Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Bash

I wish to God I hadn't checked my phone until after the game. What was I thinking? I was probably laboring under the delusion that I couldn't play until I knew that Sage was safe at home. I wanted reassurance.

Instead, I got confirmation that she's gone for good. She didn't wait for me. She didn't say goodbye.

I tell myself to focus on the game, but it isn't working. Within a few plays on the ice, I end up riding the bench.

"Dude, your head isn't in it. Your heart is elsewhere." Anders bumps my shoulder with his.

I let my head droop forward. I have no excuses. All I can tell him is, "I'm sorry."

Anders meets Latham's gaze over my head. Briggs nudges me from the other side. "I understand. Just… try to hold it together."

The guys cover for me for the rest of the game. I end up being more of an observer than a player, cheering halfheartedly as the rest of my team crushes the opposition. This happens sometimes—Coop was really out of it during one of our games last year when Toni left for Italy, and we got through it. Occasionally, one of us will get injured. This is the first time I've ever been benched for a shitty performance, and the guilt should be eating me alive. Instead, I feel nothing. I just want it to be over. Usually, I love being around my boys, but right now, I just want to retreat and lick my wounds in private.

Afterward, in the locker room, we're all really quiet for having won such an important game. Everyone keeps looking at me.

"Where are your emotional support TicTacs?" Coop asks me as I pull on a fresh outfit.

"In my bag," I grunt.

"I'll get them." He crouches down to dig through my duffle.

"Don't bother. I'm not interested."

Coop's jaw drops, and worry creases his brow. "Since when?"

Latham has been listening in, and my indifference toward TicTacs apparently alarms him more than my behavior during the game. He comes over to me and presses his hand to my forehead. "This is serious. Noah!"

Our team patriarch rolls his eyes. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well, Dad, I thought you might have a pep talk or a solution. What else do we keep you around for?"

By now, the whole team is looking to Noah for answers, even Anders, who's supposed to know how to deal with us as the team captain. Noah sighs. "I know what we have to do. But let's get out of the locker room first, okay? We'll reconvene at the hotel."

Instead of gathering in the hotel bar, the guys all come to my room. It's a tight fit with all of us, but I'm glad they're here. I don't want to be alone when I spiral.

When we're all settled on the various pieces of furniture—the bed, the singular chair, the desk that groans under Ranger and Oliver's combined weight— Noah sits down in the middle of the room and pulls out his phone. It rings a few times before it picks up.

"Hey there, Noah. How're you doing?" Cash asks through the speaker.

"I'm hoping you can help us out." Noah fidgets a little. "Maybe you saw the game?"

There's a painfully long pause, and then Cash says, "...yup."

Ranger grimaces. "Shit, dude. One word is worse than three."

Coop shushes him. "We know it was dire. That's not the point."

"But you won. Saw the TikTok," Cash adds. "The van left."

"So, you know why Bash is hurting," Anders says. "She didn't even say goodbye."

"Of course not," Cash says.

The words burst out of me before I can think better of them. "That's the worst part, Cash. She sent me a text. A text! With a link to a video she posted online! Merde , I thought I meant more to her than that. She didn't even tell me why she was leaving. Just a bunch of stuff about how much she appreciated her time in Vegas and how she hopes we win the Stanley Cup!"

Ranger puts up a finger. "Maybe it's because you mean so much to her that she left without a face-to-face goodbye; ever think of that? It wouldn't change things and it's just too fucking painful. Women aren't really in to breaking their own hearts."

I scrub a hand down my face. "She didn't even give me a chance to kiss her goodbye!"

"It's not goodbye."

My next words falter on my tongue. "It's not?"

Cash sighs. "Kid, have you read anything I recommended?"

My mind flashes with bittersweet memories. I'd shout my love for Sage from the rooftops if I thought it would change things. "Yeah."

Briggs rubs his hands together. "Ooh, he's back to full sentences. Here we go! Ollie, take notes."

Oliver takes out his phone and opens a document because I guess we're in school now.

Cash ignores them. "If you've done the reading, then you know this is the pinch point. The dark night of the soul."

That's one thing I don't like about the novels Cash recommends: the inevitable third-act breakup. Why can't they just go home and be happy?

Although in the case of Sage and I, we were never really together officially.

I guess all great relationships must be tested to see if they can stand the test of time.

"I didn't think I'd end up in this position," I admit.

"Well, you're here. And you know what you have to do now."

I look around at the rest of my team. They all shrug.

"Dammit, Sebastian LeClerq… Be the hero!" Cash's voice is so loud, the speaker crackles.

Oliver snaps his fingers and sits up straighter. "Yes! Yes! The Grand Gesture!"

"What's that?" Ranger asks.

"That's when the hero proves his love," Oliver explains.

"But how do I do that when Sage already left?" I exclaim.

Cash sums it up with his usual terseness. "Go after her."

Noah is already shaking his head. "You know what the schedule is like. Dante will never approve this."

There's a long pause before Cash starts speaking again. "Of course, he wouldn't. He's an ass. You don't need to convince Dante, though."

My heart is pounding. Is Cash telling me to… steal a plane? Can I do that? It sounds crazy, but that does seem like the kind of thing one of the heroes in his mafia novels would do…

In that split-second of panic, I realize I would do anything for Sage. It's terrifying to discover that after she's already made up her mind.

Anders is similarly intrigued. "How's that? And I say this as someone who would love to learn the workaround for that fuckstick."

Cash's tone is smug. "You just need to convince Julie. The Dante Whisperer. She'll do the rest."

I breathe out a sigh of relief. "That's much more reasonable than what I was thinking."

Briggs gives me a funny look. "Let's hear it."

No way am I admitting that I briefly considered a career as a skyjacker. "Nah, his idea is better. We'll talk to Julie tomorrow."

"Not tonight?" I ask.

"Hell, no. We'll talk to her on the plane when we've got her as a captive audience." Anders shakes a finger beneath my nose. "Store your TicTacs safely this time, Bash. We don't need another incident distracting anyone."

"This feels like a trap," Latham says. "Could it really be that easy?"

I lift my chin. "Only one way to find out." After the plan my fevered mind concocted earlier, this one will be a breeze by comparison.

The conversation with my teammates lingers in my mind as I bow out, the weight of the upcoming decisions pressing on me. As they leave one by one with bro hugs and fist bumps, each click of the door echoes the beat of the plan forming in my head. Once I'm alone, the buzz of adrenaline from the game and the strategy session fades, replaced by a quieter, more profound realization about my future, about Sage.

The room feels unnervingly silent after my teammates' raucous laughter and chatter. Dropping onto the edge of the bed, I pull out my phone. The screen lights up to reveal a photo of Sage, her smile as bright as the Vegas lights. It's that smile that decides it for me.

I swipe through my contacts and hit the call button on Home . The phone barely rings twice before my mom's face fills the screen, my dad's head crowding beside hers, both of their expressions turning from surprise to delight.

"Bash! To what do we owe the pleasure?" Maman's voice is warm, filled with that tone of affectionate curiosity that always makes distances seem shorter.

I hesitate, a nervous laugh escaping me. "Hey, Maman, Papa. I... I've got some news." I pause, taking a deep breath. "I've fallen in love. Truly, madly. Her name's Sage."

Their reactions are immediate and telling. Mom's hands fly to her mouth, eyes misting over, while Dad's broad smile shows his quick understanding and approval. "Sage? The girl from all those stories you've been dropping?" Dad asks, a teasing note in his voice that doesn't hide his genuine happiness.

"Yeah, that's her. And, well, I'm planning to propose. She's the one. The one I've been waiting for." Even saying it out loud sends a thrill through me, mixed with a daunting sense of responsibility.

Mom's reaction is everything I'd hoped for and more. "Oh, Bash, we're so happy for you!" She looks like she might cry, and Dad's arm sneaks around her shoulder, a solid presence. "When do we get to meet her?" she asks, already a mile ahead in planning.

"Soon, I hope. I want everything to be perfect." I run a hand through my hair, a mix of excitement and nerves playing out across my face.

"Well, we know she has to be someone special for you to feel this way. We can't wait to welcome her into the family fold, son," Dad says, his voice sturdy and encouraging.

"We love you, Bash. And we'll love her, too. Just make sure she knows what she's getting into with our brood," Mom adds with a laugh, her earlier tears turning to twinkling mirth.

"Thank you so much. I needed this." I smile, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders with their blessings.

"We're always here, no matter what," Dad assures me, and I disconnect the call feeling more grounded and certain than I have in weeks.

I lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling but seeing Sage's face, imagining our future. And for the first time in a long time, everything feels like it's falling into place.

* * *

Julie is less than pleased when we surround her on the plane the next morning, but she hears us out.

"The poor guy's heartbroken," Anders says. "And you saw what they were like together."

She crosses her arms. "So? If Sage decided to go back home since her van is fixed, that's her decision. I'm not going to enable harassment just because she broke up with you. It's a bad look from a PR standpoint, and on top of that, it's a violation of girl code."

"She didn't break up with me," I protest. "She left after her ex stalked her to Vegas and cornered her in a Home Depot."

Julie's eyebrows go up. "Excuse me?"

"Look at her socials," Noah urges. "The guy's name is Trevor… something. I guess he's some big shot in the world of, like, farm stuff or whatever."

Julie connects to the plane's Wi-Fi and starts scrolling. With each video, her expression shifts toward annoyance, then anger. "Oh, fuck this guy!" she says when she finds clips of his cheating scandal where he ended up on a TikTok live dripping in mushroom risotto. "Why would she go back to him? Is he blackmailing her?"

"That's what I want to know," I say.

"Hold that thought." Julie flips her hair over one shoulder, crosses her legs, and rests her elbow against her knee, letting her phone rest in one hand between us. She dials Dante's number and puts him on speaker.

"Julie," Dante says by way of greeting. "What can I do for you?"

"You want to win the Stanley Cup, don't you?" Julie asks.

Dante snorts. "Of course, I want the Cup and the bragging rights that come with it. Do you have any idea what I've done to build this team? I deserve another Stanley Cup."

"You fired Marco," Anders mutters.

"You orchestrated my relationship so I could focus on the game," Coop adds.

"Dammit, Julie, warn me when I'm on speakerphone!" Dante snarls.

Julie is, as ever, unfazed by his tone. "Here's what's going to happen, then. When the plane touches down, you're going to tell the ground crew to refuel, and then you're flying Bash to Montana."

I swear to God I hear a growl. "The fuck is in Montana?"

"Sage," Julie says. "The girl whose pluck you admire even though you'd never admit it."

Dante grumbles. Julie ignores him. I don't know what dirt she has on him, but there's no denying that Julie holds the power in this relationship. It's awe-inspiring.

"Fine," Dante says. "But the plane is flying back to Vegas at ten sharp tomorrow. Bash, you better be on it. Or your ass is grass. Cup or no Cup, I'll bench it for the rest of the regular season and maybe even the playoffs if I'm feeling extra spicy."

"What about Annie?" I ask.

"The cat?" Dante might be putty in Julie's hands, but that doesn't change how he feels about me. "You want the cat on my private plane?"

"Yes," I say.

Dante clicks his tongue. "Wasn't a question. The real question is how fucking bad do I want the greatest trophy in all of sports?"

Julie glares at the phone. "Dante…"

"I'm thinking."

She rolls her eyes. "While you're doing that, I'm pulling up my resumé."

Something thumps on the other end of the line. I'd bet money Dante just punched his desk. "Dammit, Julie! How many times do you think that's going to work?"

"Until you decide to call my bluff and find out if I'm willing to follow up. Is today the day, boss?"

Anders's eyes bug out of his head, and Briggs has his hands over his mouth like he's watching a scary movie where one of the side characters just volunteered to walk through a darkened hallway alone.

To my astonishment, Dante crumbles. "Fine. The cat comes too. But he's taking the private jet this time. Do you have any idea how much fuel costs?"

"Thanks for thinking about the environment, Dante," Julie deadpans. "See you soon." She hangs up.

The whole team breaks out into enthusiastic applause.

"Oh, stop it." Julie waves us off with one hand, already typing on her phone with the other. "Bash, given the drive, there's a chance you'll beat Sage back to Montana. I'll rent you a car at the closest airport, and then…" She taps a few more times, then turns off her screen. "The rest is up to you."

"Thank you, Julie." My eyes tear up. I'd hug her if she hadn't just proven that she's the ballsiest, most terrifying person I know. "Truly. You have no idea."

"I'm giving you the opportunity, Bash. Don't fuck it up. Oh, and one more thing." She leans closer to me and narrows her eyes. "If you see this Trevor guy? I give you full leave to junk punch him for me."