I pass to Spring, but their defense is on him, so he sends it back to me, and I take a chance, deking left before aiming right, lighting up the goal for the third time tonight.
Hats hit the ice around me, but my eyes are on Savannah in the stands, at the excitement on her face. I smile back, then point at her with my stick, hoping she doesn’t hate that I singled her out, but that goal was entirely for her. And the way she beams at me, that smile…it hits me square in the chest.
Fuck.
I am so in love with Savannah James.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Savannah
With My Girl
I’m nervous waiting for Noah with the other WAGs. It doesn’t help that there are at least six other women wearing Callahan jerseys also waiting for him, including Tish, who was telling everyone in the bathroom earlier that she’s had him before, and they still ‘see each other’ on occasion. Did I hide in the stall longer than was necessary while waiting for them all to leave? Yes, I did. But I walked out of there with my head held high, trying not to let it get to me, because even if I don’t always know where we stand on the relationship front, I do know that Noah is one of the good ones, and he wouldn’t do that to me. To anyone.
Honestly, even as a friend, I would want to be here to celebrate him. Not only did the team win, by a lot, but Noah scored a hat trick – three goals in one game – and the last one was while injured.
He scans the crowd once he’s out, which I’m used to. But every other time I’ve done this, his eyes have landed on Izzie, and he comes over to take her in his arms before acknowledging me. This time, I’m the only one. Well, along with the other WAGs and puck bunnies, but there’s no sister to make him come my way.
My heart stops and I can’t breathe when Noah finally spots me, and I’m nervous for a second, before a huge grin spreads on his face, and he rushes past Owen and Mike to get to me faster, where he immediately lifts me up in his arms and spins me.
“Are you okay?” I ask, worried about his ribs, and whatever else they hit during the game.
“I’m awesome,” he assures me. I’m still worried, but I let it go.
“Congrats on the hat trick. Pretty impressive.”
I’m blushing and can’t stop my grin, because he’s keeping way too much eye contact for me to pretend this is nothing.
“It’s because of you,” he shares. “Pretty sure Coach wanted to bench me rather than risk it, since we were already winning, but I saw your face and couldn’t stand you looking so worried about me.”
“It was a bad hit,” I defend myself.
“Colt’s was worse.”
I know what he’s getting at, that it had nothing to do with the hit, and everything to do with how I feel about him, but I can’t go there.
“Thank you for convincing me to come. It was fun, and I got a much better understanding of what it feels like to be with someone on the team. Pages of notes. That I’ll write when I get home, because Lacey welcomed me into her cult with open arms. And the whole stick pointed at me after the goal thing…I get it now. You didn’t even mean it and my heart fluttered.”
I put on a smile because I don’t want him to see, but as awesome as that moment was, it also hurt, because it wasn’t real, and I’m starting to seriously wonder if I can keep doing this without being his. I said I’d take the lies over nothing, but my chest aches in a way I’m sure Noah would hate himself for if I was brave enough to tell him.
“I meant it,” he argues. “Do you have plans tonight?”
Of course I don’t. I make myself available almost every night, but especially after games, on the off chance he reaches out and wants to see me.
“Nothing concrete,” I say instead of admitting that.
“Come celebrate at Slapshots with me.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” I tell him, which isn’t entirely true location-wise, but I do want to be wherever he is, and the football team has an away game, so no one from that crowd will be there tonight. Though maybe it’s time I trust Noah and the fact he wouldn’t string me along for a chance to meet my brothers. But it feels like there’s a shift happening, which might be my imagination, me getting my hopes up, but I don’t want to wonder if he changed his mind because of me, or because of my brothers.
Noah takes my hand to bring me to his truck, then again when he leads me into the hockey bar, holding me close.
“I appreciate it, but I don’t need to experience what it’s like to celebrate a win as a WAG. I admire your dedication to hockey accuracy, but I’ve seen how Darren is with Lacey, and observing is just as good.” I omit the years I spent watching my brothers and their teammates. Sports may vary, but celebrating a win at the bar remains pretty similar.
I also really don’t want to know what it will feel like when everyone finds out I’ve only been sleeping with the star of the hockey team, not dating him. He’s brought me places before, made out with me a bit during parties at the house, but that’s all hookup behaviors. The way he’s holding my hand now and smiling at me…this feels intimate. And terrifying, because I really don’t want him to stop.
“This has nothing to do with your book.” Noah’s voice is low, and his eyes go from mine to my mouth, where he lingers, biting his bottom lip and releasing a groan, which I’m pretty sure is unintentional.
