“Because you love each other,” Troy states, matter-of-factly.
I nod. “I mean, yeah. I don’t know how it happened, but it did.”
Both Troy and Cash have a look wash over their faces that tells me they know exactly how it happened. Because they’ve been there before.
“You’re right, Noah,” Cash tells him. “We did set them up.”
“In a roundabout way, yes.”
“Should we start a business? Hockey Love for…losers?” Cash asks.
“Hey! I take offense to that.”
Cash claps me on the shoulder. “Sorry, only thing I could think of. But we did good, right?”
“Yeah, you did,” I confirm.
“What are you going to do now?” Troy asks. “I can’t imagine this is going to be taken well.”
Tossing my towel into my cubby, I grab my T-shirt and pull it on over my damp skin. It clings to me, but right now, I don’t care.
“Honestly? I don’t know. I’ve barely had time to process it or talk to Bex about it. We’ll see.”
The only thing I hope right now is that she doesn’t break up with me because of it.
“You don’t think anything will happen to her?” Noah asks. “Can they do anything to her?”
I shrug a shoulder. “I mean, she looked it up. There’s nothing in the by-laws of the league preventing this kind of thing.”
“They probably never thought it’d be an issue considering she’s the first female GM,” Cash says.
“Do you think you’ll get heat for it from other teams?” Troy asks.
“If they do,” Noah steps in and says, “then we’ll handle it as a team. No one is going to come after one of our guys for falling in love.”
“Hey!” Cash wraps an arm around Noah’s shoulder. “Now it’s time to find somebody for you.”
Noah pushes him off. “Nah. I’m good as it is.”
Except I don’t miss the note of longing in his voice. He wants love, but I’m not sure what’s stopping him. Maybe because he’s already met the right person? I don’t know.
“Look,”—Troy drops down onto the bench next to me—“it’s going to be a rough few weeks for you. But whatever happens, we’re here for you.”
Emotions clog my throat. It doesn’t feel like the world is going to end. Sure, it’s going to be hard, but I don’t have to do it alone.
That’s the difference between then and now. I have these guys. They’re my family. I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side while we weather this storm.
“Thanks, guys. I’m just sorry I brought this down on us.”
“It’ll be old news by the time we’re in the playoffs,” Noah says. “Just stay the course.”
Stay the course.
It’s hard to believe that this is where Bex and I are now. After overcoming all the weirdness and awkwardness together.
What we have is something that’s real. That I love and wouldn’t give up without a fight.
Shit is going to come at us from all directions. I know that and am not naive enough to believe otherwise.
