It only takes a few steps of his long stride to get to me. I bury my face in his chest, clinging to him as if he’ll disappear. I know I could live without him, but I don’t want to. Ever. I want this moment whenever I need it. Whenever I want it. I pull harder, pressing my ear against his beautiful heart.
“I love you too, Genevieve,” he says, tucking his hand into my hair to hold me in place. As if I’d voluntarily withdraw anyway.
“It’s Viv now,” I whisper. He must hear me when he rests his lips on my head. I feel his breath, envision my skin soaking it in.
“Viv. I love that.”
“You can thank Sandy’s son Jaden for the idea.”
His chest rumbles with a chuckle, and suddenly this isn’t enough. I’m not close enough to his gorgeous soul. I slip my hands under his shirt to feel his warm skin. Better, but still not satisfying.
“I can’t believe you came. Even with everything you thought I did to you.”
“I knew it wasn’t you. I knew something else was going on. In fact, so did Sandy.”
I pull back in surprise, just enough to glance up at him. His smile is seriously the most beautiful thing on this planet. The kind of thing Viv Hastings could write a song about… “What do you mean?”
He laughs and shakes his head. “That psycho locked me in the basement when I first heard about the fall. I was a mess, and he was afraid I’d do something crazy or get myself killed.”
“What?! He locked you up?”
He shrugs. “Yeah, thank god he did. Who knows what I would have done? Anyway, once all the other shit came out, he agreed it was messed up, and if I couldn’t get to you by phone, I had to get to you in person to figure out what was going on. He’s seen us together. He knew the picture that was painted couldn’t be right. He’s the one who drove me here.”
“He did?” I ask in shock.
Oliver smiles, looking almost smug. “Deep down, he kinda loves me. Don’t tell anyone. But yeah, he’s in the waiting room now. Hadley found me and escorted me here.”
Wow, I have to remember to thank Raffie Sanderson for locking up my boyfriend. “Of course he loves you. You’re amazing.” I look up, loving the way he softens at my words. Gosh, how could anyone believe any of those lies for a second? Only people who have never met him. “I’m going to fix it, Oliver,” I say, tracing my finger along his jaw. The stubble tickles my skin and makes me want to experience it with my lips.
“Fix what?”
“All of it. The rumors. The lies. My career. My life. I’m going to climb. I’m going to fight through rehab to get back on the ice just like you. I’m going to take the pain for something Iwant.”
He grins, and this time I can’t resist. I have to taste it. I pull his head down and brush my lips against his. Maybe those doctors were right after all. I could have survived this journey without Oliver Levesque, but I’m the luckiest girl in the world that I don’t have to.
CHAPTER 17
Come, mother dearest
I’ve a story to share
Of brave knights and tense frights
Of secrets laid bare
Where are you going?
Don’t run
You’ll ruin the fun
Don’t you want to compare?
Unless your story so glorious
Has been my nightmare
OLIVER
After she’s discharged, Genevieve and Hadley skip the private jet to ride back to L.A. with Sandy and me. Although she got her phone from her mother, that’s all they exchanged before we left the woman and her husband standing in stunned silence at the curb. It hurt my heart to witness the cold severance of their family as we walked away, but I don’t blame Gen for a second. What that woman did was a gross betrayal, and if it took something so extreme for Genevieve to finally see who the real destructive force is in her life, so be it. Sure, Gen and I have hell waiting for us in the coming battle, but at least we have truth on our side. Corinne Fox only has her selfish ambitions to keep her warm. I shudder at the lonely road ahead of her. It makes me miss my own family even more.
“What is it?” Genevieve asks, glancing at me from her seat. We just stopped for gas and are waiting in the car while Sandy and Hadley run inside for snacks. It was no easy task cramming into the back seat of Sandy’s SUV, but Genevieve needed to elevate her ankle for the long drive and made it pretty clear that my lap was the stool of choice. She’s facing me now, her back against the wall of the car, her leg stretched across the middle seat and landing on my thighs. I could complain at the cramped position, but I’ve had the opportunity to touch her for two hours straight. I’d pass up first class airfare for this.
“Nothing. Just thinking about my family. I really hope you get to meet them some day. Camille called right after I found out about the fall. If she hadn’t… man, I don’t know. She always seems to know when I need her.”
“She sounds incredible, but I’m not surprised. Look at her example.”
I smile through the ache in my chest. “It will be weird celebrating Christmas without them next week. Sandy and Kels will do their best to include me, but yeah. It was a big deal in our house growing up. Our whole town, actually. No matter where I was in the world, I always braved the weather to try to make it back for at least a day.”
Confusion flashes over her face, maybe a hint of distaste. I can only imagine how different traditions are for her. Does she have any memories worth holding onto? It makes me
