All Chapters of Crossing The Line With My Hockey Stepbrother: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

ElizabethI picked up on the first ring.“Liz? Are you okay?” His voice sounded rough, tired, yet still the safest sound in the world.“I should be asking you, Phillip,” I whispered, curling up to the head of my bed. “Reagan told Justin you were lucky they found you at the East Ridge. Why were you there?”He exhaled sharply, like he wasn’t expecting that to be the first thing out of my mouth. But I was concerned. No, afraid. Deathly afraid that I could have lost the only reason I was still breathing and enduring the torment that was my life right now.“I’m fine. I’m healing fast. I swear.” He paused before speaking again, softer. “I was also worried about you, Liz. Reagan didn’t tell me anything, but he kinda let it slip. Are you okay?”Heat prickled behind my eyes. “It wasn’t.. I just got overwhelmed,” I murmured. “The Frostmoon prep.. the questions.. it was just getting to me. That’s all.”“You’re tired.”“I am.” I breathed. “Tired of pretending. Tired of being careful. I keep feel

ElizabethBreathe Liz. Breathe.I looked perfect in my white and gold waterfall lace, resting softly against my skin. The bodice hugged me just right, the skirts flowed freely and the gold embroidery caught every stray beam light.My hair was pinned up in an elegant swirl the prep ladies called ‘regal’. My makeup was immaculate, I had to admit - soft eyes, glowing cheeks, lips painted the exact shade that complemented the masterpiece. Any of my shoes, pinchy as they were, completed the image of my half of the Frostmoon Pair.I knew I looked flawless. But each layer or clothing, each stroke of the brush on my face, each fold in my hair all seemed to cease the air around me. I couldn’t breathe.The perfection itself was suffocating. I pressed a hand over my stomach, willing the nerves, the dread, the weight of everything to settle, but it didn’t.Instead, I felt the quiet collapse of my soul. I had been under too much pressure for too long, which was all the more reason I couldn’t falte

Elizabeth“..might I add, you are the embodiment of grace, my dear.”I hadn’t heard the first part of what she said, so I just smiled politely. “Thank you so much, ma’am.”She held my hands a little longer, admiring me, before she moved on. She and her husband, Delta Tyrone, were the last nobilities we had to greet and I did my best to mask my relief.I wanted nothing more than to kick off my shoes, let my hair down, and fall on the nearest chair, but the show wasn’t over till we were out of here. Regardless, with the Frostmoon coming to a close, I felt something heavy fall off my shoulders. It was the ghost of freedom, but I allowed myself that tiny victory. The prep classes, the endless coaching, the scrutiny that followed me everywhere, for the most part, all of that was over now. The festival was over. If I wanted, I could call everything off tomorrow. If I wanted, I could go up to Anthony and tell him I’d given it my best but the blessed pair simply wouldn’t work. I could even

ElizabethIt had been two days since the Frostmoon, the pack was vibrating with excitement, and my life was collapsing quietly beneath it.The Frostmoon festival marked the closing of the academic session for the rest of the season. We were soon going into mating season; the season I dreaded the most.The streets still whispered of the Frostmoon pair. Every call and message I got praised the bond, the glow, the omen, the blessing. My mum walked around floating on clouds like she had single-handedly birthed a prophecy. The elders had blessed the pairing, which everyone knew was purely ceremonial, but in her eyes, it was an official seal.Tricia kept squealing about how lucky I was, how enviable it was to be fated to the Beta’s son. I played along for the most part, smiling and giggling and rolling my eyes on occasion. But I never answered questions directly, I obfuscated my responses and I let her do more of the talking.And every time I did that, I was breaking. The weight in my ches

ElizabethWhat was the hardest part of love? Trusting in it. You’d think the hardest part would be the loving itself. Letting someone that close, letting them see the soft parts of you, the messy parts, the parts you hide from the world. But no. The hardest part was believing that through the toughest strain, you could safely rely on the love you chose to hold on to.I didn’t know what to make of Phillip’s reaction, or his words, or his general demeanour. I had only sensed his resistance, but I didn’t know why. Had I done something wrong? He wasn’t like that, he’d tell me. What could I even have done?Confusion clouded my mind even as the pain grew in my heart. Before now, I longed to see him even for three seconds. I fought to contain Dawn’s untameable desire. I held myself together in the face of days-long depression, all in anticipation of holding him again soon. But he basically pushed me away, and now I had to see him again. I had to know why.The stretch of silence obviously di