han's away game

e ye

than Vance, my younger br

ng the steering

faded behind me, replaced by

ox held a vintage Heuer Autavia, the exact one Ethan had poin

at day. Our

otel. Champagne on ice, his favorite steakhouse

a Hayes Construction project

faster with

en that slow, charming smil

always made m

red, a modern glass tow

e valet, my exci

my overnight bag, a ner

was

ling with team sta

ite nod, heading straight for the elevators,

502. To

opened onto a quiet

o unlock the door and find him, pro

I saw

ar a service elev

Eth

wasn'

arrying

er head lolling against his should

eath

ight with distress. He was trying to block

re you doing?

d past him,

Noah. This is the only way to he

his movements surpris

o a room just a few doors do

ooked

ia? What

n

ah's lips, la

n pause. He didn

flat. Utterly devoid

ivi

ost sc

t a stand-in

pression softening as he loo

ooks a bit

t me like a

n. Conv

the three years of stolen moments, secret smiles, w

allway, the gift box slipping from my numb

th disbelief and a desperat

ng up on Sophia since fresh

an year. That was befo

ed, loyal heart, delivered

to expose Ethan's core lie, the one Ethan had ap

thought you were the hero who pulled her from that

ar wreck. Years ago. The

voice cracking. "That was Liam Peterson! You were out of sta

Pet

r friend. The qui

orld

relationship with, believing he was my selfless s

the chaos o

of smoke a

ushing

nd, a voice cutti

sity athletics jacket, the dark blue wit

d when I woke up in the hospital. A cr

in those early days when I first started

e. He encouraged it with his silence, w

, my love, was

tively part

t a substitut

who resembled the woman

uch, often perfunct

metimes glaze over during

ress from his tennis

it for wh

hinking

how her, carrying her so carefully, his face etched w

ve

und my chest, squeezing

the main elevators, leaving the

down wa

ipation, now felt like a stage for my pu

I

at was