Chapter Thirty-Four

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Hayes

“I still can’t believe you’re dating Rylan Pierce,” Donovan says softly from his seat beside me in the arena. Anthony brings up one end, Mace on the other, and Julia on the right side of me.

“I know, right? So hot.”

“Insanely hot,” Anthony adds.

“Hmm?” Julia asks, and we snicker because I absolutely don’t want to share with her how sexy her son is.

“Oh, nothing. We were just talking about after the game.”

“Sure you were.” Julia gives me a grin, and yep, I blush.

My stomach is in knots when they begin announcing the players. They do the away team first, and I really hate Edmonton. I was hoping this round would be a little easier for my guy. When they begin announcing the Rebels, the crowd goes wild. Julia reaches over and grabs my hand, both of us cheering when they say, “Rylan Pierce!”

The series is tied at three games each, so whoever wins goes to the finals.

I look at the ice and see Rylan looking our way. He gives an up-nod and a smile before his face becomes pure concentration again.

The playoff beard is an added perk. I’ve always loved the way the hairs feel against my skin, and it’s this weird thing hockey players do by not shaving in the playoffs. I don’t get it, but I can’t pretend to get most of the weird hockey things. I’m thankful for them, though, because if not for his superstitions, we might not be where we are.

I can’t make myself sit down when Volkov and Stiller meet at center ice for the puck drop. It’s so strange that I call people by their last names now. It’s such a dude-bro thing. I blame my superhot boyfriend for that.

Rylan takes his spot on the blue line, and I must admit, I feel like I might throw up. Hockey is stressful when the man you love is on the ice. Even more so now that I watch him in person.

For someone who used to hate hockey, I’m the world’s biggest fanboy now. From the moment Volkov wins the puck drop, I’m screaming and jumping. My voice is raw, and my heart basically lives in my throat.

At the end of the first period, neither team has scored.

“Oh my God. This is so fucking stressful,” Donovan says while the teams are on intermission.

“You’re telling me.” I’m scared to keep watching, but I can’t turn away.

“Would either of you like anything to eat or drink, Mr. and Mrs.…Rylan’s parents?” Anthony asks, breaking the tension, and holy shit, how do I not know Rylan’s parents’ last name?

“Smith. But call us Julia and Mace,” his mom says.

Mace says, “I’m too nervous to eat,” and we all nod in agreement.

The tension ramps up another notch when the second period begins with a goal for Edmonton. Rylan gets a penalty and has to sit in the box. “Come on, baby. You got this,” I whisper.

“He’s getting frustrated,” Julia adds, and she’s right. I can tell he is.

“You can do this,” I say softly, wishing he could hear me, that I could comfort him and tell him it will be okay no matter what happens.

Kennedy manages to get the goal, tying the game at one apiece. Rylan steals the puck from Edmonton on the next play, sending a pass to Volkov, who also gets the puck in the net.

I pump my fists in the air, screaming and wanting everyone in this arena to know that the assist was from my man.

It’s a rough game, every goal hard to come by, every hit hard. Except for his penalty, Rylan has been playing his ass off every shift his line takes. It feels like they’re rotating lines more than they are, but I know that’s just because I worry about him. I don’t know how he does it, how he’s not dying out there, but he’s up and down the ice, skating and playing like he’s invincible.

Halfway through the third, the score is tied at three.

“How does overtime work?” Anthony asks.

“It’s different in the playoffs. If they go into overtime, it’s sudden death—five on five. The first team to score wins.” I only know this because Rylan explained it to me.

“Jesus,” he replies.

“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen,” Anthony adds.

Time ticks by, and despite the numerous shots on goal, both goalies are doing their job and no one scores. I’m thankful Mads is a badass, but could the Edmonton goalie fuck up, please? That would be great.

There’s two minutes left in the game when Tremblay gets the puck. He pulls his stick back and shoots. Time freezes while I hope and pray that it goes in, but the small black disk bounces off the post and right to one of the Edmonton players. He turns and flies down the ice toward Mads. Rylan goes after him, but just before he checks him, he passes the puck to another player. Stevens is on him, but it’s not enough, and before Rylan can make his way there, the guy shoots.

I hold my breath, everything going by in slow motion as the disk shoots between Mads’s legs and goes into the net. The light over the net lights up just as the time clock expires.

The game is over…and the Rebels lost.

My heart sinks. Tears fill my eyes. Somehow, I had it in my head that they would win, that they would go all the way.

Julia grabs my hand, squeezing it again. Mads falls to his knees, head in his hands. Rylan goes down beside him, comforting his friend and losing himself to his own misery.

I’m sick to my stomach, so fucking sad for Rylan. We have excellent seats, and passes around our necks, courtesy of my boyfriend, so when Julia says, “I’m going to see if I can get closer,” I figure that’s normal and okay.

I nod, aching to go down there too, wanting to support him.

“Come on. You should go too.”

I want that, so much. “I’m not sure if I should…”

“He’ll want you, Hayes. He’ll need you.”

Good. Because I need him too. We squeeze around Mace and the others and head for the ice. Security blocks us, but then we show our passes and they let us by. When I look toward the net, Rylan isn’t there anymore. My heart stops. Where is he? Did he go back to the locker room?

But then suddenly he’s there, right in front of me, face streaked with sweat and tears. “Can I…?” he asks, and I know, somehow I fucking know , that this is it. He needs me, and I want nothing more than to be there for him.

“Yes. God yes.”

The second the words are out, he wraps his arms around me, pulls me to him, lifts me up, face buried in my neck. People around us are seeing it, and I don’t care. Or maybe I do, but not in the way I would expect. I want them to see. Want to claim him and I want Rylan to claim me. More than that, I want to support him because he’s done it for me so much over the last six months.

“I’m so sorry.” I can’t help feeling like I failed him. “So much for good pucking luck.”

He tenses against me, pulls back and looks me in the eyes. “You’re the best pucking luck. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m upset about this game, but still so fucking happy I have you. There’s always next year, baby. I might have lost tonight, but I’m walking out of this arena a winner.”

And then…he kisses me. We’re all clinging hands and tongues. There’s no way anyone can miss what’s happening, that Rylan Pierce has a boyfriend. I’m sure cameras are pointed in our direction, and it won’t take long before they realize who I am…Jilted Exes’ Club and proud…but not as proud as I am of being with Rylan. Everything else will work out, as long as we have each other.