Expose on the Ice (Sparks on the Ice #1)

Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

LILY

I meet Carter at a nearby lake. My heart clenches at the sight of him, remembering everything we’ve been through in the past day or so. As I approach, the gravel crunching under my feet alerts him to my presence. He turns, his eyes lighting up when they meet mine and, instantly, we’re in each other’s arms.

"Hey," I murmur into his chest, breathing in his familiar scent.

"Hey yourself," he says, his voice a low rumble that I feel more than hear.

We pull apart just enough to look at each other, and then his lips are on mine. The kiss is passionate, desperate, filled with all the emotions we can’t put into words. When we finally break apart, I can’t help but smile.

"Come on," Carter says, taking my hand. "Let’s walk."

We stroll along the shoreline, the water lapping gently at the rocks. The silence between us is comfortable, but I can feel the weight of everything that has happened hanging in the air. The day has been momentous for both of us, and the silence is helping us to digest it a little.

"So," Carter finally says, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand, comforting me. "How’d it go with Frank?"

I let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, you know. About as well as you’d expect when confronting a misogynistic asshole who thinks he’s God’s gift to journalism."

Carter’s grip on my hand tightens. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse," I admit. "He refused to can the story. Said it was his job to ‘print the news,’ as if stealing my work and betraying my trust was noble."

"Asshole," Carter offers.

I kick a pebble, watching it skip across the water. "And he had the audacity to tell me that if I couldn’t handle it, I was in the wrong profession."

Carter stops walking, turning to face me. His eyes are dark with anger. "He said that to you?"

I nod, feeling the sting of tears threatening to spill over. "Yeah. And then he fired me."

"Lily, I’m so sorry," Carter says, pulling me into another hug. "This is all my fault. If you’d?—

I cut him off, pushing back to look him in the eye. "If I’d sold you out? No."

A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. "Not sure what I did to deserve you…"

"Ditto," I say. We resume our walk, and I feel some tension leave my body. "At least the story is dead. I mean, I’m out of a job and my career is probably in shambles, but at least your secret is safe. Getting Mark and the players to organize a boycott? Frank’s head nearly exploded, and doubly so when he had to sign the paperwork for my severance."

CARTER

I laugh, feeling lighter than I have in years. "Well, well, well. Look at you, Miss Moneybags. I guess you’re my sugar momma now, huh?"

Lily snorts, playfully shoving my shoulder. "Oh, please. With that NHL salary of yours? I don’t think so, hotshot."

"Hey, every bit helps," I tease, pulling her close. "Maybe you can buy me dinner sometime."

She rolls her eyes, but I can see the smile tugging at her lips. "Thank you for organizing that whole boycott thing. I still can’t believe you pulled it off."

I shrug, trying to play it cool even as warmth spreads through my chest. "It was a team effort, really. Once I explained the situation to Coach Carson and Mark, they were surprisingly understanding."

"Really?" Lily’s eyebrows shoot up. "I thought they’d be pissed."

"Oh, they weren’t thrilled," I admit. "But I think they appreciated the honesty. And, let’s be honest, I’m their meal ticket, and they’ve seen how I’ve changed since… since you came into my life."

Lily’s cheeks flush, and I can’t resist leaning in to kiss her.

"Anyway," I continue, "once the team found out what was going on, they rallied around me. Echo was the one who came up with the boycott idea. Said if the media wanted to play dirty, we could too."

"Remind me to buy that man a beer," Lily murmurs.

I nod. "It doesn’t mean everything’s magically fixed, though. There’s still going to be a league investigation, probably the police, too…" I trail off, the weight of it all settling on my shoulders again.

Lily squeezes my hand, her touch grounding me. "What are you worried about?"

I stare out at the lake, watching the last rays of sunlight dance across the water. "My mom, mostly. She’s been alone all these years. Dad in prison, me off playing hockey, Sarah…" I swallow hard. "It’s a lot."

"Carter," Lily says softly, but I can’t stop now that the floodgates have opened.

"And my dad… he’s been stuck rotting in prison all this time, taking the fall for something I did. Long days, lonely nights… He’s missed out on so much of his life."

Lily turns to face me, her green eyes fierce. "Hey, stop that. You were just a kid when it happened. Your parents made their choices."

"Yeah, but?—

"No buts," she interrupts. "They protected you because they love you. And they’d do it all again. We might one day, as well, for our children…"

The thought fills me with joy, and I look down at our intertwined fingers, marveling at how right it feels. We stand there in comfortable silence for a while, watching the sun dip below the horizon. As the first stars appear, a thought strikes me, and I can’t help but chuckle.

Lily looks up at me, curiosity in her eyes. "What’s so funny?"

I grin. "I was just thinking… my family’s going to love you."

LILY

Carter’s heartfelt words cause a flutter in my stomach. The implication that I’d be meeting his family, that we’re getting serious enough for that step, and that he thinks I’d be a smash hit with them both thrills and terrifies me.

I try to keep my voice steady as I reply, "You think so?"

Carter’s arm tightens around me, and I can hear the smile in his voice. "I know so. My mom’s going to adore you. And my dad… if he gets out, once I face the music… will like you as well."

I swallow hard, the weight of everything suddenly pressing down on me. "Carter, I… that’s a lot to take in."

He turns to face me, his expression softening. "Hey, I’m not trying to freak you out. We can take things as slow as you want. I just… I want you to know how important you are to me."

I nod, trying to sort through the whirlwind of emotions. "I know. And you’re important to me too. It’s just… everything’s changing so fast."

"Speaking of changes," Carter says, his tone gentle, "what’s next for you now that the whole Frank situation is dealt with?"

I sigh, leaning into him as we watch the sun dip lower on the horizon. "I have no idea. I’ve wanted to be a journalist for so long, but after everything that’s happened…"

"You’re having second thoughts?"

"Yeah," I admit. "I mean, I love the job, but the way Frank operated, the cutthroat nature of it all… I don’t know if I want to be part of that world anymore."

Carter is quiet for a moment, his fingers tracing patterns on my arm. "You know, whatever you decide, I’ve got your back, right?"

I tilt my head up to look at him, warmth spreading through my chest at the sincerity in his eyes. "I know."

As the last rays of sunlight disappear, leaving us in the soft glow of twilight, I snuggle closer to Carter. The future is uncertain, my career path now a big question mark. But here, at this moment, with Carter’s arms around me and the gentle lapping of the lake in the background, I feel a sense of peace.

"You know," I murmur, "I’m fine with not having everything figured out."

"Yeah." Carter presses a kiss to the top of my head. "Me too."