Chapter 2 Taking a deep breath , she pushed themigh the dom . The laughter died instantly . Every tuned to look at her , guilt written cross their faces . " Mara ? When did you shit , how long have you heen here ? " someone asked tentatively . " Just get here . " Mara smiled , pretending she'd heard nothing , and handed Cassian the gift . " Congratulations on your prowery " Just as Cassian reached for it , the door opened again- Julette stood in the doorway , eyes red rimmed : " Cassian , hetil you recovered I wanted to congratulate you The room's atmosphere turned glacial What the fuck are you doing here ? " Cassian's friends looked fir tous . " You ran the second Cassian got hurt , and now you h a hape the halls to show Juliette's face flashed red with embarrassment . Eyes welling up , she thrust her gift at Cassian and turned to fier But Cassian suddenly grabbed her wrist ; " Since you're here , stay " Everyone fraze , then turned to look at Mara in unison She stood there , her smale unchanged , only her nails digging deep into her palms . Three years of devotion , and it still couldn't compete with a single tear from Juliette . The rest of the party was suffocatingly awkward Cassian's friends deliberately ignored Juliette while trying to push Mara and Cassian together . " Mara , you gave Cassian massages every single day during his recovery , right ? " " Oh hell yeah . She was so good at it Cassian would only let her touch him - he'd flip his shit if anyone else tried Mara kept her head down , pretending not to notice Juliette's jealous glares . And though Cassian appeared to say nothing , she could feel his antation was entirely on Juliette a stranger's phone number . Midway through , someone suggested a game . Juliette lost first - the punishment was to get a st She instinctively looked at Cassian , pleading for help . He kept his eyes on his phone , pretending not to notice , Juliette but her lip and stood up defiantly : " Tine . I'll do it . " Mara watched her approach the next booth , where several mon quickly surrounded her . One of them , clearly drunk , grabbed her wrist : " Hey beautiful , give you my number , but how about you let me cop a feel first ? " " Let go of me ! Get your hands off me ! " Juliette's scream pierced the air . Cassian's head snapped up , and the next second he was across the room , his fist connecting with the man's face : " You piece of shirt Don't you dare touch her ! " Chaos erupted . " Cassian ! Stop ! You're gonna kill him . His friends rushed to break it up . Worried about his recently healed body , Mara also rushed forward : " Cassian , don't - you'll hurt yourself ! " Before she could finish , Cassian shoved her back bard : " Get the fuck out of my way ! " CRASHE Caught off guard , Mara stumbled backward , tumbling down the stairs . Her head hit the floor bard , and her vision went Hack Warmblood red down her forehead , painting her world red . She struggled to sit up , only to see Cassian walking away with Juberte in his arms . He never even looked back Her heart felt like it was being ripped apart , the ve pain suffoesting hør . She suddenly remembered the past- Back when his legs were disabled , he'd try to hurt himself with a chair in his self destructive rage . She'd rush to stop him , and his uncontrolled strength broke three of her ribs He'd shouted through tears : " My legs are fucking useless ! It doesn't matter if 1 hurt them ! Are you trying to get yourself killed ? Don't you get what's important here ?! " She'd been drenched in cold sweat from the pain , but still stubbornly held unto his legs , whispering " I do get it " " That's exactly why I have to stop you - because your legs are important . " " Because someday , I'm gonna make sure you walk again . I promise . " In that moment , the always proud Cassian had pulled her into his arms , his voice breaking : " Mara , don't leave me please don't focking leave me . " Everyone called Cassian's recovery a miracle , But only they know there was no miracle - just her fighting tooth and nail to pull him out of the abyss . And now. He'd climbed out of that abyss , but he didn't need her anymore . Just then , Mara's phone rang harshly . She fumbled for it with shaking hands , the words " Mrs. Whitmore " on the screen cutting into her like a knife . She knew exactly what this call meant . Sure enough , as soon as she answered , Margaret's diplomatically gentle voice came through " Mara , sweetheart , you have to understand - Cassian is the CEO of a publicly traded company now . His wife can't be someone without the proper hackground or social standing to support him … " " Look , I'm incredibly grateful for everything you've done these past three years . But let's be real here - if the Whitmore family hadn't sponsored you , you never would have been able to afford college . So let's call it even , okay ? " The line went quiet , as if waiting for her to break down or beg Instead , Mara looked toward the empty hallway where Cassian had disappeared , the barren space seeming to mock her three years of one - sided devotion " Alright . " She heard her own voice , terrifyingly calm . " I'll leave . I never show up in front of him again . " In "Coaching His Heart" by CrushReel, the romantic tale unfolds after Kate and Tom experience a fleeting connection that leads to a misunderstanding, causing them to part ways. Fate intervenes when Kate reemerges as the assistant coach for a men's hockey team, bringing her face-to-face with Tom once more. Exploring themes of love, destiny, and second chances, this modern romance delves into the complexities of hidden emotions and the power of rekindled connections. Set against the backdrop of a grand mansion, the story weaves together secrets and revelations that promise to captivate readers seeking a heartfelt journey. What sets "Coaching His Heart" apart is its tender portrayal of characters navigating through unspoken feelings in a world where vulnerability reigns supreme. With each page turned, readers are drawn deeper into a web of emotions that resonate long after the final chapter. 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