“Logan…” My voice breaks, just a little. “I love you, too. More than I even knew I could.”
His grip tightens, like the words hit him straight in the chest.
“Good.”
EPILOGUE
Logan
The locker room is a wall of noise after the game—sticks clattering, laughter echoing off metal benches, steam from the showers fogging up the corners of the room. It smells like sweat, victory, and whatever body spray Blue practically bathes in.
We won. Nationals. Our last game of the year. We played our best game all season. Every shift felt like fire under my skates, every pass with Todd instinctive, clean, and unstoppable. We’ve been building to this all season, and tonight, it finally clicked.
I’m peeling off my jersey when the door swings open, and Coach steps inside. That’s enough to quiet half the room because Coach never comes in right away. He gives us space. Lets us decompress.
But now he’s walking straight toward me with purpose written in every line of his face. My pulse spikes.
“Brooks,” he says, voice steady.
I freeze halfway out of my pads. “Yeah, Coach?”
He stops two feet in front of my stall, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
“There’s someone here to see you,” he says. Then adds with a smile, almost like he can’t help himself, “A scout.”
The noise in the locker room dies instantly. My heart slams against my ribs. A scout.For me.I had already convinced myself that the NHL had probably been too big of a dream, even for me. Shit. Excitement courses through me, and then I remember Todd. He hasn’t been scouted yet either. The adrenaline dies a little as I find his gaze across the space.
He doesn’t look jealous or unhappy, he just looks…proud. My heart clenches. I want to kiss him right here.
He gives me the smallest nod—barely a tilt of his chin—but it hits me like a goddamn freight train. A silentI told you.AYou deserve this. A silent,I’ll be right here.
My breath goes uneven, but I nod back, equally small, equally loaded.
Coach follows my line of sight, eyes cutting to Todd.
“And you too, Shaw.”
The entire room erupts in cheers. Blue shoves Daniel so hard he falls onto his ass. Eli whoops like someone just scored a hat trick in OT. Peter slaps Todd’s shoulder so hard he stumbles forward. And Todd’s eyes widen with shock before they dart back to mine, full of disbelief and joy and something so big it squeezes my lungs tight.
A scout wants to seebothof us.
Together. This has been what we’ve dreamed about for months.
Coach gives us each one firm nod. “Get dressed. Don’t keep him waiting.”
Then he turns and leaves, door swinging shut behind him.
The locker room explodes again—everyone yelling, chirping, congratulating. But all I hear is the blood rushing in my ears. And then the steady sound of Todd’s breathing as he crosses the space and wraps his arms around me.
“You’re gonna kill this,” he says. Quiet. Certain. Like he never doubted it for a second.
I can’t speak. Not right away. I just look at him—really look at him—and wonder how the hell I ever played a game before he was in my life.
Then I swallow hard and murmur, “We both are.”
Because we will.
Together.
