completely loyal, but with a sharp set of molars when pushed. He reminds me of Remy, actually. All easy grace and best buds with the world, but beneath it all, there’s rage when it comes to certain things or people. Men like that rarely lose it but when they do, watch out.”
She placed her coffee cup down with a deliberation that worried Mia.
“You used to date Drew Fabien in college.”
“How’d you know that?”
“I did a little digging. What I don’t understand is why I had to. Why you kept it to yourself.”
“It was just for a while.” Mia took a bite of her toasted muffin and mumbled around it, “Barely a blip.”
“Strange how these blips can ripple out and have lasting consequences. Cassie said—”
“You spoke to Cassie?”
“Yep. Said there was some bad blood between you and this Fabien kid.” Isobel inhaled a breath. “I’ve been here before with Harper. Hiding things that happened. Horrible things.”
Mia reached over and squeezed her sister-in-law’s hand. “He didn’t hurt me. Not physically. Not like what happened to Harper.”
“Then what?”
You need to tell them what happened, Mia. You need to tell your family what’s in your heart.
Standing, she took her plate to the sink, then placed both hands on the counter, looking to draw some strength from the cool surface. But really she was imagining Cal standing beside her, a hand at her back, his encouragement the emotional currency she needed.
“Drew shared some intimate photos of me and the school took his side after Selena got involved. I wanted to tell you and Mom and Vadim but—anyway I didn’t. I made that choice and then I made a plan to recover.”
Isobel looked horrified. “I thought you knew you could tell us anything.”
“I didn’t want to make a fuss. Do you remember when we first met? How hurt Vadim was because Mom had left him behind in Russia?”
Isobel nodded.
“I was in the middle of them, trying not to take sides. Trying to keep the peace while forcing them together at every available opportunity. I was the glue. And Vadim actually gave me his bone marrow, part of his body to heal me. To save me. No question.”
“He loves you. Even before he knew you existed, he loved you.”
Vadim’s melodramatic tendencies had obviously rubbed off on Isobel. “I didn’t want to risk losing that. I didn’t want him to—I don’t know—think I was stupid for sending those photos and getting caught out in the oldest trick in the book. Falling for a guy. Buying his smooth words. I know I was in the right, but it never feels like that. Principles go out the window and deep shame takes its place. I knew Vadim would still love me, but … he might love me a little less.”
“Oh, Mia.” Isobel stood and put her arms around her. “I know what that’s like. Thinking you can fix it, not wanting to be a bother, afraid to ask for help. I went through that when I was injured and thought I could make it back to competitive play. Sometimes our desperation sends us down the wrong path.”
“But I am fixing it. Making Team USA is fixing it.” Assuming that it was still a go and she hadn’t been sucked into the Fabien shit show again.
As if reading her mind, Iz asked, “Selena blacklisted you in the pros somehow, didn’t she?”
“I don’t know for sure. I think so. Whenever I tried out for a team, the whiff of sulphur preceded me.” At this point, she’d prefer to think this was the reason she hadn’t made a team, and not just that she wasn’t good enough.
“You should be playing the sport you love professionally. Instead these toxic turds destroyed your trust and used their influence to sideline you from play. To sideline you from your life.”
“That’s what Cal said.”
“And he was right!” Isobel’s fury had Mia taking a step back. “So that’s why he got into it with Selena?”
Mia nodded.
Isobel took a deep inhale. “You did what you thought was right to protect yourself and your family. But thing is, we’re your family. I’m your sister—sure, by marriage, but your sister all the same. And you have no idea how fucking enraged I am.”
Mia had seen Isobel angry before but not quite like this. “I think I’m getting a sense of it.”
Isobel’s phone buzzed with a text message. She checked it and showed it to Mia.
“I don’t want to tell you what should happen next but knowledge is power and sunlight is