Chapter 79
-GRAYSON-
My father did not bother with small talk.
He walked into the study like the week had been a performance review I was already failing and dropped a printed schedule on the desk in front of me.
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“Monroe Athletics Charity Cup,” he said. “This weekend. You play Southbay. You raise the funds. You show up.
I stared at the paper. Dates. Time. A note about press being there. I had forgotten the entire thing existed.
“No.”
“Yes.” Richard Shaw sat down opposite me with the look of a man who had already decided the argument was over. “It is charity, it is public, and it is attached to the family that still holds half the ground under this household. You have no choice.”
“I am not engaging with fucking Chase for charity.”
I also wasn’t sure if it was a good idea for me to see Blair. And him. Together. I knew I would lose my mind if I looked up and saw her cheering for him, instead of me.
“I will not let you turn the charity calendar into another issue.” His eyes were upset. “You ruined a good marriage, Grayson. Do not act unprofessional about this.”
Ruined a good marriage? Did he not see the articles with Blair kissing her ex-boyfriend?
“I haven’t signed the divorce papers yet,” I said.
My father went still.
For a man who rarely looked surprised, the shock was obvious. He sat back slowly, studying me like I had just confessed to leaving a loaded gun on the table.
“Why?”
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
Because the house was empty without her. Because her signature was already on the page and mine still felt like a door I could not close. Because I had told her I loved Lily and needed to be free, and the lie had done its job so well I had not heard from Blair in more than two weeks. Because every time I picked up the pen I saw her throwing the ring and walking out, and I could not make my hand finish what my mouth had started.
“I don’t know,” I said finally.
Dad let the silence sit long enough to become uncomfortable.
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The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife
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“That is not an answer,” he said. “You asked the girl for a divorce. She moved out. The press has already written the ending of your marriage. Lily has been in and out of this house enough for people to assume you meant it and want to be with her instead. And you are telling me the papers are still sitting unsigned.”
“Yes.”
He rubbed his forehead once. “Listen to me. I pushed that marriage because we owed the Monroes and because it protected both families. I did not push it so you could treat a good woman like a season you could cut short when your feelings got tricky.”
He didn’t understand. He didn’t know that I had strong feelings for Blair. That I fucking wanted her more than I could breathe.
“It was not that simple.”
“It never is.” He leaned forward. “Blair Monroe is not some girl you can simply play around with and expect no consequences. She is a good woman from a powerful family. She conducted herself better in public than you did. She took hits meant for you. She stood in that arena and made the alliance look real when you were still treating it like punishment. You will not get another one like her. Not with that name, not with that spine, and definitely not with Lily.”
My jaw tightened. “She kissed Holt.”
“I saw the picture.” His voice did not get louder. “I also know pictures are not full stories, and I know you have a habit of deciding the worst version first when you are angry. You should have asked her about it instead of jumping to a divorce right away.”
I looked away, toward the window. I knew he was right. But damn it, back then I was so angry, so hurt. I’d acted without thinking.
“Be careful not to ruin your life over pride,” he said. “You want Lily because she is familiar. But familiar isn’t always best. Sometimes there is better out there. You just have to give it a chance.”
I did want to give my marriage with Blair a chance. That was before I saw the pictures of her and Chase. Before I felt like someone had pushed a knife into my heart.
“This weekend,” he repeated. “You play. You shake hands for the cameras if you have to. You do not start another fight in a building full of donors unless you want the league and William Monroe in this room with us. Understand?”
“I understand.”
“Good.” He stood, then paused at the door. “And son, Blair is not going to wait forever, and a family like hers does not have to. You already let her walk out. Time is running out if there is even a small chance that you want her back.”
After that, he left.
I stayed in the chair with the Charity Cup schedule in one hand and a drink to drown my frustration in the other.
This weekend I would be on the ice against Chase in a building with Monroe’s name, helping to raise money.
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14:50 Thu, Sep 17
The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife
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Two weeks of her absence had not felt like freedom. It had felt like prison. I knew I wasn’t ready to see her
It had felt like I had taken the one thing I could not stop wanting and thrown it out of the house because I was a fucking coward.
I threw the glass against the door.
“Fuck.” I growled.
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14:50 Thu, Sep 17
The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife
Dex Morgan
Dex works to elevate each story with clean writing, emotional balance, and thoughtful flow for readers.