Page 239 of Risking the Pucking Defense

I pick up speed and practically run to her the second I’m off the ice, waving Harry off when he tries to stop me for a few words about the game, or more likely, my injury.

“Hails, what the hell are you⁠—”

My words are cut off and my gloves and helmet hit the ground as she launches herself into my arms, tucking her face into my sweaty neck.

I don’t need to turn around to know that people are taking photos; the light of their flashes erupting around us.

“Hails, people can see us, baby,” I whisper in her ear as she trembles in my arms.

She stills, telling me that she’s heard me, but she doesn’t release me, or force me to put her down. Instead, her grip on me tightens.

“Hails?” I try again.

This time, she pulls her face from my neck and looks up at me, allowing me to see her eyes glittering with tears and the dried tracks down her cheeks.

“I don’t care, Hayden,” she confesses quietly. “Watching you…watching you get hurt…fuck. I couldn’t bear it.”

Holding her up with one arm, I cup her cheek with my other hand, wiping her tears away with my thumb when they fall.

“I didn’t even think about it. I just…I just had to be with you.”

I search her eyes, my heart beating wildly in my chest as the world watches us.

I take a step forward, and then another, until we’re in the hallway and hidden from prying eyes.

I back her up against the wall, not willing to let her go just yet, despite the fact that I smell like a dumpster and desperately need a shower. Shamelessly, I need her more.

“How did you get here, baby?” I ask, needing my suspicions confirmed.

“I—” She cuts herself off, swallowing thickly. “I drove.”

All the air rushes from my lungs as I shake my head in disbelief.

“I needed to be here. It was only an hour and a half. Although I think I may have broken a few speed limits. The second I saw you on the ice, bleeding, I just…I grabbed my keys and didn’t look back.

“I didn’t have a clue if you were okay or not. And then I turned up here and you were b-back o-out t-there, a-a-and⁠—”

My lips find hers, cutting her off. The salty taste of her tears hits my tongue, and it only feeds my need for her.

“You drove here? For me?” I ask the second we part.

The sound of the guys making their way past us and to the dressing room hits my ears, but I don’t look up or give them any attention, even the ones who are ribbing us—mainly Rett and Linc.

She cups my jaw, her attention firmly on me.

“Yeah, I drove here for you.”

“Fuck, Hails. I…I love you,” I blurt before slamming my lips down on hers, stealing another kiss to stop her from reacting to those three little words I’ve been holding in for what feels like forever.

“Alright, kids,” Coach mutters as he approaches us. “While I appreciate your need to celebrate, Monroe, how about you save it until later?”

Forcing my lips from Hailee’s, I stare down at her.

Her eyes are still glistening, but there’s none of the fear there that got her here. Instead, there’s a whole lot of emotions that make my heart beat even faster.

“This is a nice surprise, Caldwell. I didn’t think you were on this trip.”

“I…uh…” Hailee finally severs our connection as she glances over at Coach. “I wasn’t meant to be here, Coach. But I watched Hayden go down, and the next thing I knew, I was on the road.” She shrugs her shoulders as if she doesn’t quite understand how it happened, and I can’t help but laugh at the look of confusion on her face.