TWENTY THREE

EPOV

I stood in the visitor's locker room in Boston, surrounded by the buzz of my teammates getting ready, but all I could hear was the deafening silence from my phone. Bella hadn't texted me all day—not even the usual "good luck" message that she always sent before my games. Today was her chemo day, and something didn't feel right. It felt like my insides were twisting into knots, tighter and tighter.

I dialled her number again, pacing the small space like a caged animal. The call rang out, but she didn't answer. I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw ached. "Come on, Bella, pick up," I muttered under my breath. My hands were shaking, and the panic was rising, clawing up my throat.

Emmett and Jasper watched me from across the room, exchanging worried glances. Jasper murmured something to Emmett, who gave a short nod and then walked over to me.

"Hey, man, relax," Emmett said, trying to keep his voice calm and steady. "Bella's probably just resting. Chemo knocks her out sometimes, right?"

"Yeah, but she always texts. Always," I snapped, my frustration spilling out in my words. "Something's wrong. I can feel it."

Desperate, I tried calling Rosalie next, but her phone went straight to voicemail. She'd mentioned visiting her parents to Emmett. She wasn't in town and likely not by her phone.

"That's it," I said, grabbing my gear bag and starting to stuff my equipment inside, hands trembling. "I'm going back to Seattle. I don't care about the game."

"Hold up, Edward," Jasper said, stepping in front of me, his face a mix of concern and sternness. "You've got a game. You can't just leave."

"I'm not asking for permission," I shot back, my voice cracking. "I'm going. I need to be there. I need to know she's okay."

Emmett and Jasper exchanged another worried look, both of them unsure how to calm me down. Jasper reached for his phone and said, "Let's get Alice to check on her. She's back in Seattle. If anyone can get to Bella fast, it's Alice."

I hesitated, feeling like I was at the edge of a cliff, but I forced myself to nod. "Yeah, okay," I said, my voice hoarse. "Tell Alice to check on her. Please."

Jasper texted Alice the situation, begging her to find Bella, to make sure she was alright. But even as I forced myself onto the ice, my mind was thousands of miles away.

I played like a man possessed—my focus shattered, my emotions raw. I went after every check, every hit, and when that wasn't enough to quiet the chaos in my head, I dropped the gloves. Fists flew, fuelled by raw fear and helplessness, until I was pulled off the ice, ejected from the game. I didn't care. I wasn't even there.

Back in the locker room, still catching my breath, my phone buzzed. Alice. My heart stopped as I answered.

"Edward," Alice said, her voice calm but serious. "Bella's in the hospital. She had a minor complication—some dehydration and low blood pressure. But she's stable now. She's going to be okay. She's resting."

"Thanks sis," is all I can get out.

The panic is running wild in my veins. Hospital?!

"Love you, Edward. Relax okay. She needs you to be calm," she says, "just don't do anything rash."

I hang up, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, relief flooding through me like a wave, but my chest was still tight, my hands still shaking. I started to pack my locker, barely seeing what I was doing, driven by one thought: I need to get to her.

The coach walked in, his face a storm of concern and frustration. "Edward," he said, his voice firm but softer than usual. "You know the deal. Team travels together. It's in your contract."

I didn't even look up. "I don't care about the contract. My girlfriend needs me," I said, my voice breaking. "I have to go."

The coach sighed heavily, crossing his arms, a conflicted look on his face. "Edward, you're my best player. I've watched you build this career from the ground up. You can't just throw it away like this. Bella wouldn't want you to ruin everything for her sake."

"She's the only thing that matters," I whispered, feeling the weight of everything crashing down on me. "Don't you get that? She's sick, and I'm not there. I can't—I can't do this without her. I need her more than this game, more than anything."

My voice cracked, and suddenly, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I broke down, my breath coming in ragged gasps, my shoulders shaking with the effort to keep it together. The coach took a step closer, his face softening with something that looked a lot like empathy.

"I lost my wife to cancer," he said quietly, reaching out to lay a hand on my shoulder. "I know what you're feeling, Edward. The helplessness, the anger. But you're going to have to find a way to stand by her without letting everything else in your life fall apart. She needs you whole, not broken."

I looked up at him, my eyes red, my voice hoarse. "I don't know how to do that," I whispered. "I just need to be with her."

He nodded slowly, his grip on my shoulder tightening in a supportive squeeze. "Then go to her," he said, his voice cracking just a little. "Screw the contract. Go to her, Edward. I'll cover for you. We'll figure this out later."

I stared at him, stunned, and then nodded. "Thank you," I choked out, the words rough and raw. "Thank you."

He gave me a sad smile, the kind of smile that said he understood more than he wanted to. "Go make sure she's okay," he said, patting my back. "We've got your back here. We'll figure this all out to make going forward easier for you."

And then I was gone, racing to the airport, determined to get back to the only place I needed to be—where Bella was.


BPOV

I woke up to the beeping of machines and the smell of antiseptic, my eyes heavy and my body aching. Confusion washed over me, and as I blinked, the room came into focus—hospital walls, the ugly green curtains pulled back, and Edward, sitting beside me. His head was down, his body slouched over the small chair, fast asleep with dark circles under his eyes and stubble lining his jaw.

I blinked again, my mind struggling to catch up. What was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be at his game? My heart dropped as the realisation hit me. Something had happened. He shouldn't be here.

"Edward?" I croaked out, my voice weak and scratchy.

His head jerked up, and his eyes met mine, relief flooding through his expression. He was beside me in an instant, taking my hand in his, squeezing it gently.

"Hey, you're awake," he said, his voice rough with exhaustion but soft with relief.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice gaining a little more strength as I tried to sit up. The effort made my head spin, and he quickly adjusted my pillow, helping me lean back.

He brushed a strand of hair from my face, his fingers trembling slightly. "You gave me a scare," he said. "Alice called me and told me you were in the hospital. I caught the first flight back."

I swallowed, the lump in my throat almost too much to bear. "But your game…?" I asked, my voice trailing off, dreading the answer.

Edward gave a small shrug, trying to play it off, but I saw the guilt flash across his eyes. "It's just a game, Bella," he said, as if it didn't matter at all.

"Just a game?" I repeated, my voice shaking with a mix of anger and fear. "Edward, you left the team for me. You threw away everything we talked about. I told you I didn't want you to do this! This is exactly what I didn't want for you!"

He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "I'm a mess, Edward! I'm sick, and I can't be the reason you throw away everything you've worked for. You deserve better than this—better than me!"

He stood up abruptly, his face twisting in frustration. "Stop it," he said, his voice low and intense, the kind of voice that demands attention. "Stop trying to shut me out, Bella. Stop acting like my life doesn't belong to me, like I don't get a say in who I want to be with."

I shook my head, tears blurring my vision. "You should be with someone who isn't broken," I whispered. "Someone who can give you a future."

Edward's jaw clenched, and he took my hands in his, holding them firmly in his grip. "I dare you," he said, his eyes burning into mine. "I dare you to break up with me. I dare you to end this. Because I won't fucking let you. I love you, Bella. You have me, and I am going nowhere."

My breath hitched, and I stared at him, stunned by the intensity in his voice, the rawness in his words.

He held my hands tighter, his voice softer now but still unwavering. "I'll manage everything better. I won't let my emotions take the lead. I swear I'll be there for you in the way you need me to be. But do not shut me out from loving you the way my heart needs to, the way it has to, to keep beating."

Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I shook my head, trying to look away, but he wouldn't let me. He gently cupped my face, forcing me to meet his gaze, his thumbs brushing away my tears.

"Do you hear me?" he whispered, his voice cracking just a little. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, Bella. I love you, and I'm going to fight for you, for us, no matter how scared you are."

I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, all I could do was nod. And then I was pulling him down to me, wrapping my arms around his neck as I buried my face into his shoulder, letting the sobs come. Letting him hold me together when I felt like I was falling apart.

Edward stroked my hair, his voice soft in my ear, "I'm right here, Bella. I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

Edward's arms tightened around me, his own breath shaky against my neck. I could feel him tremble, and when I finally pulled back to look at him, I saw the tears streaming down his face. He wasn't even trying to hide them.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking in a way I'd never heard before. "I'm sorry if I'm coming on too strong, if I'm scaring you. But you have to know… I can't lose you. Not without fighting for us."

I reached up, cupping his face, my thumb wiping at his tears. "Edward," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I'm not scared of you. I'm scared of how much I love you. It's okay. I'm not mad at you. I just want you to preserve the dreams you've worked so hard for."

His eyes searched mine, wide and filled with so much emotion it nearly broke me all over again. "I know," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I'm scared too. I'm terrified. But I'd rather be scared with you than without you."

And then, as we held onto each other, Edward's tears fell even harder, silent but unrelenting. He let his vulnerability show, let his fear of losing me pour out. He pressed his forehead to mine, his breath uneven as he struggled to hold himself together.

"I love you, Bella," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I love you so damn much, and I don't care how hard this is going to be. I'm with you for all of it. Every painful, scary, messed-up moment. I'm here."

I nodded, my own tears blending with his, and I whispered the words back to him, the words I thought I'd never be brave enough to say. "I love you, Edward. I love you so much it hurts."

He let out a shaky breath, his lips brushing mine in the gentlest of kisses. We stayed like that, our tears mingling, both of us raw and open, clinging to each other as if we were each other's lifelines. And in that moment, I knew that no matter what came next, we would face it together.