Chapter Eight

Emma

I stumbled back to my apartment, my heart aching and my eyes filled with tears. The confrontation with Leo had left me shaken. I had trusted Leo and let him into my life. I'd fallen head over heels for the handsome hockey player and even envisioned a future together. How could I have been so wrong about him? Was it all really just one big lie?

I could barely unlock the door my hand was shaking so much with the tsunami of emotions washing over me. Finally inside, I collapsed onto the couch, my mind racing. I needed to talk to someone, and there was only one person who might have some answers. With trembling hands, I picked up my phone and dialed Sawyer"s number.

He answered on the second ring. "Em? What"s wrong?"

"We just broke up," I said, my voice cracking. "Leo and I... it"s over."

"Emma, I"m so sorry," Sawyer said, his voice full of concern. "I"ll be right over."

True to his word, Sawyer arrived at my apartment within minutes. He found me sitting on the couch, still in shock. He sat down next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"Tell me what happened," he said gently.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my emotions. "Leo thinks someone is trying to sabotage him. He said someone cut his skate laces and slashed his tire. He accused you of doing it because we"re dating."

Sawyer"s face hardened, and he looked away. "Emma, I would never..."

"Don"t lie to me, Sawyer," I interrupted, my voice rising. "I need to know the truth. Did you slash Leo"s tire?"

Sawyer met my gaze, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and something else—guilt? "Emma, stop asking questions. What's important to me is you, not Leo. And the less you know, the better."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "What are you saying? I just broke things off with Leo, the man I was falling in love with, because of you. I didn"t believe his accusations. I defended you! But what he said was true, wasn't it? Why, Sawyer? Why would you do this to me? You could have gotten Leo killed!"

Sawyer stood up abruptly, pacing the room. "It wasn"t supposed to go this far," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. He turned to face me, his expression tormented. "The accident on the ice last year...it wasn"t an accident. I broke his leg deliberately."

My heart pounded in my chest as I processed his words. "Why? Was winning the game that important to you?"

He shook his head, staring down at his hands. "No, Emma, it wasn"t about the game. I started gambling a few years ago. It got out of control. I lost everything. Mom and Dad have no idea. Someone powerful found out about my addiction and my debts. They offered me a deal—pay me big money if I could take Leo off the ice for good."

I gasped, the room spinning around me. "Who? Why?"

"I can"t tell you," Sawyer said, his voice filled with desperation. "For your own safety, you need to stay out of it. But I can"t live with the weight on my shoulders anymore. It"s breaking me, and I don"t want to be this person. I"m going to the authorities to turn myself in."

Tears streamed down my face as I listened to his confession. "Sawyer, you don"t have to do this alone. We can find a way to fix this."

Sawyer shook his head. "No, Emma. There are powerful people in the world of professional sports who will go to any lengths to get what they want. I can"t drag you into this."

"I'm already involved in whatever ‘this' is," I cried.

Sawyer"s expression softened momentarily, and I saw a flicker of the brother I knew. "Emma, I never meant for you to get hurt. I was desperate. They promised it would be quick, that Leo would be out for good but not in danger. But things got out of hand."

I felt a wave of nausea, the implications of his words crashing over me. "So, you did slash his tire, then. You did it for money, for those debts. And now, Leo is the one paying the price."

Sawyer nodded, tears in his eyes. "Yes. And now, I can"t keep living this lie. I"m going to turn myself in."

I watched as my brother, the person I had always looked up to, broke down in front of me. The gravity of his actions and the consequences were overwhelming. I wanted to help him, to protect him, but I also knew that Leo deserved to know the truth.

"You need to be careful," Sawyer continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "There are people out there who won"t hesitate to hurt you if they think you know too much."

I nodded, my mind racing with thoughts of what to do next. "I"ll be careful. But you need to go to the authorities now, tell them everything. It"s the only way."

Sawyer looked at me, his expression filled with a mixture of guilt and determination. "I will. I promise."

"Why didn"t you tell me sooner?" I asked, my voice breaking. "I could have helped you. We could have found a way out together."

Sawyer"s eyes filled with regret. "I thought I could handle it on my own. I didn"t want to drag you into my mess. You"ve always been the strong one, Emma. You"ve always had it together, and I didn"t want to burden you with my problems."

"I would have done anything to help you," I whispered, tears streaming down my face. "You"re my brother, Sawyer. We"re supposed to look out for each other."

"I know," he said, his voice cracking. "I know, and I"m so sorry. I made a terrible mistake, and now I have to face the consequences."

"What about Mom and Dad?" I asked, my heart aching at the thought of our parents. "They"ll be devastated."

"They don"t need to know everything," Sawyer said, his voice firm. "I"ll tell them I made some bad decisions and that I"m facing the consequences. They don"t need to know the details. It"ll be better that way."

I nodded, knowing he was right. "Just promise me you"ll be careful. Promise me you"ll stay safe."

Sawyer reached out and took my hand, squeezing it tightly. "I promise, Emma. I"ll do everything I can to make things right."

"But what if these people come after you?" I asked, my fear mounting. "What if they try to hurt you for turning yourself in?"

"I don"t know," Sawyer admitted, his voice filled with worry. "But it's a risk I'll have to take. I'll quit playing professional hockey, figure out something else to do with the rest of my life. Before it's too late. The guilt, the fear...it"s eating me alive. I need to do the right thing, no matter the cost."

I pulled him into a tight hug, feeling the weight of his confession pressing down on us both. "We"ll get through this, Sawyer. Somehow, we"ll find a way."

As we broke apart, Sawyer gave me a sad smile. "You"ve always been stronger than me, Emma. I know you"ll be okay."

"Just take care of yourself," I said, my voice trembling. "And remember, I"m here for you, no matter what."

Sawyer nodded, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Emma. That means more to me than you"ll ever know."

With that, he turned and headed for the door. My heart ached as I watched him go, knowing that he was stepping into an uncertain and dangerous future. But I also knew that he was doing the right thing, and that gave me a glimmer of hope.

I needed to contact Leo, to tell him I was wrong, to apologize and try to make things right. My hands were shaking as I picked up my phone and sent him a text. "Leo, I need to see you right away. Please, it"s important."

I didn"t wait for a response. Grabbing my purse and keys, I headed for the door, desperate to make things right. But as I opened the door, I was met by Sawyer again with an odd look on his face that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Sawyer?" I asked, frowning. "Did you forget something?"

Suddenly, Coach Nottingham stepped out from behind him, and I saw that he had a gun in his hand. He shoved Sawyer back inside my apartment and slammed the door shut behind him, his expression cold and menacing.

"Neither of you are going anywhere," he growled.