38. OLIVIA

CHAPTER 38

OLIVIA

A YEAR AND A HALF LATER

N o one warned me that a graduation hat could get so close to poking my eye out. I rub my forehead, regretting every second of tossing it in the air as if gravity also wanted to stop and celebrate the moment. At least I find mine among the vacated chairs easily. It's the one bedazzled in black—my favorite color—and also the colors of every damn hockey team I've been forced to care about.

Diploma in one hand, lethal weapon on the other, I join the throngs of students vacating the St. Cloud hockey arena that's also been converted into the graduation hall. This is the last time I walk out of the premises and a lump catches in my throat.

The first time I came here was with my brother, Aran, and my best friend, Brooklyn, so we could cheer on my big sister. Then it was just Brooklyn and I to watch my brother's games. And then it was just me, to cheer on Brooklyn.

Now it's just me.

"Girl!" Mina screeches in front of me .

" Girl! " I shout back.

"Giiirl." Dee hauls us in a massive group hug. We all compete to hug each other harder, but in truth, Dee's got us beat. She's the one who just got invited to the women's Olympic hockey team, along with luminaries like Ryan Avery—friend of Aran and Maddie—and JT Brewer—my sister Luz's bestie from her Thunder Strikes days.

"Okay, I need to breathe." I tap Dee's shoulder and she releases us.

"Can you believe this? We're done with education forever ." Mina drags the last word for emphasis.

"Speak for yourself. The master's in public health and nutrition of my dreams awaits me." I bend my hand in a delicate way.

"Nerd."

"Yes."

"I hate that we won't be living together anymore." Mina lips form a downward arch.

Dee nudges her with her elbow. "But hey, you're moving in with your new boyfriend so that's a major upgrade."

"I mean, yes." Mina doesn't sugarcoat it and I start laughing.

"I'll miss you guys so much." I put my arms around their shoulders and hug them again.

"But you . You're the one who must be the happiest." Mina tips her chin down and gives me the evil smirk that is capable of making an entire Division I hockey team do her bidding. And that's definitely not because she's the girlfriend of said team's graduating captain.

I lift a shoulder. "Well, it's not a competition."

"You don't need to lie in front of us."

"Yeah, okay. I'm excited enough to power an entire continent." I press my hands against my warm cheeks. "I can't believe I'm moving in with Brooklyn. "

"I can't believe you guys did long distance for a year and a half." Mina shakes her head. "I could never."

Dee scoffs. "Yeah, you could. You'd follow Bloom to the ends of the earth."

"Heck yeah. I have to be there to keep those puck bunnies away." She winks, knowing full well she was one such puck bunny once upon a time.

I recognize some approaching figures over her shoulder. "Oh, time's up, guys. The whole Rodriguez clan makes landfall in T-minus one minute. See you at the party later?"

"Of course."

"For sure."

The fact they say this at the same time, and that Dee's wearing the same sinister-Mina expression, gives me pause.

But then a set of pincers wrap around me. "?Mi hermanita se graduó!" Luz's obnoxious voice pierces my eardrum.

"Ugh! Get off me, you oaf. You're gonna squish the baby."

Luz places a loud kiss on my cheek and pulls away. I turn to find her massaging her pregnant belly. "Baby CR wanted to hug you too." My dork of a sister and her dork of a husband are calling their upcoming firstborn by the initials of their last names, because they refuse to give us any hint on whether it's a boy or a girl.

Max gives me a one arm hug. "Congrats, Oliva." Of course, he's joined the family tradition of calling me by some variant of olive, but in Italian. I hate them all.

Mom's all sniffly as she hugs Dad. And his eyes are misty eyed too. "Our last baby is all grown up now, Arturo. ?Qué vamos a hacer?"

"Jugar golf?" He suggests, dabbing at his face with a handkerchief.

"Auntie!" This is the only word, aside from Mommy and Dadda, that my niece can say so far. Which is helpful, since aside from Luz and I, she has Maddie's sister .

I pluck her from her mother's arms and smush my face in her belly, which always makes her laugh. She clings to my neck as I look at her parents. Aran grunts, and his wife translates, "We're so proud of you."

I love Maddie, and only Maddie.

"Thank you, guys."

I can't help trailing my eyes past them to the expanse of the plaza that leads to the public entrance of the arena. There are clusters of people everywhere, families and friends of the grads taking pictures, hugging it out. It's a moment of relief, joy, and pressing nostalgia.

Right now, I'm trying my hardest to not let sadness overpower me. This should've been another one of those important milestones that Brooke and I shared together. It was why we busted our behinds to get in the same college. But life had its own plans, anyway. And I guess it's not right for me to expect him to come today, when I'm literally flying tomorrow to officially move in with him.

He'll keep playing professional hockey for the team of the city I'll be doing my master's at. I can't believe how perfect that is—it almost feels like a reward after all this time apart.

Aran reaches his hands toward me to retrieve his daughter, and I comply with a mild protest. Then I get lifted off the ground.

Squeals explode from my chest at the vertigo. My diploma and bedazzled hat go flying off. A second later, I land on powerful arms and I recognize the scent of expensive cologne and warm boy. When I open my eyes, Brooke's grinning face peers down at me.

My brain catches up to what my nose knew first, and my jaw drops.

"Hey, Liv."

"Surprise!" the voices of my former roommates shout in unison from nearby .

It finally clicks. This is why they looked so devious. They were planning this behind my back.

I stretch until I free my arm squished against his chest and bring it around his neck. With my free hand I touch his face, just to make sure this is real. The faint scar from a year and a half ago is still there on his jaw, and that's how I know I'm not dreaming.

"It's you," I sigh the words.

"It's me." Brooke presses a quick kiss on my lips that makes someone coo. My sister, I'm sure. When he pulls away, he asks, "Did you really think I'd miss this moment?"

"Well. Your team's in the playoffs, unlike the losers over there."

"Hey!" Max laughs.

My brother grouches. "We'll see about that next year."

Slowly, Brooke tips me to one side until my feet touch the floor. He doesn't let go, though, and I'm in no hurry to go anywhere else. "I mean, we still have to travel tomorrow but I definitely couldn't miss this day. Especially when I may have already tattooed it on my side."

"What?" My eyes bulge. "That's only supposed to be for important dates." That, I learned at a certain cabin in the woods. The numbers I'd seen tattooed on his ribs were the date he was drafted. Since, he's added the day we officially became a couple and the day he scored his first goal in the NHL. That day he broke a franchise record of youngest offensive defenseman to do so, too.

"Today's an important date." He pushes my short hair behind my ears, and slides his hands down my arms until he joins our hands. "It's not just your graduation or what would've been mine."

I rack my brain, trying to think what else could be a big deal. "Are you getting a raise? Surely not getting traded so soon. Or did you land that massive sponsorship deal your agent's been negotiating?"

"Nope." He pops the p with gusto. "Today, I'm going to win by shutout. And so will you."

"Huh?" I glance around, but clearly no one's going to help. My family and friends watch this bizarre conversation with entirely too blank expressions. When I turn back to my boyfriend, he's in one knee.

I freeze.

Brooklyn's eyes glint like pure emeralds under the sun. There's a soft smile on his face, like he's not nervous at all. Like he's not doing something completely shocking.

"Aceituna."

"Brooklyn." I growl. "What are you doing?"

"You know what my job is, right?" His voice is gentle but unwavering, his hands warm around my cold ones. "I have to do whatever I can to prevent goals, and see if I score some as well."

"Right." I blink hard.

"But there's only one game in my life where it's not about scoring goals. It's about both sides winning, together." His eyebrows rise. "I'm talking about us, in case it wasn't clear."

"Yeah, I'm following."

Someone snickers behind me.

"‘Kay, good. Just checking." Brooke pauses to grin. "That's why it's the only game where both of us can win by shutout, you see, where it's not about scoring points against each other at all. We protect each other. We push each other to succeed. We catch each other when we're down…"

I swallow hard. "You don't need to stop, I'm still following."

Brooke rakes his teeth on his bottom lip and releases it to a little smile. Maybe he's more nervous than I thought.

He shifts his hold to take both of my hands in one of his. The free one rummages in his pocket. My heart kicks and roars to a full throttle. Everything around us disappears from my vision. My mind records this moment for replay the rest of my life. There's only sweetness in his eyes as he brings forward a ring. The gasp that comes out isn't mine. I've become a statue.

Only when his eyes lower to the offering do I tear mine from his. The ring is a white band, simple but sleek. And atop sits a shiny black rock. I have no idea what it is, but immediately a thought pops into my head.

Wow, that is so me .

Next thing I know, everything's blurring because my eyes are raining.

"That year and a half when you shut me out was the worst of my life," Brooke continues saying in a soft, low voice. "And the past year and a half away from you has been the hardest. Now, I don't want to waste a single second more."

"B-Brookie…"

"So, Liv. Aceituna. Oliva. Olive. Bestie." I hiccup a laugh and he places a kiss on my hand. "Olivia, will you marry me?"

I drop to my knees, burying my face in the crook of his neck and hugging him tight. And in front of my entire family and friends, I say in my best Spanglish, "Sí. A thousand times sí!"