A moment later, I feel Lisa take my hand.
In that instant, I decide to trust her completely.
And I follow her lead.
Chapter 22
Zane
The rink is quiet in a way it never usually is, like everyone can sense what’s about to happen. We’ve just beaten the Vipers and secured the semifinals, but none of that matters right now. All I can think about is the final play I still need to make.
By now, I can feel my heartbeat rising into my throat, pounding heavily in my neck. My palms are damp, and my jersey clings uncomfortably to my body.
I block everything out.
We’ve won, but I don’t let myself feel it. No announcer’s voice. No music thumping through the speakers. No crowd roaring in celebration. Just the low hum of the lights above and the faint scrape of skates cutting across the ice.
“It’s time,” Blake says, skating up beside me.
The entire team knows what I’m about to do, and they’ve been nothing but supportive. Surprisingly, Holt was the most enthusiastic of all. He even spoke with his sister and helped arrange a statement. I’m not sure if it was his conversation or Leo’s team behind the scenes, but either way, it worked.
Suddenly, the noise of the arena rushes back in.
The crowd’s energy fills my ears, and then I see her.
Lisa is guiding Gwen onto the rink, her eyes still covered with a blindfold, and the earmuffs Tess suggested are still in place.
“You think it’s going to work?” I ask Blake, my voice tight with nerves.
“You two are made for each other,” he says calmly. “Show her you’re willing to fight for her.”
I don’t hesitate; I pull him into a quick hug.
“Thanks for everything,” I tell him as we part.
“We’ve got a special celebration tonight, everyone,” Greg’s voice echoes through the stadium. “One of our own Grizzlies is in love, and he’s here to show it.”
The crowd responds with laughter, this time warm and supportive.
I watch as Lisa gently removes Gwen’s earmuffs. Confusion flickers across Gwen’s face as the blindfold is untied. The moment her eyes are free, they find mine immediately.
There’s so much in her gaze.
I see fear. I see happiness. I see the weight of the crowd, the uncertainty, the consequences she’s worried about my career, our future. And that’s exactly why we planned this.
“Gwen, are you in the house?” Greg calls out through the speakers.
Gwen instinctively looks upward, even though Greg is seated just a few rows away. I can’t help but smile.
“This one is for you.”
Greg lowers the microphone, and “Cardigan” by Taylor Swift begins to play.
As discussed in the locker room, the team takes position. One by one, they skate into formation behind Blake, who leads them across the ice.
At first, they had laughed at the idea. But once I explained what Gwen meant to me, it became something bigger, something we all believed in together.
In sync, they begin tracing a heart shape into the ice around me.
