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“Is Coach okay?” “Don’t know. He said something about was a family emergency and that he was getting on the first flight back to DC.”
did his blonde figure skater not want to sleep alone perchance?? i saw that story Chelsea!!
“We really don’t give a shit what happens, Ri. This season has had so many fucking highs and lows, and the fact that you’re here right now is a major fucking win. Let’s chirp some, show some heart, and we might get out of here with a win.”
“I’m going to get dressed extra slow just so you can finish that chapter.” “A man after my own heart.”
And I wasn’t going to blow that shot by going on shitty date after shitty date with someone who wasn’t her.
“Come on, boys. Let’s pretend like we’re Princess Mia driving the Mustang.” “That’s a good fucking movie,” Maverick says. “A great fucking movie,” Hudson adds, and I follow them down the hall.
“You can be in charge of… navigation,” I say, pulling something out of my ass. I don’t want him to feel left out.
“Another great movie,” Maverick whispers, and Grant nods sagely.
i really love this duo
“It’s frustrating. I don’t want to be coddled. Do I need special accommodations sometimes? Yeah. Am I going to take the elevator instead of climbing five flights of stairs? Sure. But I’m still me.”
“When I was in the hospital and being transported back and forth in a wheelchair, no one talked to me. They only talked to the person pushing me. As if I stopped being an individual entity when I lost my leg. That’s why I’m hesitant to show off my lower half. Not because I’m embarrassed. But because everyone always makes it a way bigger deal than it needs to be.”
“If anyone gives you problems, I’ll kick their ass,” Liam adds, and I laugh.
“She might with you,” Liam says, surprising me. “I’ll think about it.”
“Worst day ever,” Liam growls, and I grin at him in the rearview mirror.
i LOVEEEEEEEEE liam
“First of all, nothing about you is fucked up,” I say, hoping he can hear the conviction behind my words. “And I don’t care how bright it is in here. Would you prefer if I dimmed the lights?
I’m terrified I won’t be good enough for him, and he deserves so much good after the shit he’s been through.
“Can we still be friends if…” I trail off and wring my hands together. “If things don’t work out?” “Yes,” he says. “Of course. You’re my best friend, Lexi. Nothing will change that.”
“You’re in charge, Lex. You’re calling the shots, and I’m entirely at your mercy.” I’ve never had power like this before, and it makes me feel like I’m on top of the world.
This woman is a goddamn queen, and she can be with anyone she wants. The fact that she’s picking me blows my mind, and I’m going to do everything in my power to prove I’m worthy of her time.
I shove my hands in my pockets and shrug, trying to look nonchalant when, really, I spent three days calling dozens of greenhouses across the Southeast to see if anyone had any tulips they could overnight me.
“It’s my jersey or no jersey, Lexi.”
“I really like that idea.” “Yeah?” “Yeah. It’s… it’s so me.” “I thought so too.” I kiss her forehead. “When you’re with me, Lex, I always want you to be you.”
“Thank you for telling me all of that. I know it doesn’t mean much and I know you might not believe me—not yet—but I promise you can trust me. I promise I won’t ever treat you like you’re just a… a thing. Like you’re not this incredible, magnificent woman. And yeah, you’ve made some mistakes, but who the fuck hasn’t? I don’t care about how many people you’ve slept with. I don’t care about the guys who came before me, because I’m the one here with you right now. And I’m so fucking lucky.”
“You don’t believe me?” He untangles our limbs and frowns down at me. “Ask me what my tattoo means.” “The roller coaster? I know what it means. I was there when you—” “No. The constellation.”
“I signed my ELC. A pretty girl said hello to me. You had a ribbon in your hair, and your smile was the brightest thing I had ever seen.” “You remember what I was wearing?” “Down to your high-top sneakers. I wasn’t kidding, Lexi. You’ve been on my mind from the second I locked eyes with you across the ice, and I’d had done just about anything to get you to look at me back then. To get you to keep looking at me.”
“A crush?” Riley laughs like it’s the most ridiculous thing in the world. “Please. There’s a reason why I haven’t dated anyone since I got to DC. I know not a goddamn one of them would ever compare to you.”
Just yours. Because he hasn’t looked at anybody except me in years.
“Oh.” Lexi blushes and knocks my knee with hers. “I wanted to be ready to join you if and when you wanted to get back on the ice, so I’ve, um, been skating with Maverick and Hudson a couple times a month. I can go backward—but I’m not great at it—and I know how to come to a complete stop too.” “You did that for me?” “All of this is for you.” She gestures at the rink then down to my leg. “I’ll make a hundred calls if it means finding something to get you back to the sport you love. I’ll stay here every day after practice with you if it means helping you feel closer and closer to who you were
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if someone popped out of a time machine right now and offered me the chance to go back to the old Riley, the chance to have my old life back, I wouldn’t take it. I might be down a leg. My spirit might be fucking bloodied and bruised, but look at what I have now: the opportunity to spread awareness about the need for accessible prosthetics for young athletes. The best friends a guy could ask for, who I’m closer with than before. And you. I have you, and that’s the best thing of all.”
“I’m starting to think you might be the one who likes me.” “You have no idea how much I like you, Mitchy,” she whispers back. “Even I can’t comprehend it.”
“Maverick and I are serious about investing in a PWHL expansion team,” Emmy says, and I perk up. “We’re hoping to put in a proposal to the city of Detroit in the next few months, then we can get this ball rolling.”
“If you want to run, I’ll chase you. If you want to build a wall to keep me out, I’ll climb it. If you need time, I’ll give it to you. I’m patient, Lexi. I’m going to be waiting for you when you come back. However long that takes.”
“This month’s book sucked,” Grant groans. “A third act breakup? Miscommunication? Read the fucking room, bro. No one wants to read that shit.”
grant gets it
And, as someone who finally learned how to get under her skin, I can tell you it takes women like them a lot longer to come around to the idea of giving up their independence. Men in their past have treated them like shit,”
“They’re strong and capable on their own, so they don’t see why they should rely on a man.”
“How do you feel when he’s around?” she asks instead, and that makes me pause. Like I’m on top of the world. Like I could jump off a building and fly. Like I could climb the highest mountain and scale the rockiest cliff without breaking a sweat. Like I’ve finally found somewhere I can stay for longer than a night. Somewhere I feel safe, secure, and taken care of, and I swallow down the lump in my throat.
“Just because you haven’t experienced it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” Madeline says. “You don’t have to see it to believe it.”
“Everyone say Guess what? We’re going to be aunts and uncles to the coolest baby girl in the whole fucking world who will be here by Christmas!”
“It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? Me? A dad? I’m going to have two beautiful girls in my house, and I’m the luckiest fucker in the world.”
“That night in the hospital waiting room after your accident was the worst night of my life. When we go back for Baby H’s birth, it’s going to be the greatest night of my life. And you’re going to be by my side.”
“More babies to spoil. I love being an aunt.” “The best part is we can hand them back whenever we want.”
“Retiring?” Ethan almost yells. “Seriously?” “We’ll see.” Maverick shrugs and rubs his hand up and down Emmy’s arm. “We all love this sport, but when you see what else is out there…” He trails off and smiles. “I don’t know. Being home every night with my girls sounds like a dream. I think I’ll know when the time is right.”
i would love a riley and mavvy coaching pair after they both retire
“I’ll do you one better and wear the goalie mask I stole from Liam last year.”
i love a goalie
“If you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to, baby. I’ll sneak you through the hallway in the back, and no one will know. But I want you to know it’s okay to be afraid. This is a big step and something new. No one is going to fault you for being nervous.”
The arena is packed. Full to the brim with spectators from the front row all the way up to the nosebleeds, and I see dozens and dozens of fans lining the glass with signs. WELCOME BACK, MITCHY. WE MISSED YOU. LIFE’S A BITCH, BUT WE HAVE MITCH!!! “What the fuck?” I look around. “What are all these people doing here?” “They’re here for you.”
My eyes prickle with tears. I squeeze them shut, and when I open them, I see twenty-six familiar faces right behind the Comets’ bench, all wearing my jersey.
“We took the redeye home last night,” Hudson explains. “Did you really think we’d miss your AHL debut?” Maverick smirks. “Fuck no.” “It was Liam’s idea.” Ethan pinches his cheek, and Liam scowls. “Practically demanded the pilots get us back to the East Coast with whatever shortcuts they could find.”
At the friends who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. “I love all of you. I’m a lucky bastard.” “Give them hell, Mitchy,” Emmy says, and I pop in my mouthguard, ready to get to work.
“You stayed with me. You stuck around when you didn’t have to. You didn’t try to sell the story to a media outlet, and I’m forever indebted to you.” “We have to take care of each other, you know? Too much shit going on in this world to not have love in our hearts,” Lamar says.
Her hand shakes, and she tries again. “Get Lexi to spend the rest of her life with me,” she whispers. “It’s not a proposal. It’s not a ring, and I’m not going to get on one knee. Ever, if that’s what you want. But it is a promise I will be here by your side for as long as you’ll have me. It’s a vow that I’m not going anywhere unless you’re coming with me. I love you, Lex, and you have my word.”
“That’s a hat trick, Lexi baby, and that means I win.” “Win?” She wrinkles her nose, and I kiss away her frown. “What the hell do you win?” “You, obviously,” I say. “I don’t need anything else.”
