“Idiotsfor years,” I said. “Not enemies.”
He patted my arm. “We talked about that, remember? At least we’re happy idiots now.”
“Know what’s wild?” I asked.
“Hmm?”
“We could’ve had this the whole time.”
He was quiet for a moment, then shook his head. “It’s risky to second-guess the past too much. I hate what happened, but we were very young. Maybe we needed these years to mellow out.”
“Could be,” I said. “Or maybe we just had to grow up.”
“That too. Either way, we’re together now. Probably stronger than we would’ve been without the bad times.”
What could I say since he was right? “Love you,” I whispered.
“Love you too.”
I closed my eyes and enjoyed lying next to him. The trade would bring a lot of noise and questions. The press would want statements, the league would expect photo ops, and everyone on social media would demand confirmation that Packo was here to stay.
But it would be fine, because with Nix, I had everything. For the first time I could remember, I wasn’t afraid of what came next.
epilogue
PACKY
January: 18 Months Later
Noah’s passmade it through traffic and landed cleanly on my stick. I was wide of the goal and too far back to shoot, so I cut inside, slipped past a white sweater, and found the slot as their D closed in. I took the shot anyway.
Bar down. Scrimmage over.
Kai, still in the crease for Team White, dropped his glove and flipped me off. Never one to let a gesture like that go unanswered, I blew him a kiss.
As we headed to the locker room, Theo came up next to me. “You’ve never looked better,” he said. “Guess we finally taught you how to play hockey after bringing you here from Buffalo.”
“Already knew how,” I said, “but I’ve learned a few new tricks.”
Theo laughed. “Rosco teach you those?”
“A gentleman never tells. Fuck you very much for asking, though.”
“Anytime, bud.” He slid his stick into the rack and grinned. “I’ve got your back.”
Since we were leaving on a road trip the next morning, no one wanted to hang around the rink. Nico and I walked out with Noah, Theo, Jace, and Kai, trading goodbyes on the sidewalk as the cold settled in.
Kai grinned. “Have a good night, lovebirds. Get it out of your system so you’re not so loud at the hotel.”
“Are you talking about Pack and me?” Nix asked.
“Just saying. You two have a reputation.”
I laughed. “At least we’re consistent. Ever thought about finding a lovebird of your own?”
“Not a chance,” Kai said, still smiling. “Too much work. I prefer a steamy night followed by ‘have a nice life.’”
“See you tomorrow,” Nix said, urging me forward before we got into a chirping match.
