He just looks at me. “I want you going out a champ, Wild. No one deserves it more. Plus, once you’re gone, I’ll get the title of Wild King on this team. Right?”
I bark out a laugh. “You would wear that title well, Storm.”
He grins. “So fix your shit.” He pauses. “Look, I don’t like to play this card, but no one knows better than Max and me that we should never take a single moment on this earth for granted. And we don’t always have the time we think we do to tell those close to us that we love them.”
Aw, shit.“Hey, look. I get it, but Mia and I, we…”
“I don’t give a fuck why you two got hitched in the first place,” he says like he knows the truth.
I give him a second look. “Wait, do you…”
“None of that matters,” he continues, stopping my train of thought. “Because I’ve seen the way you look at her. We all have. You don’t want your marriage to end for anything.”
No. I don’t.
Jared’s gaze is on me. “So fucking tell her that.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Mia
My hands are shaking. I shove them underneath my corduroy pants to keep them still.
“Game sevens suck,” I whisper to Jamie Beth. And so does making a dumb decision to tell your fake husband you love him at said game.
“This is the perfect time,” she whisper-argues me like she’s been doing for the past two hours. For the entire car ride, through the walk to our seats, and while we’ve been sitting here.
Why are we whispering? Because of all the nosy family members around us.
Cooper, Chase, Luke, Brayden, and Leleila are behind us like always, plus Cam and Savannah minus baby Libby, who’s at home with Savannah’s mom. Cam and Declan’s parents are here as well. And then, there are others—Colton and Sky, Dylan and Jasalie, Ayden and Bella, Jenson and Olivia, plus their kids, Colton’s mom, and Luke and Brayden’s parents. If it feels like we brought an entire team of Wilds with us, it’s because we did.
We even have Go Wild shirts on thanks to Savannah’s mom, who loves to sew.
I’m happy for Declan. I’ll be happier if he wins, of course, because I know how much he wants that cup, but I’m happy he’s got so much support here to cheer him on.
Their presence is making me more nervous about my plan, though. A plan I would probably have aborted by now if it weren’t for my intrepid bestie, who continues to assure me that the time is now.
In exactly those words.
“There are no tomorrows with game sevens,” she whispers. “It’s win or go home.”
As she says the words, the Wild Kings take the ice for warm-ups. The announcer calls out fun facts about the players, and the camera starts panning the crowd as it searches for the perfect couple to put on the kiss-cam.
I don’t care about anything but Declan. I scan the team for number twelve, but I don’t see him.
Where is he?
I didn’t realize I said that out loud until Cooper says from behind me, “Good question.”
Jamie Beth starts pointing out different players, none of whom are Declan.
“He’s number twelve,” I remind her.
“I know. I just find it hard to see the whole jersey when they’re skating so darn fast.” She points. “Mia—there he is!”
I look to where she’s pointing.
Declan’s just entering the rink. Jared’s right behind him.
