LOGINMarcus POVThe waiter appears with water and menus, giving me a brief break from that look Talia is giving me.That look that says she is watching every move I make and waiting for me to slip up and prove I'm still the same asshole who let her walk away.I honestly can't say I blame her."Can I start you off with any drinks?" the waiter asks."I'll have a glass of Pinot Noir," Talia says without hesitation. "The 2019 if you have it."That's her favorite. The same wine she always ordered when we went for business dinners.It's funny how I would end up taking her to such dinners even with a personal assistant.The more I think about it, the more stupid I realise I have been."Make that two," I say.The waiter nods and disappears.Talia raises an eyebrow. "You hate Pinot Noir." She points out and I cringe at her bluntness.She is not saving my ass or giving me any face tonight I can see that."I know," I admit. "But you love it. Tonight is not about what I want. It's about showing you t
Marcus POVI've changed my shirt three times.Three fucking times, can you believe it?It's like I am some nervous teenager going to prom instead of a grown man who's been on plenty of dates before.Well, except this isn't just any date.This is my last chance with Talia.My only chance, actually.It's the only chance I get to ‘prove’ myself to her and to some extend, prove to myself that I am capable of loving honestly again.Truth be told, I am fucking terrified that I am going to fuck it up.I am nervous that I might not meet her standards.I stare at myself in the mirror…dark grey button-down shirt, black slacks, leather shoes that I polished twice because I couldn't sit still.Looking at myself, I can’t help but wonder if this is too much or… not enough or completely wrong."Get it together," I mutter to myself but sadly, that doesn't seem to help.My phone buzzes on the dresser.It's a message from Orion asking me to not overthink…as if he is reading my mind.Right. Don't overth
Talia POVShe's right. That's exactly what it earned me…heartbreak."I told Marcus his past doesn't excuse how he treated me," I say, my voice harder now. "I mean, we're all scared of something, right? But that's not an excuse to treat people like they don't matter."Bailey nods, waiting."He agreed with me," I continue, almost laughing at the absurdity.“ Can you imagine it? He just stood there and agreed.He said I was right, that he was scared and selfish and didn't know how to be the man I deserved."I pause, grabbing the wine bottle again."He finally said that he wanted to try. That he wanted to learn how to be the man I deserve.”This time, I actually chuckle because coming from Marcus…the same man I know…it's close to unbelievable.The wine burns going down but I don't care.Bailey is watching me with those careful eyes, the ones that see too much."I gave him one date," I blurt out, and God, I can hear the shame coating every word.“ I agreed to one date to prove he is serio
Talia POV"I feel like a fool. I feel like the most stupid person on this planet. I was starting to move forward but I just had to drag myself back to hell," I lament, taking another swig of my alcohol."Take it easy on that. I'm in no position to drag your tired ass to bed," Bailey warns, eyeing the wine bottle I'm clutching. "I'm pregnant, remember? And you're a lot heavier than you look when you're drunk." She adds."I'm not drunk," I protest, even though the room is starting to spin slightly. "I'm just... processing."Processing how stupid I am ofcourse."You're spiraling," Bailey corrects, gently prying the bottle from my hands and setting it on the coffee table. "Now tell me exactly what happened.” Bailey urges me.I groan and flop back against the couch cushions."Austin was perfect," I say.“ He is literally perfect. Handsome, sweet, attentive and respectful. He's a hockey player with big dreams.He took me to a nice restaurant, asked about my life, and actually listened to my
Talia POV Marcus is breathing hard and running his hand through his hair.He looks like he can't quite believe what he just did either."He was going to kiss you," Marcus says as if that explains everything."So what?!" I yell. "So what if he was going to kiss me? We're not together, Marcus! You don't get to show up and assault random men just because you're jealous!" I snap, my anger bubbling violently inside me."I'm not jealous…" he starts to protest but I don't give him the chance."You literally just punched a guy in the face for trying to kiss me!" I interrupt. "That's the definition of jealous!""He shouldn't have been touching you," Marcus insists."He asked for permission!" I shout. "Which is more than you ever did in our entire relationship or whatever the hell we were calling it!"Marcus flinches like I've hit him."Talia…""No," I cut him off. "You don't get to do this. You don't get to ignore me for weeks, refuse to fight for me when I ended things, and then show up out
Talia POV This might have been a bad idea. I should have stayed indoors, watching a horror movie and eating lots of ice-cream.However, here I am. In a restaurant sitting across my date.Yes, you heard that right. I came on a date and now, I am trying to convince myself why this was a good idea."So then Coach told me I had the best slapshot he'd seen in years," Austin says, his eyes lighting up as he recounts the story. "Can you believe that? Me, compared to legends like Orion Hayes?” He bubbles with a grin on my face.I smile and nod, taking a sip of my wine.Austin is a perfect date material, that I can acknowledge.He is twenty-six, younger than me and plays for the Warriors.It's a smaller club compacted to the Michigan Blackhawks but he has got potential.He is attentive, asking about my interests, my work at the bakery, my plans for the future and he has got those warm brown eyes and a genuine smile.It's everything a woman looks at in a man.But all I can think about is how
Bailey POVI wake up wrapped in Orion's arms, the gentle rocking of the yacht and the sound of water against the hull creating the perfect lullaby. Morning light filters through the cabin windows, painting everything in soft gold.Orion is already awake, watching me with that soft expression that m
Seeing my reaction, Fiona scoffs.“ I'll tell you what you have left, Nolan.You have nothing," Fiona says, answering her own question. "You have nothing and the woman you're obsessed with? She wants nothing to do with you. All you have is hockey. If you destroy your career over some pathetic attem
Nolan POVThe champagne cork pops with a satisfying sound.Jasper lets out a whoop as foam spills over the bottle onto the floor."To the fall of the golden boy!" Jasper raises the bottle before taking a long swig directly from it.I grab the bottle from him and take my own drink, the bubbles burni
Orion POVCoach Williams' office suddenly feels smaller than usual with six people crammed inside. Jasper also followed us uninvited."Can someone tell me exactly what happened out there?” Coach Williams asks once he is settled."I already told you that Hayes deliberately stepped on my foot with h







