Page 112 of Rule 3: Never Fake Marry the Coach's Son

“Are you going to be okay there?” Ingrid asks.

“Is my home country,” I say. “I’ll be fine.”

Devastated, of course. Miserable, too. But otherwise fine.

Coach and Ingrid are silent. My dreams have shattered. I brought their son into my legal issues.

Oskar squeezes my hand, and I try to smile, even though I know that soon, I’ll be on the other side of the world.

How soon until Oskar tells me that maybe we should just get a divorce after all?

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Oskar

Dmitri says goodbye to his teammates, then we pack up his things together. Finally, he takes me to my parents’ house. He wants me to spend the night there.

Now it’s time to say goodbye.

I wrap my arms around Dmitri. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.” His eyes shine with tears, and his grip is firm. I lay my head against his shoulder, my heart beating wildly. I inhale his scent and try to memorize it. I want to memorize everything. I don’t want him to become just a memory, but it’s time.

A ping sounds on Dmitri’s phone, then, a honk.

I pull away from Dmitri. “That must be your Uber.”

He nods regretfully. “I’ll contact you once I arrive.”

“You better.”

His eyes are solemn, but he nods.

We both know things will be different. Our relationship is new, and we’ll be communicating over vastly different time zones. Things won’t be the same.

Pappa clears his throat, then gives Dmitri a hug. Dmitri’s eyes shut.

“You take care of yourself,” Pappa says, separating.

“Yes, Coach.”

Pappa nods, but Dmitri grimaces. Maybe he remembers that Pappa is no longer his coach, Dmitri is no longer a Blizzard.

“You better go,” I say.

Dmitri’s eyes glisten, then he yanks me toward him and kisses me.

Air brushes around us. I think Pappa opened the door.

We separate, then Dmitri gives a curt nod, and hurries to the Uber.

Pappa and I wave as the car moves away, then it rounds the corner. I blink, then I feel Pappa’s arms around me. He tugs me toward him, closing the door.

“It wasn’t meant to be,” Pappa says, and he reaches out and pats me on the back.

Two taps, then he leans back assessing me. “You’ll be fine.”

I stare at him.