she whispers. She takes a step back, her hands trembling. “I’ll be back later to get my things once I find a place to live.”

“You don’t need to find a place,” I say, stepping forward, my voice filled with certainty. “You move in with us. Anything you need, we got you.”

Chase nods. “You’re not alone in this, Ginny. You never were. We have a spare room that’s just storage… it’s yours.” Then he turns back to Coach Lein, his jaw set with finality. “Also—I quit.”

I glance at Blake, and without hesitation, he echoes the words. “I quit.”

My stomach tightens as I look at the man who was once our coach, the man we respected. But I won’t stand for this. I won’t stand for him hurting her.

“I quit, too,” I say, my voice resolute.

Then, as a unit, the four of us turn, walking out of her father’s house with Ginny between us. She doesn’t look back.

And neither do we.