I havethe uncharacteristic urge to whistle as I lace my skates.Fucking whistle.
We may not have exchanged those three little words last night, but I did drop the g-word and she didn’t balk. Progress.
And not that I thought it would go any differently, but my parentsloveher. I mean, who wouldn’t? My mom’s already asking when I’m bringing her home to New York to visit. And that idea doesn’t even freak me out like it used to before Ellie. I want her to be familiar with every part of my life.
Because Ellie unequivocally makes my life better. Like my own personal rose-colored glasses. I’ve never felt this sense of rightness. As though something clicked into place and my life is suddenly morecomplete. The feelings I had for previous girlfriends just…pale in comparison. It’s like my world has shifted and instead of only hockey and family, there’s nowherright in the damn center. And she somehow takes away some of the doom and gloom that comes with thoughts of life after hockey.
I still feel lost when I think about it, sure, but I know Ellie will be there to help me figure it out. Because that’s what partners do, she said.Partners. The word still gives me chills.
Thinking about last night gives me chills too. Holy fuck. I did not know sex could be like that. So deeply personal and intimate. Special. I probably sound like a sap, but I didn’t put much thought into the phrase “making love” before, and now it seems like the only thing you could call what we did.
Man, this high I’m riding right now rivals my biggest wins. And as a two-time Cup winner, that’s really saying something. The screaming, proud fans. That heavy, coveted trophy lifted in the air. The utter joy and sense of accomplishment. I canfeelthe emotions that went with those wins and this might be better. Bigger. Do other people feel this when they fall in love? I’m doubtful.
Even though Ellie left this morning before my parents were up, I have a feeling they know she stayed over. They asked if she was coming to the game tonight. I lied and said she was busy, but I am hoping maybe I’ll be able to convince her to come to one soon. I know my mom would love having someone other than my dad to talk with and she’d probably even explain the game to Ellie. Maybe a game next week when she’s off work?
I finish lacing my skate—I avoid whistling—and take my hat off to put in my bag before we head down the tunnel for warm-ups. The light from my phone catches my attention, so I grab it to check the notification before heading out.
There are a fuck-ton of them, all within the last hour. Texts, some missed calls… The one that catches my attention first is from my brother. This many notifications isn’t unheard of for me, but it’s not quite typical either. I decide to check Connor’s quickly before I have to head to the ice, knowing it’s probably a good luck text or maybe something about Ellie if he’s talked to Mom today.
It turns out to be neither of those things.
I skip over his texts to the headline of the link he’s sent.
FULL CIRCLE LOVE STORY?
Matt Anderson’s new girl and how
his rival almost KILLED HER!
I’m not often in trashy tabloids like this one—I might be famous in the hockey world, but I’m notthatfamous outside it. And usually if I am in one, it’s based on something flimsy or straight-up untrue. I know how they make their money and I do my best to ignore it. Sometimes the articles even give me a laugh. The ridiculous clickbait titles are nearly comedic.
But “new girl” has the hair on the back of my neck standing up. I click on the link and scroll down through an ad, freezing at the images they have there. They’re distinctly low quality, but the pictures are clear enough.
It’s me at The Bar with Ellie.
One picture shows us hugging and another shows me putting on her earmuffs. I remember that night with crystal clarity. I guess in my relief at finding her okay, I forgot to really think about someone capturing the rare PDA moment. I faintly think about how pissed Nate’s going to be that someone was able to get pictures of me in The Bar without him noticing.
My thumb shakes as I go to scroll farther, a small pit forming in my stomach.
The elusive Matt Anderson is off the market, folks! An onlooker caught an intimate moment between him and his new girl, Eleanor Ford, at a local bar. Can anyone say CUTE?! We love a smitten man so much we might be willing to let go of our dreams of landing the hockey hottie ourselves…
And it appears Miss Eleanor Ford is one worthy lady of the star’s affection! She and her mother were involved ina deadly DUI car crash caused by none other than one of Anderson’s on-ice opponents, Bryan McCormic, after a post-win celebration.
Eleanor sustained serious injuries and her mother was KILLED in the accident where McCormic lost control of his vehicle while under the influence. McCormic and his passenger, Christian Hallafax, were only minorly injured.
The good news is we spy Boston on the Bears’ calendar next week and we CAN’T WAIT to watch the fallout when the opponents meet on the ice! Talk about a worthy FIGHT! Karma is calling…
One thing is for sure—this makes for one hell of a full-circle love story!
I stop scrolling and reread the second paragraph. As the words sink in, that pit in my stomach turns into something much, much worse.
Sick, twisted puzzle pieces begin to fit into place and I desperately grasp at the fading ignorance I was unknowingly harboring.
No, no, no.Memories slam into me with a force that nearly knocks me off these damn skates.
Ellie’s reaction to finding out I played hockey.
The way she responded when I asked if her ex had played.
