PLAYING PRETEND ; JACK HUGHES

CHAPTER FIFTY TWO: THE FUTURE
vivienne carlisle

        MY tea had gone cold. I sat on the overly-cushioned couch, stirring it anyway. Slowly and pointlessly.

I couldn't taste anything. I couldn't even feel the heat of it at first.

The silence was deafening, except for the low buzz of the TV right in front of me. The Devils were playing tonight. I hadn't meant to watch it. I'd just...turned it on.

And then I couldn't turn it off.

Jack was everywhere on the screen. Sharp passes, hard hits, all around angry.

He was throwing elbows in the corner, jaw locked, cross-checking an opposing player into the boards hard enough to draw a penalty.

He looked furious as he plopped down into the box. All unraveled and like he hadn't slept in days.

I knew that look. Because it was the same one staring back at me in the mirror every morning. I wiped under my eyes again, sniffling, the tears coming in waves I couldn't stop.

The announcers were commenting on his temper. On how, "Hughes seems off his game tonight."

No. He's wasn't off, he was just broken. Because of me.

The screen went black. I blinked up, startled, to see my father standing with the remote. He didn't look angry...just tired.

He set the remote down and walked to the seat opposite of me, rubbing a hand down his face. I didn't say anything and neither did he.

"You've been quiet lately." He broke the silence.

I blinked at him. "Sorry."

He waved it off. "I'm not asking for an apology, Vivienne. Just your awareness."

I didn't answer. He reached for his coffee, sipping it once before continuing. "You've always been headstrong, determined. That's why I know you'll do great when you take over Carlisle Enterprises one day."

I stiffened. "Dad."

"Which." He cuts me off. "Is why I think it's time we start making smarter moves."

I looked up slowly. He smiled, businesslike. Strategic, even.

"The Bennett's have been in our circle for decades. Their wealth, their holdings. Nolan has grown into a young strong man. Responsible and loyal. He's an asset. And if he were your husband, he'd be a perfect partner, personally and professionally.

I blinked again. "We're not engaged, dad. We're not even dating."

"Not yet." He said calmly, like he had it all planned out. "But it would be a smart match. I'm not the only one that thinks it."

"Dad." I repeat.

He leaned in. "Sweetheart, I'm saying this because I care. You're in the stage of your life where every decision matters. Who you align with. Who you trust. Who you bring into the future."

I swallowed, my throat tight.

He kept going.

"And Nolan? He comes from a name that holds weight. He understands responsibility. He could help you shoulder everything this company comes with. Everything that you come with."

My hands were shaking.

"And Jack?" He asked with a small, patronizing laugh. "He's a hockey player. With nothing to offer you long-term. No stake in your world. No understanding of what it means to build a legacy. He was simply passing time."

I looked down at the cold tea. He was wrong. So infuriatingly wrong.

"Vivienne." He said, quieter now. "You need to get over this funk. Whatever happened with Hughes, put it behind you. You're not a child anymore. There's no space for..feelings when you're running an empire."

I didn't answer. Because if I did, I'd scream. Scream that it's not what I want.

And crying in front of my father felt like losing. So, I just stirred.

The tea spun in the cup, round and round, getting colder in the cup by the second.

edward.