Page 41

Sorry, Not Sorry

Ten Days Later

Aleks

Mia’s childhood home was buzzing.

The faint scent of cinnamon and cloves mingled with the warm, buttery aroma of something baking in the kitchen, wrapping the air in a holiday hug. Voices carried through the halls, laughter bubbling over the occasional clink of glassware or scrape of chairs being adjusted. Every room seemed to glow, strings of twinkling lights and hundreds of candles casting soft, golden hues over the walls, illuminating the framed family photos adorning each wall.

There were photos of Charlie and Holly on their wedding day, of Mia as a newborn, of them as a family ten years down the line.

And there were photos of me, too.

I smiled at the photo from my first game in the states, Charlie’s hand on my shoulder proudly, Holly tucking a shy Mia into her side on the other end. Then there was the one of my first Christmas with them, and one when Mia and I graduated high school.

Our history lived inside this beautiful house.

And now, we’d fill the walls with even more family photos.

I stood at the base of the stairs, watching the organized chaos unfold around me. I should have been helping, but my feet stayed rooted to the hardwood floors, hands tucked into the pockets of my suit pants. Our friends and family bustled by as I happily lost myself to the memories.

Mia’s mom darted into the dining room with a bundle of greenery, stopping long enough to coach Chloe where she was adjusting the ribbons on the chairs that lined the living room where the ceremony would take place. The grand doors made of glass gave way to the stunning view of Lake Michigan beyond, a frigid scene that somehow made it feel even more cozy inside. Liv was balancing a tray of steaming cider as she navigated toward the kitchen where Maven and Grace were, no doubt, finding creative ways to spike that cider.

If we thought the headlines about us being “exposed” were wild, they were nothing compared to when we told Isabella and Giana that we were getting married.

Really getting married.

Giana had threatened me within an inch of my life that I better not just be doing this to save my ass, that I better actually mean what I said. Isabella had asked Mia if she was sure about a dozen times. But I think the longer they watched us, the more they saw the way we held onto each other unfaltering… they knew.

The shock had only lasted a moment, and then the team launched into action — and that included my teammates and their significant others.

The season didn’t stop for us, no matter what was happening in our lives. But where there was a will, there was a way. We’d no sooner snuffed out our New Jersey opponents in Friday’s home game before we were all on a plane to Chicago. Maven and Mia’s mom led the charge yesterday, giving each of us our list of to-do’s to make this last-minute wedding come to life. And though we worked hard all day long, Isabella still made sure we had the evening for a rehearsal dinner and speeches — including one given by Jaxson, who roasted me the way only he could.

Now, we were a little over an hour from the ceremony start time for our small, intimate wedding. And tomorrow morning, I, along with the rest of the team, would be on a plane to Philadelphia for our next game.

There was no time for a honeymoon — not now, at least. Hell, there would barely be enough time to enjoy my new wife the way I really wanted to. But she had her own dreams to chase. Where my plane would go to Philadelphia, hers would carry her to New Orleans for the next stop on her tour.

Her still sold-out tour.

We hadn’t even entertained Austin’s “scathing tell all” with Garrett Orange. They may have felt like they won for the first few days while we were silent, while the Internet went feral and some of Mia’s fans turned on her. But the majority of them were waiting for our statement, hoping and praying that the rumors weren’t true.

Ignoring that whole mess was easy to do once we announced we had set a date.

And just a little over a week after that tell all, we were tying the knot.

Sure, there were gossip sites and rabid fans who still questioned the validity of our relationship, who wondered if the whole thing really was fake. But there were more fans and journalists arguing the opposite. They showed photos and videos of us on repeat, the one of my proposal getting especially high circulation as fans shouted how could this possibly be fake?!

And it wasn’t. It never had been.

Austin and Garrett had failed in their mission to dull Mia’s shine. And as long as I was around, I’d protect her like the rare gemstone she was.

No one would ever know for sure that we’d started dating as a ruse — no one but those close to us, anyway. And we knew they’d never tell a soul. Maybe the theories would continue, but after today, I had a feeling all the naysayers wouldn’t have a steady leg to stand on.

One shot of me sobbing like a baby at the sight of my future wife would surely shut them all up.

Wife .

The word made my chest swell, my heart race, my skin prickle with possession and the overwhelming desire to protect her with everything that I was. My nose already tingled with that sensation that comes right before a good cry — and I hadn’t had one of those since my mother passed.

Today, the tears would be of joy.

The house felt smaller than I remembered in that moment, with all the people we loved most filling the space. When I’d arrived from Switzerland, this place had felt too big to wrap my head around. But, slowly, this mansion began to feel normal, natural. As close to home as I could get at that time in my life.

Mia and I had spent countless afternoons here as teenagers, lounging on floats in the pool or sprawled out on the living room floor doing homework. I could still picture her running down the stairs, her laugh echoing through the space, tugging me along by the wrist to hear her new lyrics. I’d pretended not to care about them, pretended to be annoyed — but I loved it.

Back then, she was just a girl with wild dreams and a reckless smile, and I was the boy trying my damndest not to cross the line her father had drawn between us.

And now? Now she was the woman upstairs in the very same room she used to sleep in, slipping into a wedding dress that would no doubt be my undoing once I saw her in it.

A smile found my lips as I glanced at the front window, where a light dusting of snow had begun to fall, the flakes melting against the glass before they could linger. It felt poetic, somehow. The years between us had melted away, too — time and distance and pride keeping us from saying what felt impossible to admit out loud. Now, all the excuses, all the pretending, all the miscommunication dissolved like the snowflakes on that window.

It was just us, surrounded by our loved ones, ready to exchange vows and rings that would tie us together forever.

“Earth to Aleks!” A hand clapped down on my shoulder, and I turned to see Carter wearing his signature too-wide grin. He always looked like a kid in a candy store. “You good, man? You’ve got that ‘wedding jitters’ look.”

I huffed out a laugh, shaking my head. “No jitters. Just... taking it all in.”

Carter raised an eyebrow, following my gaze around the room. “Well, take it in later. Right now, we need your muscle in the dining room. Something about a garland that refuses to cooperate.”

He’d no sooner said the words before a golden retriever puppy ran past us with a high heel in his mouth, the poor thing struggling to drag it along as Liv chased after him.

“Carter! I swear to God, if your dog chews my Manolos, I will take your next tooth out without anesthesia!”

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath, and then he was shrugging at me with that goofy grin again. “Guess getting a new puppy this week wasn’t my brightest idea.”

“You think?”

He laughed with another squeeze of my shoulder. Then, he took off, chasing after Liv like he always had been. “Zamboni! Bad dog, Zambo. Drop it. Drooop it.” He pretended to scold the pup when he caught up with it, but I didn’t miss how he secretly scratched behind the thing’s ear with a wink like he’d trained it to help him get Livia’s attention.

I wouldn’t put it past him.

“Garland, Su Man,” he reminded me as he put his arm around our perturbed team dentist, showing her proudly that her high heel was unharmed. She shoved him away, but I swore I saw a smirk on those dark rose lips of hers.

I could hear the guys in the dining room calling for my help, but I hesitated, my gaze drifting to the stairs as if I might catch a glimpse of her.

My bride. My Mia. The girl I’d been so sure I could never have.

And now, the woman I’d spend the rest of my life proving I deserved.

· · ·

Everything came together just in the knick of time, our guests who had doubled as party planners taking their seats and settling in to relax and enjoy the wedding with just ten minutes to spare. Daddy P stood begrudgingly at the altar made of reclaimed wood and draped with greenery, fairy lights, and chrysanthemums.

With the help of Chloe and Ava begging him, he’d agreed to be our officiant. I knew he was perfect because it would be short, sweet, and to the point — which was exactly what we wanted.

There were no groomsmen, no bridesmaids, just all our family and friends seated in the cozy space as the snow fell harder outside. A violinist played softly in the corner of the room as everyone settled in, and I stood by the stairs again, knowing it was just about time for me to take my place next to Will.

And then Mia would walk down the aisle to me.

I shook my head in disbelief, a smile curving my lips as my heart squeezed in my chest.

“Now that’s the face I’ve always dreamed of seeing on the man about to marry my little girl.”

Charlie met me with a warm grin when I turned to face him, opening his arms wide for a hug. He clapped me hard on the back, holding me longer and tighter than usual before he released me.

“Shouldn’t you be with that little girl right now?” I reminded him.

“She’s having a moment with her mother, and if I have any prayer of holding myself together through this ceremony, I can’t witness my two favorite girls in the world crying or I’ll be in a puddle on the floor, too.”

“I’ve given up on any hope of holding back tears,” I confessed.

“Well, we can be a mess together, then.” Charlie’s smile softened, his eyes searching mine. “It’s a great day for this father. I have always been so proud to call you my son, even if you weren’t technically family. Now, you will be.”

Proud.

My chest seized at the word. I knew he’d been proud of me as a hockey player, maybe even as a student. But… was he proud that I was the one his daughter had chosen?

I thought about a moment in this house where I was everything but proud, when this man had found me with a handful of pills and talked me down. The next day, he’d insisted I get help, and I had. Other than that, we hadn’t spoken of it since.

But could he really be proud Mia chose me if he knew what lived inside me?

Charlie shifted on his feet, glancing out the window at the snow as it thickened, the flurries sticking to the glass. He let out a breath that seemed heavier than the moment called for, his hands finding his pockets before his gaze returned to me.

“You know,” he started, his voice low, “there’s something I need to say before we do this.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask for her hand,” I said immediately, knowing this was a conversation I should have had before this moment. “I know I should have gotten your blessing, your permission, before I even—”

“Permission?” Charlie’s eyebrows shot up, his lips twitching as if to hold back a laugh. “Aleks, she’s my daughter, not my property. She doesn’t need anyone’s permission to live her life.”

“I know,” I said quickly. “It’s just… I wish I’d told you sooner. I know how you feel about—”

“Do you?” Charlie cut me off, his tone light but firm, his brow furrowing. “Because I’m not sure you do. You think I don’t approve of this?”

“I know you’re not happy about it,” I said, standing straighter under his gaze. “I know you don’t think—”

“How do you know what I think?” he interrupted again, a wry smile tugging at his lips. “Son, I’ve been protective of my daughter since the day she was born. Do you blame me for keeping an eye on the teenage boy living under my roof with her at such a vulnerable age?”

I opened my mouth, then shut it again, unsure how to respond. I didn’t blame him. Like I’d said to Mia, I would have been more upset if he hadn’t threatened me. He was protecting her, just like I was now — like I’d always wanted to.

“And when you two came to me with this whole ‘pretend to date’ stunt, I’ll admit, I was worried,” he continued. “Not because I didn’t trust you, but because I’ve always known how Mia feels about you.”

My stomach hollowed at his words, and Charlie’s eyes softened as he nodded.

“Oh, I’ve seen it,” he said, a faint smile curving his lips. “The way she looks at you… it’s been there for years. I just wasn’t sure what you wanted.”

I couldn’t fault him for that. Sure, he’d put boundaries in place when we lived under the same roof, and at the time, I’d resented it. But after that… we never spoke about any of it again, mostly because I was afraid. Afraid of what he’d say. Afraid he’d confirm my biggest fear — that he didn’t think I was the right one for his little girl.

“I honestly thought you’d go after her once you both moved out of this house,” Charlie added, like he was reading my thoughts. “But you didn’t. And I guess I worried that maybe you didn’t feel the same way. At least, until that July Fourth.” He swallowed then, his expression serious. “I wondered then if you loved her so much it was killing you.”

His words hung in the air between us, heavy and unspoken for far too long. When I finally replied, my voice was low, thick with emotion.

“I did,” I said, my chest tightening as I admitted it aloud. “I always did. I just… I didn’t think I was good enough for her. I didn’t think I deserved her. And I especially didn’t think you thought I did.”

Charlie’s expression softened, and he let out a long breath, nodding like he’d known all along. “Aleks,” he said, his voice steady, deliberate, “I’ve watched you love my daughter for years. I may not have known your true feelings for sure, but I knew you cared about her. I knew you’d always look out for her. I knew you wanted to see her happy — even if that hurt you sometimes.”

I swallowed.

“You’re not here because you’re perfect,” he continued. “You’re here because you’re exactly who she wants. Exactly who she’s always wanted. And that’s all the proof I’ll ever need that you deserve her.”

His words hit harder than I expected, like a fist to the dusty cage around my lungs. All the doubts about my worth fluttered away with the hit, my next breath lighter, and that emotion that had threatened to strangle me all day tightened its grip.

My eyes welled a bit, but I held the tears at bay. Charlie gave me a knowing smile and clapped my shoulder again, his grip firm. “Now go stand where you’re supposed to be,” he said, his voice breaking the tension with a small grin. “She’s been waiting long enough.”

Before I could respond, there was a small commotion at the top of the stairs. Both of us turned just in time to see Mia step into view, the cream satin train of her dress gathered in her hands as her mom fussed with the hem.

The house, the noise, the entire world fell away.

She was radiant, her silky brown hair framing her face in curls that dusted the heart-shaped bust of her gown. Her cobalt eyes were lined and smoky, her lips a sunset pink. I caught sight of her dimple, of the beauty mark just above it, the one I could draw with a marker in the exact right spot even blindfolded.

It was the kind of beauty that didn’t really exist, the kind that seemed fake if you saw it online or in a magazine. It vibrated off her, around her, strengthening with every smile she flashed.

Timeless, that’s what she was.

And also… slightly pissed.

“ Aleks! ” Her voice rang out, snapping me back to reality. “You’re not supposed to be standing there! Cover your eyes or something!”

I scrambled to obey, turning toward Charlie with a sheepish grin as I raised a hand to shield my face. He laughed, shaking his head as he pulled me into one last hug.

“You’ve got this, son,” he said, his voice gruff with emotion. “Now get up there before she yells at you again.”

He clapped my back as he let go, and I hurried into place next to Daddy P, who raised a brow at my flustered state.

“Smooth,” he muttered under his breath, smirking. “You going to cry next?”

“Like you won’t fold like a faulty skate blade when you and Chloe finally tie the knot.”

His eyes flicked to his bride-to-be then, a watery smile finding him as he watched her holding his daughter’s hand.

“You’ve got me there.”

The violinist in the corner shifted seamlessly into a new song, the soft melody drawing the room to silence. Holly pressed a kiss to her daughter’s cheek before taking her seat, and Charlie climbed the stairs to offer Mia his arm.

The moment she slid her hand into his, he glanced at her with a look that could have melted the snow piling up outside. They shared a brief, private exchange—words I couldn’t hear but could feel in the way her shoulders relaxed and his chest lifted with a steadying breath.

And then, together, they began their descent.

My eyes stung as they drew closer, the weight of the moment sinking in. This wasn’t a dream or a fantasy. This wasn’t a show we were putting on for the cameras — although, Isabella did conveniently give a few of her favorite shutterbugs an inside hint about where they could hide to get the first look at the intimate affair.

It was real.

She was real.

And she was walking toward me.

Mia’s dress was pure elegance, a breathtaking combination of modern design and timeless romance as she made her way toward me. The strapless bodice hugged her figure, the sweetheart neckline emphasizing the delicate curve of her collarbones and shoulders. The fabric was structured yet soft, folding into flawless pleats that cinched her waist and flared into the skirt.

From the waist, the gown flowed in a cascade of creamy silk, its dramatic side slit revealing a hint of her leg as she walked — a bold, yet graceful touch. The asymmetrical draping added movement and texture, catching the light with every step. The cream silk against all the greenery and the white and red flowers filling the space pulled together the holiday feel of the affair.

It was only November, but it felt like Christmas. It felt like a snowy morning in Berne with Annaliese and my foster siblings. It felt the way she always made it feel no matter what it took her to do so — special and warm.

My heart ached at the absence of her. I longed for a different reality, one where she could be in that front row next to Holly. My hand floated to my chest, pressing hard enough into my suit so I could feel the chain necklace she gave me beneath it.

She was always with me, even if I couldn’t see her.

When they reached the altar, Charlie turned to Mia, cupping her face with one hand. His lips brushed her cheek, and though his words were soft, I caught them anyway. “You’ll always be my little girl,” he murmured.

Tears blurred my vision, and by the time he placed her hand in mine, they were spilling over.

I knew it was useless to try not to cry, but fuck , I didn’t even make it to saying our vows.

“You weren’t kidding, huh,” Mia teased, her voice low and warm as she stepped closer. “You’re really going to lose it before the ceremony even starts?”

“I told you I would,” I replied, a smile breaking through my tears. “And no one’s going to think this is fake after they see me like this.”

Mia shook her head, her own eyes glistening now. She pressed her free hand to my chest, her thumb brushing against the fabric of my suit, against the chain beneath it like she’d caught me just moments before and wanted me to know she understood.

“I don’t care what anyone else thinks,” she whispered. “I only care about you. About this moment right here, right now. About us.”

My heart clenched at her words, and before I could stop myself, I dipped my head and kissed her.

The room erupted into murmurs and soft laughter, Carter yelling out a deep, “ Atta boy! ”. To my right, Will groaned dramatically.

“In case you forgot, you’re supposed to wait for me to say you can do that,” he grumbled.

The crowd chuckled, but I didn’t pull away immediately. I pressed my forehead to Mia’s, my lips curving into a grin against hers.

“Sorry,” I murmured, though I wasn’t.

“Not sorry,” Mia whispered back, her hand tightening around mine.

I straightened and turned to Daddy P, who was glaring at me — but it was a loving glare.

“Well,” he mumbled, adjusting his notes with a dramatic sigh. “Let’s get this over with before you two start making out again.”

Zamboni barked from the audience like his puppy senses were telling him we’d fail that test.

And I winked at him, knowing we would.