Chapter 82 Chapter 82
Saturday arrived carrying the kind of tension that pressed against the ribs and refused to let go.
Cass woke before her alarm, heart already racing like it knew the day mattered. The rain from earlier in the week had cleared, leaving the sky pale and undecided. She lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, listening to the quiet hum of the house. Her mom was already awake. Cass could hear movement in the kitchen. Plates. A radio murmuring softly. Normal sounds that felt newly precious.
She rolled onto her side and reached for her diary.
I don’t know what today will take from me.
But I know what I don’t want to lose.
She closed it gently, like sealing a promise.
Downstairs, breakfast was simple. Toast. Eggs. Nolan skimmed headlines on his tablet while her mom moved around the kitchen with an ease that still startled Cass. There was color in her cheeks. Light in her eyes.
“You sure you don’t want a ride?” her mom asked.
“I’ll meet Lena,” Cass said. “We’re going together.”
Her mom nodded, studying her for a moment. “Be careful today.”
Cass smiled softly. “I will.”
The rink was already alive when they arrived. Crowds filled the stands, breath fogging the cold air, voices echoing and overlapping. School colors clashed everywhere. Music thumped from speakers. It felt bigger than before. Louder. Like the whole town had decided this mattered.
Lena bounced on her toes beside Cass. “I live for chaos,” she said cheerfully.
Cass laughed, but her eyes searched the ice.
She found Jace almost immediately.
He stood near the bench, helmet off, hair damp, jaw set. He looked calm from a distance. Up close, she knew better. She could see it in the way his fingers flexed, in the tight line of his shoulders.
Their eyes met across the rink.
Everything else faded.
He lifted his chin slightly. A silent question.
Cass nodded.
I’m here.
Marvin skated onto the ice moments later to a roar of approval. He soaked it in like oxygen. His gaze swept the crowd until it landed on Cass. His smile curled slow and deliberate.
Jace didn’t look at him.
The game began brutally fast.
The opposing team pressed hard. Jace moved like a shadow, precise and controlled. Marvin played loud, aggressive, feeding off contact and noise. The crowd reacted to every collision, every near miss.
Cass barely breathed.
Midway through the first period, Marvin checked Jace hard into the boards. The sound cracked through the rink. Cass’s hands flew to her mouth.
Jace went down.
For half a second, the world stopped.
Then Jace pushed himself up, steady and unbroken.
Cass exhaled shakily.
Lena leaned close. “He’s fine,” she said. “But Marvin’s trying to rattle him.”
He won’t, Cass thought fiercely.
The second period shifted.
Jace took the lead.
He stole the puck cleanly, skating past two defenders like they weren’t there. The rink fell into stunned quiet as he lined up the shot and fired.
Goal.
The silence shattered into shock, then cheers.
Cass’s heart leapt painfully.
Marvin’s face darkened.
The rest of the game turned into a battle of wills. Marvin played harder, meaner. Jace stayed calm, answering with skill instead of force.
When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard told the story.
Jace’s team had won.
Cass didn’t realize she was crying until Lena hugged her.
“He did it,” Lena laughed. “He actually did it.”
Jace skated off the ice amid stunned murmurs. He looked toward the stands.
Toward Cass.
Something unspoken passed between them. Relief. Pride. Connection.
Marvin ripped off his helmet and slammed it against the bench. He stormed off the ice without a glance back.
The fallout came fast.
In the locker room hallway, voices rose. A door slammed. Their father’s sharp tone cut through the noise, controlled but furious.
Cass didn’t hear the words. She didn’t need to.
She waited outside until Jace emerged, hair damp, expression unreadable.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“You were incredible.”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “I had motivation.”
The drive home was quiet.
Cass stared out the window, adrenaline slowly draining, leaving behind a hollow exhaustion. Her phone buzzed once.
Jace: Thank you for coming.
She typed back.
Always.
Saturday night unraveled differently for each of them.
Cass curled up in her room, emotions crashing all at once. Relief. Fear. Hope. She cried without quite knowing why.
Across town, Jace faced the storm.
Marvin exploded. Accusations flew. Their father’s disappointment cut deeper than shouting ever could. Jace didn’t defend himself. Didn’t apologize.
For once, he didn’t bend.
Sunday dawned heavy and slow.
Cass spent it drifting. Cleaning her room. Helping her mom bake. Answering Lena’s messages with half smiles.
Jace didn’t text.
She told herself not to panic.
By evening, her phone finally buzzed.
Can we talk?
Her heart jumped.
Yes.
They met at the small park near her house as the sun dipped low. The air smelled like wet grass and earth.
Jace looked tired. Not broken. Just worn.
“I’m sorry I went quiet,” he said. “Things got… loud.”
She nodded. “I figured.”
They sat on a bench, shoulders barely touching.
“I stood up to him,” Jace said. “To all of it. And now I don’t know what comes next.”
Cass took a breath. “Neither do I.”
He turned to her. “But I know what I want.”
Her pulse thundered.
“I want honesty,” he continued. “And space to breathe. And… you. If you still want to be here.”
Cass’s chest ached.
“I’m scared,” she admitted. “But yes. I want to be here.”
He reached for her hand. This time, she didn’t hesitate.
Their fingers intertwined, warm and real.
Monday loomed ahead, full of unknowns.
But for the first time, Cass didn’t feel like she was facing it alone.