This almost reeks of my parents.
I don’t have any proof.
It doesn’t really matter because it’s out of my hands.
I know better than to argue. Until I have proof, I’m better off playing along. It stings like fire, but I swallow my pride, “Okay, if that’s the plan, Coach, I’m all in.”
Coach finishes with, “Glad you agree. See you tomorrow.”
Just like that, the line goes dead. I can’t help but grip my phone tighter as I drop it from my ear. The vibe is off. Why callme? Why not talk to me at practice? It’s so much more dramatic this way, like it’s intentionally done to upset me.
“What was that all about?” Koren shifts her legs, leaning away from me.
“I wish I knew.” Tilting my head to the side, I add, “He’s making some lineup changes. Maybe it’s just me. He never really said. I guess I’ll find out in practice, but the timing feels sus to me.”
“Oh, that’s not good.” Her eyes go wide. “Do you want to call some of the other guys to see if they got a call too?”
“No.” I’ve never been firmer in my voice control. “I’m not letting this ruin our date. I told you I’m never letting anything, including hockey, come between us again, and I mean it. I’ll deal with it tomorrow at practice. This is our time.”
Her lips wobble a little, like she’s trying to fake a smile just for me. Her irises have lost their glint, which means she’s worried. “It’s okay.” I wrap my arm around her back, trying to pull her into me, but now she’s stiff. “It’s going to be fine. Even if it’s not, I won’t let it affect us. Hockey is my job. You are my life.”
I give a firm nod of my head, as if adding an exclamation point at the end of my sentence. I really mean it. I’m not naïve either. This team has a history with their previous winger. Noah was traded to another team for dating someone the owner didn’t approve of. I’m well aware of that situation, because that’s the only reason I got to be on this team.
Maybe this position on the team is cursed.
But I won’t cower before anyone.
Not when it comes to Koren.
I lost her once.
This time, she’s mine forever.
twenty-one
Koren
The shop smells like fresh greens, and sunlight streams through the front windows, casting soft light across the counter. It’s the kind of day where everything feels a little gentler.
I’m elbow-deep in carnations, cutting the stems just so when Mom glances up from her computer and flashes our order invoice at me. “Hey, did you mean to add lavender to this week’s order?”
She knows exactly what that means, which makes my palms sweat a little. “Yeah. I thought it was time.”
She makes a soft “hmm” sound. Not suspicious or pressing, just observant in that way she always is. I can feel her eyes linger for a beat before she returns to her order form. I hesitate, weighing how much to tell her. She already knows we’re back together. “Elijah and I are talking about marriage. Again.”
“Yeah, Kaci and I called it. As soon as Kaci took down the decorations from her wedding, she called me and asked if I wanted to save them for yours.”
“Of course, she did. I’m not sure we want a big wedding. We haven’t talked about that part yet.”
“You just do what you want.” She glances at me, one brow raised.
I set down the stem I’m holding, wiping my hands on my apron. A pressure builds in my chest now that I have Mom all to myself. This is as good a time as any to get it out. “Can I ask you something?”
Mom lowers her clipboard, immediately attentive. “Always.”
“It’s kind of serious.”
She nods, taking her hands off the clipboard completely and shifts to square her body forward.
