Her eyes locked on mine, full of approval and power. “Swallow.”
I did.
“Good boy,” she said, dragging her nails through my hair.
I stood and wrapped her in my arms, kissed her like she was the only thing keeping me alive. She tasted like salt and sex and control, and I was fucking drunk on all of it.
She laughed against my lips, still catching her breath. “We need to get the fuck out of here before someone arrests me for indecent exposure.”
She pulled her skirt back on, no panties, her skin still sticky, her thighs still slick.
“Come home with me, Lune?” I asked, my voice a little hoarse.
“I already told you,” she said, pressing her lips to my jaw. “I’m yours.”
16
jeremy
I came to the game to see him, hoping he’d be able to help me find Luna and convince her to come downstate with me to settle Arthur’s estate. I’d spent months coming up with a plan, trying to figure out a way to do this without her, but once I found her on social media, back in the States, it seemed easier to get help locating her and doing it in person. Getting the answers I needed.
It was wild being back at the stadium after all these years. I used to party here with the guys after games, back when I felt invincible. Most of them have been traded since, a few still on the team, but none of us were untouched. We’d drink until sunrise, blow off steam after playing in front of thousands of people. Nothing else mattered.
After Austin went to rehab, I kept going because I was in denial and didn’t know how to stop, especially after Luna left. I partied harder, drank more, tried to convince myself I was fine.
I wasn’t.
A few months after he left, I followed and slipped out before I publicly imploded. I told everyone I needed a break, that I was burned out, needed space, but the truth was uglier. I was exhausted and hollow.
I’d finally said the words out loud. I was an addict. Once I did, I couldn’t unhear them. It was all over the place... every headline, every feed: I was in rehab. That’s when I finally checked out, got quiet, did the fucking work. Took what Luna said the day she left and let it gut me. Let itchangeme.
Her absence hollowed me out in a way I still haven’t fully patched up. I’d destroyed so much. Our relationship, sure, but also the brotherhood I had with Dirks. The three of us had been something rare. Three pieces of a puzzle that shouldn’t have fit, but did.
Then she was gone.
It took me years to admit what I’d done, to own the damage. To sit with the fact that I didn’t just lose her, Idroveher away. What gutted me most was that I rememberedexactlywhen it shifted.
I was on the ice, adrenaline pumping, lungs burning as I chased the puck. The crowd was a blur of noise and color until my gaze flicked up toward the glass and my entire chest... stalled.
She was there. Front row. Cheering with a girl who had dark, curly hair. Both of them were laughing, leaning into the boards like they could feel the game in their bones.
Luna.
Fuck. I knew it was her. There could’ve been ten thousand people in that arena, and I would’ve found her every damn time.
Austin skated up beside me, tapping his stick against mine. “You remember my girl,” he said, nodding toward the glass. “Nova.”
My throat tightened. “And the one next to her?”
He followed my stare, grinning. “Oh, Luna. Nova’s best friend. You met her once at my place. You were too busy carrying half the team through beer pong.”
Right. The house party. Except I’d been so wasted I didn’t realize that was her. In my head, the first time I saw her again was at the game. That’s the one that stuck.
“She’s kind of wild.”
My pulse hammered beneath my gear. “Introduce me. Properly.”
He barked a laugh. “Bro, she’s chaos?—”
