The coffee shop erupts with cheers and applause.
I turn to face everyone, laughing even as a tear tracks down my cheek. I swipe it away. God, I love these crazy, nosy people.
Astrid leans over and gives me a one-armed hug. “Thank you,” she says.
I look at her. “For what?”
“For falling for my brother. Not the hockey player. The guy.”
And another tear tracks down my cheek as I hug her back. “He made it impossible not to.”
CHAPTER 33
ALEX
I am so fucked.
Everyone in Portland that I have seen is thrilled I’m back.
Practice yesterday went great. Everyone wanted to talk about Coach Leon, of course, and our head coach let everybody get their questions and gossip out of the way before we hit the ice. More information has come out in the news, so the story is less of a mystery. It sounds like Coach Leon will be doing time.
According to the local news and sports shows, Portland fans are happy I’m back.
Declan called me into his office and told me the same. He also told me he was impressed with what we’d done so far with the Revelers. I don’t even ask how he knows about the behind-the-scenes in Louisiana. I doubt it’s from Astrid directly, but Astrid tells her friend Miles everything, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Miles tells Iris, who tells Declan. Or Miles might tell Declan directly. Or hell, Declan might hack into Astrid’s computers and phones. He’s got the money to pay the best hackers. Of course, he’d better sleep with one eye open if my sister ever finds out.
So, I’m back in my city, involved with hockey, and working for my team again. Everyone here likes me. Things are going exactly according to my plans.
But I’m fucked.
Because I miss Rebel, Louisiana.
I’m going to miss the Revelers' first game, and I am actually sad about that.
Ruth and I have agreed that she’ll call me during the game and let me watch via video call on her phone, but I’ve been on my sister’s ass about getting a live stream going by tomorrow night.
She told me she’s on top of it, then sent me three middle-finger emojis.
I have also typed and deleted eight or nine messages to Nora.
A couple were flirty, a couple were casual, a couple were very emotional.
I don’t know what to say to her.
Or, more accurately, I havea lotto say to her. But I don’t think I should say any of it.
She’s going to stay in Rebel. Of course she is. There’s no way I could take that girl out of that town. They need her, but even more than that, she’s happy there. At home. And I know she appreciates that, but she doesn’t even know how great she’s got it.
Portland would never feel like home, not the way Rebel is. Portland would love her, but not the way Rebel loves her.
“Nervous about tonight?” Brantley Wilkins slaps me on the back as he walks past me in the locker room.
“Just a lot on my mind.”
I rarely got nervous before games anyway, but tonight feels completely different. I’m not the one on the ice. I won’t be taking the shots or the hits. I’ll be sitting on the bench.
It only took me one practice to realize this isn’t what I want.
I’d probably be okay at coaching. I know the game inside and out. I’m someone others listen to. I can recognize when someone needs to make an adjustment and I can help them do that. But well, some guys just know that coaching is in their blood, and Idon’t think it’s in mine. It’s a killer to just stand on the side and watch other people play the game.
