“And it’s not five in Spain either.”
“I’m old, Bex. Let me have my vices,” Dad chides. “Now, I want to know about this man you’re dating.”
I roll my eyes at him, garnering a laugh.
“You know you remind me of your mother when you do that.”
“You mean get annoyed with you?”
“She always used to get after me for pestering you to tell us things. It was like squeezing water out of a rock she would say.”
“I miss her.”
“I do too, Bex. But she would be so proud of the woman you’ve become.”
It’s those words that give me the confidence to move forward. I realize just how much I’ve withdrawn into myself these last few weeks. This isn’t what she would’ve wanted for me.
I might have fallen in love with the wrong guy, but it doesn’t make what we have wrong. And instead of everyone making me second-guess myself, I need to dig deep and find her courage. To face the press and all the fire that is raining down on us.
Because on the other side of it is my heart.
Nick Brooks-Young.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
NICK
“Feel good to be back on the ice tonight?”
I chance a glance at Troy, who is putting on his pads for the game tonight.
“It does and doesn’t.”
It’s been a long two weeks serving out my suspension. With the team being on the road, it made it even harder to watch us struggle. We made it through, winning half the games. Can’t say it’s going to make the highlight reel of my career, but that fucker deserved it.
I’ll always stand up for Bex.
At least I had her by my side. We tucked ourselves away in her house, trying to limit media exposure. I hate that we have to hide what we have now that everyone knows. But the judgment is still raining down on us.
“Still weird that Noah’s gone?” Cash asks, breaking through my thoughts.
I nod. “Yeah. He’s the reason I’m even playing hockey. I thought we’d play together our entire careers.”
Troy claps me on the shoulder. “It’s always an adjustment. But Paddock will be good for us.”
“I know. He’s a monster out there on the ice.”
Paddock is the reason that we did as well as we did while I was out. He really was being underutilized in Nashville.
“All thanks to me.” Cash gives us a cocky grin.
“Your head doesn’t need to get any bigger,” Troy points out.
“My head isn’t big. We’re just great out there on the ice. He knows exactly where he’s supposed to be. It’s a thing of beauty watching him play.”
“Yeah, yeah. Sometimes it’s really hard to like you.” I laugh.
“Nah, you love me.” He ruffles my hair before grabbing his gloves and stick.
