Laces and Lace (Assassins #6) (10 page)

Karson’s heart sank and dread filled him as he looked away. “Do you have the money to pay all the co-pays, for the surgeries if they’re needed? Do you think the doctors wherever you are can help her the way our doctors can?”

“We can come back home if that happens. I’ll protect her,” he said, almost pleading, but Coach shook his head, his mouth in a straight line as he held Karson’s gaze.

“I know that you think this is it, that she is the girl for you, but son, you’re young and haven’t even begun to see what is out there. I need my daughter to stay here. If you let her go and allow her to finish school here, then when she graduates, I’ll give her the money to start her business.”

As much as he wanted that for Lacey, he didn’t like the terms that were being offered. He wasn’t going to allow himself to be pushed into something he didn’t want. He wanted Lacey, but he also wanted her to live her dreams. “What I don’t understand is why do I have to let her go? Can’t she stay, and I go? That was the original plan.”

“No, because she won’t. She has her mind made up. She’d follow you to the ends of the earth, and she deserves better than that. She needs security, and being a rookie in the pros is not going to offer her that. Do you know how much chemo is? How much her double mastectomy was? Hundreds of thousands of dollars, something you will not have, but I do. Let her stay here and go to school for free. Let her have the security I can give her. Let her go, King. I know it will hurt, but it’s what’s best for her.”

Karson’s fingers bit into his thighs as he slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let her go. I’ll convince her to stay here. It will work out.”

Slamming his fist against the desk, Coach shook his head as he yelled, “I want you out of her life! She won’t do what’s best for her if you are still there.”

“Yes, she will. Just let me convince her to stay here.”

“No! You aren’t good for her, Karson. You have to break it off with her. If you don’t, then I’m sorry, but you can forget about playing tomorrow.”

“You can’t do that!” Karson yelled, flying out of his seat. “Teams are coming to watch me tomorrow. I have to play!”

“You’re right. You have to let her go, or not only will you lose your career but you’ll also lose her. What girl will want to stay with a loser? Especially when you have nothing to offer her?”

Tears stung his eyes as he looked away, gasping for breath. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I love her and need to protect her. She is all I have left of her mother, and I can’t let her go.”

“But I can’t either. I love her.”

“If you love her, then let her go. She will be better without you.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “We are better together.”

“You heard me. You have till tomorrow, King. End it, or I’ll end your career.”

Taking in a deep breath, he tried to process everything that was just said to him. He was being blackmailed, and there was nothing he could do about it. No one would believe him. Nate Martin was the most respected college hockey coach in the league. Everyone loved him. Hell, Karson’s own dad loved him. He had no choice. He had to protect his career, and he had to make sure that Lacey had the life she deserved, even if it killed him to do it. Coach was right. She had free college here, and if her cancer did come back, at least here, she would be taken care of. As much as he wanted to live in his little fantasy world of being a pro and having the best girl on his arm, he had to realize that it wasn’t going to happen.

Looking up at his coach, he said, “I’ll end it.”

“Good,” he said with a nod, running his hand through his blond hair. “And another thing, King—she can’t ever know about this. I’ll ruin you if she ever finds out. Don’t ever forget about my connections in the pros.”

Karson slowly nodded his head. “I won’t tell her.”

“Or Grady. This is between us. Believe me; it’s for the best. I am helping both of you. You’ll see and be thankful when you are a single rookie making the world yours.”

Standing up, Karson looked at the man he had idolized for the last two years and felt nothing but hatred for him. Clearing his throat, he shook his head as he said, “I won’t have a world because Lacey won’t be by my side.”

Walking out of the office in a daze, Karson headed back to the dorm, ignoring everyone as he headed to his room. Once there, he fell into bed and closed his eyes tightly. His tears ran along the side of his eyes, and he needed them to get out of him now. When he was face-to-face with Lacey, he couldn’t cry. He couldn’t let her see how he was slowly dying inside because it would give it all away. She could see right through him and would know that he wasn’t being truthful, but he couldn’t see another way out of this. He had to do it, even if he didn’t want to let her go. There was no other option; he had to protect her and himself. He had worked so hard for his career, and he loved her too much to jeopardize her life. Coach was right; he couldn’t support her the way her father could.

As he lay crying in his bed, he thought about what this was going to do to her, knowing this was going to break her. He was going to be responsible for shattering her, and he had to live with that for the rest of his life.

But what other choice did he have?

Lacey was standing in front of her mirror, looking over the sweater dress she had paired with a pair of black boots, hoping that she looked good enough to meet Karson’s parents. She was nervous, but nothing could wipe the grin off her face. She had spent the night wrapped in her boyfriend’s arms. The same boyfriend she was going to leave Chicago for and continue to love for the rest of her life. She was so glad she took the chance two months ago. She had promised to live life to the fullest, and she was doing just that.

Nerves coursed through her. Not only was she meeting his mom and dad, but he was also supposed to get word that day if he was going into the draft. Everyone believed it was a done deal, but at the same time, there was a chance that no one would want him. It was a 2% chance, but still, it was there. She had the confidence that he was going, and he would be a first-round pick. Everyone would gush about him, he’d get a great deal, and he’d rock the hell out of the league. That was the plan, and while he did all that, she’d get her degree and then open the best lingerie business in the country. Those were her dreams, and she knew that they were within reach.

As long as she had Karson standing beside her.

When the knock came at the door, she smiled because Karson was early. Reaching for the door, she pulled it open to find her delicious boyfriend on the other side. She was surprised that he was wearing jeans since they were going out to dinner at some ritzy restaurant, but she ignored it as she reached for him, placing a kiss on his sweet mouth.

“Hey!” she gushed as she shut the door behind him. “You’re early. Give me a minute; I gotta fix my makeup. Did your dad find out if you are going into the draft? I’m so excited. I feel good about it.”

When Karson didn’t answer, she looked back at him to find him watching her. “What?”

“You look beautiful.”

A grin pulled at her lips as she said, “Well, thank you, but really, are you going in?”

Slowly, he nodded. She squealed before wrapping her arms tightly around him. “I’m so proud of you! You’re going to rock the big leagues!”

When he didn’t hug her back, Lacey pulled back, surprised, and looked up into his face, immediately seeing that something was very wrong. His eyes were bloodshot, his face red, and she wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or from crying. But why would Karson cry? He was her big, burly boyfriend. He made other guys cry. “What’s wrong?”

Closing his eyes, he undid her arms from around him and took a step back. “We need to talk.”

Dread filled her chest as she looked up into his face. “About?”

“About us.”

Her heart picked up in speed as she continued to look at him. He was looking everywhere but at her, another sign that something was horribly wrong.

“Lacey, we have to end things.”

“What?”

“With me going to the pros, I’m going to be so busy, traveling and training and shit, and it isn’t fair to drag you into all that.”

“What are you talking about? We’ll be fine. That’s why I’m going with you, so we can see each other when you have downtime.”

“No, you need to stay here. Go to school for free and be with your family.”

Shaking her head, she said, “No, I need to go with you. I need to be with you. Everything else will fall into place as long as we are together.”

Still not looking at her, he said, “Lacey, I can’t ask you to follow me across the damn world. You need to think of yourself, what is best for you, and that’s to stay in Chicago.”

“Who are you to tell me what I need? We’ve been together for two months, and you’ve never told me what I need. Except for maybe you, and you were right, so stop and look at me!
What
is going on?”

Slowly, Karson met her gaze and let out a long breath. “You’re right, we’ve only been together for two months. Maybe we are rushing into this. I’ve been having second thoughts, Lacey, and I can’t help but feel like I’m dragging you from everything you know. I don’t feel right about that. This is your life, and we don’t know what could happen. Your cancer could come back or I could flop when I hit the big leagues, and then what? How would I support you?”

Not able to hold them in any longer, Lacey’s tears rushed down her face as she slowly shook her head. “As long as we have each other, everything else will fall into place.”

She could see the pain in his eyes, but that still didn’t stop him from saying, “Love won’t put food on the table, or pay for your college, or start your business, Lacey. I’m sorry, but I have to end things.”

A sob ripped from her as she looked away, gasping for breath. What changed? How did they go from promising to be together forever to him breaking up with her?

She’d slept with him.

Looking up at him through her tears, a sob was caught at the base of her throat as she cried, “Is this about my breasts? Are you breaking up with me because I have no boobs? I trusted you! I showed only you, and now you’re breaking up with me?”

He was in front of her before she could even take in another breath. Squeezing her arms in his hands, he shook his head quickly, tears welling up in his eyes as he held her gaze. “God no, Lacey. Don’t you ever think that! I love you, I love your body, and I love every single thing about you, but I can’t do this. I can’t guarantee you the future when I have no clue what mine is. As much as I want to say we can get back together once I figure it all out, that isn’t fair to you. I want you to have the life you deserve, and I don’t think I’m the man to give it to you.”

“But you are! Karson, if you love me, don’t break up with me,” she cried, holding on to his forearm. “You promised you would never break me, and that’s what you are doing by giving up on us and leaving me.”

Looking down at the ground, he took in a deep breath. “I know, but I am doing it for you. I’m sorry, Lacey. I’m so fucking sorry, but don’t you ever think I don’t love you. I do, but I’m sorry, I have to end this.”

Pressing his lips to hers, he kissed her hard, but she pushed him away. “No! You don’t get to kiss me or tell me you love me when you are breaking up with me! How is that fair? How is that even right? It’s a contradiction to everything because, even with you saying you’re doing it for me, it makes no sense! If you loved me, you would stay with me and love me for the rest of our lives, but you aren’t doing that, are you?”

“I can’t. I love you too much. I have to let you go,” he said as tears slowly rolled down his perfectly chiseled face.

“Why?”

“Because I have to, so that you have the life you deserve,” he said with all the compassion in the world, but all it did was piss her the hell off.

“Bullshit. Get the hell out,” she cried, hugging herself with her arms.

“I love you, don’t forget that,” he whispered, but she ignored him as she crumpled onto her bed.

“Leave me alone. You made me a promise, Karson, and you broke it! You have completely broken me, and do you even care? Are you going to be here to pick up the pieces? No, you’ll be in the damn big leagues, leaving me behind to figure out how to live my life without you! How can you live with yourself knowing that?”

“I don’t know,” he whispered.