Chapter 56 Relieved
Phoebe
I don't know why, but pride completely overshadowed the worry I was supposed to feel.
When Hayden boldly declared I was his—his mate—right in front of his dad, something inside me swelled with confidence. Like the world just stamped its approval on me. Like I truly belonged to him.
Still, my heart was pounding out of rhythm, and I ended up bolting to my room like some kind of coward.
I kept replaying that moment in my head, wishing I'd stayed and stood my ground instead of running away like a kid.
Groaning, I dragged my hands down my face. God, I was such an idiot.
The door creaked open.
"Phoebe?"
I looked up.
Hayden was standing there, looking way more relaxed than he had earlier. There was even a little smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Finley gave my shoulder a quick pat and whispered, "Pretty sure my laundry’s almost done, and yours still needs to go in. I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone."
"Please do. I owe you lunch," I said quickly, feeling a little guilty for ditching her just because Hayden showed up.
As soon as Finley slipped out, Hayden stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
His gaze locked onto mine, deep and burning with something I couldn’t quite name—like pure, stubborn fire.
"I..." I sucked in a breath. "I’m kinda confused. Were you guys fighting out there?"
He moved closer, sitting down on the edge of my bed.
"My dad’s stubborn. But guess what? I'm even worse."
He raised an eyebrow at me in that way he does that absolutely wrecks my heart.
"I told him," Hayden said, voice steady, "that I’d rather lose everything I have—including my spot at Silver Claw—than lose you."
I froze.
"You… really said that?" I whispered.
He nodded.
"And guess what? He caved. He said he wants to meet you properly. He’s inviting you to Silver Claw."
I clapped a hand over my mouth, a tiny sob breaking free from my chest. Relief and gratitude exploded inside me like fireworks.
"Phoebe," Hayden murmured, reaching for my hand, his fingers tangling with mine, "I'm not letting anyone tear us apart. That's a promise."
The tears that spilled over weren’t from sadness this time—they were from pure, overwhelming happiness.
Without thinking, I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug.
He hugged me back just as tightly, like he was never letting go.
His kiss came next—slow, deep, and so, so tender. Like he was kissing every old scar, erasing every fear I had.
For a minute, the whole world just… disappeared. It was just us.
When he finally pulled away, there was a sparkle in his eyes that made my heart skip a beat.
"I gotta go for a bit. Got something to set up for you," he said, grinning.
"What is it?" I asked, still a little dazed.
He just shot me a secretive smile.
"You’ll see. Get ready, mate."
I bit my lip, buzzing with curiosity as he left the room.
Blowing out a long breath, I suddenly remembered my laundry. Crap.
Grabbing my basket, I headed for the laundry room.
Finley wasn’t around—probably putting her clothes away—so I moved to the machines.
Sure enough, mine was done, the machine beeping loudly.
I scooped up my clothes and made my way up to the rooftop to hang them up to dry. It was chilly out, and the morning air smelled crisp.
As I pushed the door open, a strong mix of tobacco and something else hit my nose.
"Phoebe," a voice called.
I turned to see Zion leaning against the wall, cigarette between his fingers.
"What the hell are you doing up here this early?" I asked, tossing my clothes over the laundry line.
He shrugged lazily.
"Pulled an all-nighter. Insomnia. Y’know, the extreme kind."
I let out a small laugh but immediately wrinkled my nose when I caught a whiff of whatever he was smoking.
"Uh, that's not a regular cigarette, is it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Zion chuckled.
"Weed. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna peer pressure you or anything."
I shook my head, grinning as I kept hanging my stuff.
We talked about random crap—upcoming games, dorm gossip, even the ridiculous rumor that Coach Cooper used to be an NFL player.
Not long after, the rooftop door swung open again.
Finley poked her head out, waving frantically.
"Yo! Coach Cooper’s here! He brought breakfast!"
Zion and I exchanged a look, both laughing, before heading back inside.
Downstairs, the dining room table was loaded with food—donuts, bagels with cream cheese, pancakes, hash browns, and steaming hot coffee that smelled like heaven.
"Dig in! You’re gonna need your strength for tomorrow," Coach Cooper said, clapping me on the back.
We all sat around, laughing, eating, talking about our big game tomorrow against Aether Blaze.
The energy was so warm, so full of family vibes, it made me forget about all the crap I’d been worrying about.
After breakfast, we jumped straight into an intense practice session.
Our coach was brutal but everyone knew he had a heart of gold.
By the time practice ended, sweat was dripping down my face and my muscles were screaming.
Hayden came over, grinning as he grabbed my hand.
"Come with me," he said, voice low and full of promise.
I followed him to his room, my heart thudding with anticipation.
There was this excited sparkle in his eyes that made my stomach do flips.
Once the door closed, Hayden knelt down, reaching under his bed.
He pulled out a dark blue box tied with a shiny silver ribbon.
I stared at it, heart pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it.
"What is that, Hayden?" I asked, barely above a whisper.
He just smiled this secretive little smile and pushed the box toward me.
My hands were shaking as I touched the ribbon.
Before opening it, I looked up at him, heart in my throat.
"Hayden... is this...?"
He just kept smiling—bigger, wider, not saying a word.
I swallowed hard, my fingers trembling over the ribbon.
"Is this... a proposal?" I whispered.
He just gazed at me—and smiled.