Rowan, unfazed, cocked his head, considering. “Seriously, man. You really ought to show your face out there if you want to sell this whole ‘I gave up hockey for her’ angle.”
I turned to Rowan, confusion flaring. “What angle?”
Teddy yanked me back against his chest, the familiar warmth of him instantly grounding me. He rested his chin on my shoulder, his voice low, but there was a heaviness in it. “It’s the new plan. Rowan and I came up with it on the bench. He was bored, and I was wired. Mr. Mac and the PR lady thought I needed to propose to turn this into some grand love story. You know, about us not being able to stay away from each other. They think it’s how we’d save face and your career.”
I’d heard parts of that but hearing it from him… it hit differently.
He continued, his words slower now, like he was trying to make me understand. “I didn’t give up hockey for you, Coach. I did it for me, because it was time. But I would’ve… if it meant being with you. I just need you to know that.”
I stood there, unable to form words. The sincerity in his voice was something else—raw, vulnerable, and it shattered the wall I’d been trying to hold up.
He exhaled then looked at Rowan, his expression changing to something a little more serious. “We want to make the world believe it was for you. That we were so in love, we couldn’t help ourselves. It’ll get your career back on track.” He glanced back at me, a wicked grin curling on his lips. “And it’ll give you a story that’ll last.”
With that, he looked at Rowan again. “I’ll meet you out there.”
Teddy moved me farther in front of him as he stood and pulled on his clothes. I watched him, every move sharp, deliberate. Every wince, every subtle ache he tried to hide, it broke something inside me. When he was finished, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head, leaving me with a smile and a promise.
And just like that, he was gone.
It wasn’t long before Sullivan appeared in the doorway, his face tight with purpose. “Griff wants to see you. Now.”
The last timeI stood here, outside this house on a quiet Alameda street, I hadn’t known what was waiting for me. I didn’t know that my life would change that night in Teddy’s bed. He and I weren’t destined to be together; I didn’t believe in fate. But every decision we’d made, every step we’d taken, had brought us to this moment. To each other.
And now, he was mine. I was his. Hockey was my future, but Teddy? He’d find something else. He had time. As a trust fund kid, money wouldn’t be a problem. Neither would charm nor ability—Teddy wasn’t the idiot he liked people to think he was.
Music spilled from inside the house, and the door opened just as Guardian came barreling toward me, barking and jumping, his energy wild. I bent down to scoop him up, surprised at how much heavier he was than I remembered. The boy was growing too fast. He licked my face, and I couldn’t help the soft laugh that bubbled up.
“I wouldn’t let him do that,” Sydney’s voice called from behind me. She stepped into the light, her blond hair—so muchlike Teddy’s—catching the glow of the outdoor lights. “My man eats his own poop.”
“That’s disgusting,” I said, setting Guardian back on the ground. He ran off, likely to go do exactly what she had just mentioned.
“Tell me about it. He’s become such a dude-bro since I moved out.” Sydney sighed, pushing her hair back from her face. “He barks way more now. And what kind of being is that? A man.”
I didn’t know Sydney well, but I liked her. She was a lot like Teddy—stubborn, playful, fiercely protective, but I’d never tell either of them that. They were siblings, through and through, always ragging on each other, always loving each other fiercely.
She sat down on the front stoop, waiting for Guardian to finish his business. “Hell of a thing, huh?”
“What?” I asked, sitting down beside her.
“Teddy. He’s never made the smart choice in his life, so I wasn’t exactly expecting this. Hockey’s everything to him.”
“I’m not so sure that’s true,” I replied, a quiet certainty in my voice. “At least, not anymore. He doesn’t want it to be. He wants more. Something different.”
“Like you?” She slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. “Oh my God, I wasn’t going to bring that up. I’m so sorry. Things just—ugh, they slip out.”
She looked mortified, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, like me. He… I… We’re…” I faltered, unsure how to put the messy, beautiful thing that was us into words.
Her shoulder nudged mine, and she grinned, teasing. “If you say you love my brother, I might gag.”
I shrugged, a little smile tugging at my lips. “I’m not sure I know how not to love him anymore.”
She mimed gagging then shot me a grin. “Sorry, had to. Teddy’s always been my favorite person. Sometimes, he was myonly person. I’m just glad I’m not the only one who sees it anymore.”
“Sees what?”
“How truly wonderful he is.”
My heart ached for the bond they had. I’d always dreamed of having siblings, of someone to share that kind of connection with. But as I got older, I just longed for anyone—just one person who thought of me the way Sydney thought of Teddy. I’d been alone ever since my parents and then my grandmother passed away. But now? It felt different. Sure, my family was gone, but someone loved me, thought of me when I wasn’t there. I wasn’t a piece to be moved around like I had been with Travis. I wasn’t just some woman desperate for anyone to take care of her.
