Chapter 5

Melissa pov

My legs gave out. I sank onto the edge of the bed.

“Are you serious?”

“Dead serious. And get this…he’s exactly what you’ve been dreaming about. You want to be a sports photographer, right? Work in PR for a major team? This man is literally at the top of the industry you’re trying to break into.”

The room tilted sideways.

“Aria.” My voice sounded strangled. “You won’t believe what just happened.”

“What? Did you see him again?”

“Worse.” I could barely form the words. “So much worse.”

“What could be worse than kissing a hockey mogul and going viral?”

“Gavin is my mom’s fiancé.”

Silence. Complete, suffocating silence.

“The man I kissed…” My voice broke. “He’s going to be my stepfather.”

“No. No, no, no. Melissa, are you serious right now?”

“I wish I wasn’t.” Nausea rolled through me. “He’s engaged to my mother. They’re getting married in ten months. And I kissed him. I can still feel his hands on my waist, Aria. I can still…”

“Melissa, breathe. You didn’t know.”

“How am I supposed to live here? Under the same roof? Pretending like nothing happened?”

“You have to stay away from him,” Aria said firmly. “You avoid him. It won’t be easy, but for your mom’s sake, you have to pretend it never happened.”

For your mom’s sake. For some reason those words made me angry.

“I’m sorry I have to go.”

“Mel, wait…”

I ended the call before she could say any other thing.

I was angry, I was upset and worst of all I didn't know why I felt like this .

I couldn’t sit still.

I opened the door cautiously. The hallway was empty and silent.

 I crept forward, my heart pounding with every step.

Where is he?

I needed to talk to him. He can’t tell my mom what happened, it will crush her.

Then I heard someone talking . I followed the sound to a partially open door…his office, maybe.

I shouldn’t eavesdrop. I knew I shouldn’t

But my feet stopped moving.

“…so grateful, Gavin.” My mother’s voice was warm, almost tender. “You have no idea what this means to us. To me.”

I turned and walked away before I could hear his response.

But then I saw a photograph on the hallway wall. I’d walked past it without noticing before, but now it stopped me cold in my tracks.

Gavin stood beside a younger man …maybe in his mid-twenties. The resemblance was striking. Same strong jaw. Same intense eyes, though the younger man’s were green instead of ice-blue. Same athletic build.

They stood in front of a race car, both wearing racing suits. The younger man had his arm slung around Gavin’s shoulders, grinning widely. But Gavin’s expression was plain.

My stomach dropped.

A son. He has a son.

The realization hit me like cold water. Of course he did. A man his age, this successful, this established…why wouldn’t he have children?

Which meant I didn’t just have a stepfather. I also had a stepbrother.

The thought made my skin crawl.

……

Hours passed. Mom left to pick up more of our things from storage. She asked if I wanted to come.

I told her I was tired, and had a headache.

I was in the kitchen pouring myself a glass of water when I felt his presence behind me.

I spun too fast, nearly dropping the glass. Wetting my hands a bit.

He stood there in his white dress shirt…sleeves rolled to his elbows now…and black slacks. His ice-blue eyes locked onto mine.

“I…” My voice came out high and strangled. “I didn’t see you there.”

Heat flooded my face. My cheeks were burning…probably red as a tomato. I could feel the flush spreading down my neck.

“I’m sorry. I was just…” I set the glass down with trembling hands, nearly knocking it over. “ I didn’t mean to… I”

He said nothing. Just watched me with those unreadable eyes.

My fingers twisted together, knuckles white. “Last night. I didn’t know who you were.” The words tumbled out in a rush. “I swear I didn’t know . If I had known you were my mother’s fiancé, I never would have… ”

My voice cracked.

“Please don’t tell my mom.” The whisper came out broken, and desperate. “Please. She can’t know. It was a mistake. A stupid, horrible mistake ”

A tear slid down my cheek before I could stop it.

I wiped it away with the back of my hand, but another followed.

“I didn’t mean to…” My breath hitched. 

He moved.

Each step made my heart pound harder until he stood right in front of me.

I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move.

His hand lifted slowly .

I flinched.

But he only tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers barely grazing my skin.

His eyes searched my face…lingering on my tear-stained cheeks, my trembling lips, the pulse hammering in my throat.

“A mistake,” he said quietly.

“Yes.”

He looked at me for a short while before a faint scoff broke the silence.

“You really don’t think before you act, do you?”

My head snapped up. “Excuse me?”

Anger flooded through me, fast and hot. “That’s not fair.”

His jaw flexed. “Life isn’t.”

My cheeks flushed pink, and my hands trembled at my sides.

“You don’t even know me.”

“Don’t need to.”

I stared at him, furious … more at myself than him. “Go to hell.”

“Already there,” he said quietly, turning away.

He left before I could think of a reply.