Breakaway: Brother's Best Friend Hockey Romance (The Columbus Mavericks) by Laura Marquez Diamond

Author:Laura Marquez Diamond [Marquez Diamond, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-08-30T16:00:00+00:00

A little over a week after we buried his mother, I call Lance.

The timing isn’t random. According to William, Lance won’t have anything in the books today since the team recently finished two home games and is about to go back on the road. That’s right, William. My brother turned out to be surprisingly helpful when we last talked. He took me out for dinner and the topic of what is going on with you and Lance eventually came up. I didn’t say much since it’s none of his business. However, William advised me on the hockey player’s schedule.

As he put it, “Clear the air between you two. Can’t be having fights every time Mom cooks. Bad for digestion.”

No. Kidding.

Not much air clearing will happen if Lance doesn’t take my call.

“Cassie,” he says after three rings.

“Lance, I, um, I… ” My brain stutters because relief at hearing his voice nearly steals my composure. “I called because I have something to say.”

I’ve had time to process our cruel, hurtful argument and realized how little I truly expressed myself. Instead, I ran. Am I still upset with the way he talked about me? The way he talked about himself? Absolutely. However, there will be no more hiding in my childhood bedroom when I’m angered. This time, I’m determined to finish our conversation on my terms.

“So do I.”

“Well, since I called, I’m talking first,” I assert with more confidence than I feel.

He chuckles, alleviating some of my anxiety. Lance has always been the person who’s inspired my brazen spirit. It’s time for courage to make way for clarity.

“You had a traumatizing childhood, yet I don’t pity you at all. I admire you for being strong and determined when you had every excuse to give up. You’re a survivor, Lance.” My throat tightens, making it hard to talk and to breathe. I push on.

“We live in a world that celebrates heroes. That’s you too, by the way. A hero superstar to hockey fans everywhere. You’re also a survivor who put one foot in front of the other when faced with the steepest challenges imaginable. That should be celebrated too. I don’t pity you one bit. I feel a lot of things when I’m around you, Lance Harper Jefferson, except that. Never that.”

“Cassie, I—”

“Please, I’m not done. Let me finish,” I interrupt because there’s no holding back now. “You do not ruin anything. I call bullshit on that talk. How can you, when every room you walk into comes alive because you’re there? How can you, when you’re the most unselfish, considerate man I know? You took every opportunity to make the family feel special. Our home was better because you were in it. And when I say our home, that includes you! God, you even spent that summer coaching me through my doomed basketball aspirations.”

“Well, you were one of the tallest freshmen.”

“Height didn’t help my shot. The point is, you supported me when my own brothers gave up on my lack of athleticism.”

“What you lacked in athleticism, you made up plenty with cuteness.

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