30. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Leo

Wyatt and I grab some of the last boxes from my car and carry them up to Rosa’s new place, our muscles protesting. Can’t believe the amount of stuff she had crammed into her apartment. I don’t even want to know how long it took Cat and her grandmother to pack all this up. I know my kids helped a bit as did Nora and Jake.

At least Rosa is finally somewhere she will be safe. For how stubborn the elder Alonso can be, she actually found a place she liked pretty quickly. Though, from what Cat tells me, it’s the attention Rosa got from some of the older residents that won her over.

I didn’t even know how to respond, especially when Nora cracked jokes about lubrication creams and STDs.

But Sunnybrook Senior Living is nice, a fairly new development with stellar reviews that’s only forty minutes away from where we live. Rosa’s room is spacious and bright, there’s a pool, and a well-manicured garden. And they had room available.

Once upstairs, we set the boxes down with a thud. Wyatt rolls his shoulders, hissing. “Christ, what’s in these? A rock collection?”

“Don’t want to know.” I tilt my head from side to side, stretching out my neck as I survey the chaos around us.

Smitty and Mykyta are bickering over an IKEA bookshelf like an old married couple. Ian and Garrison are hanging pictures, measuring with the precision of brain surgeons. Roan’s muscling a dresser that weighs about as much as he does, and Nora’s organizing Rosa's army of knick-knacks.

My throat starts to tighten a bit. Still can’t believe my teammates are here, that they’re giving up their time to help Cat’s grandmother move in.

Nora turns to Rosa, eyes wide and face red. “Uh, Rosa . . .”

I look over and immediately wish I hadn’t. Nora’s holding up a small, hot pink device. Rosa jumps up and snatches it as Nora makes a gagging sound and races off to the bathroom.

My teammates turn to me, and a second later I realize what the fuck it was.

Wyatt groans, shaking his head. “Dude, you sure about this place? Like maybe she should stay with you . . . where there are no men.”

“Shut it. I don’t even want to think about it.”

“Damn, Rosa still getting it.” Mykyta waggles his bushy eyebrows, and I swear I’m going to go punch his face in.

I contemplate watching one of those murder documentaries for a second, because I may, in fact, strangle my teammate to death right now. Luckily, the TV in the corner catches my attention. It's showing the Ravens game, volume low, but it might as well be blaring. Our entire season hinges on this game, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it.

Last night's overtime loss sits in my gut like a lead weight. We were so close. But close doesn't win championships. I know I've been off my game, distracted by everything else going on in my life. It's no excuse, but it's the truth.

Swear the universe hates me because to clinch the wildcard spot the Ravens need to lose in regulation. And the kicker is, they’re playing the Blackhawks, the worst team in the league.

"Hey, Sparkles," Wyatt's voice snaps me back to reality. "You gonna stand there all day, or are you gonna help us with this IKEA nightmare?"

I shake my head, pushing thoughts of the game aside. "Yeah, I'm coming. Though I'm not sure I trust your engineering skills after seeing that monstrosity."

Wyatt flips me off, grinning like an idiot. The corners of my mouth twitch upward. These guys . . . they’ve become more than just teammates. They care. They’re here when they don’t have to be.

As I kneel to tackle the bookshelf from hell, I take a moment to check my phone and make sure everything’s okay with the kids. My mother came over to watch them so I can help with Rosa.

Things with my mom have been . . . less shitty. She's making an effort to respect the boundaries I've set, even if she can't help slipping in the occasional passive-aggressive comment. It's not perfect, but it's progress.

"Leo, got a sec?"

I look over my shoulder to find Cat standing in the doorway. I stand, brushing my jeans off, then head over to her. “Yeah, what’s up.”

She walks out into the hallway, clutching a stack of papers and frowning. "You okay? You seem . . . off."

I run a hand through my hair. “Just frustrated and anxious. Last night's game, this whole playoff situation . . . I feel like I’ve let the team down."

Her brow furrows. "Leo, you can't put all of that on yourself. You’re a brand new team. Doesn’t it take a while to iron out the kinks?”

While she’s right, that doesn’t mean any of us accept it. “I’m not the only one. We all want to win. But I am the captain. I should’ve done more sooner.”

She places a hand on my arm, giving it a light squeeze. “I’m sure you’re an amazing captain. But you also need to step back and take a look at what’s gone on so far. Look how long it took Wyatt to settle in. And what happened with Jake. The first part of your season had nothing to do with you.”

I pick at the hem of my sweatshirt. “Why do you all never consider that what happened to Jake bothers me?”

“Leo?”

Chewing the inside of my cheek, I take a few seconds to myself before responding. “Nora may not have told Wyatt right away, but he said fuck all to me once he found out. And Jake was my youth player. My son’s friend. I fucking had more of a relationship with Nora’s son than Ian Hudson. But I got left out.”

She reaches up and cups my cheek. “Have you talked to Wyatt about it?”

I grunt, giving a curt nod. “But you do it too. Talk about it like I’ve never met the kid.”

“I’m sorry. I never realized.” Cat wraps her arms around my waist, resting her head against my chest. "And I hope you realize the team knows how much you care, how hard you work. They're not just your teammates, Leo. Many of them are also your friends. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be here.”

“Thank you. Guess I kind of needed to vent.”

She stands on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek. “Anytime. That’s what girlfriends are for, right? I mean, that’s what I am, aren’t I?”

The sudden doubt filling her eyes when I just stand there, dumbfounded, has my mouth working quicker than my brain as I take her into my arms. “You’re not my girlfriend.” She looks down, blinking, lips trembling, so I tilt her head up, forcing her to meet my gaze, to see my smile. “You’re the love of my life.”

Her laugh is soft, a tear escaping, which I quickly wipe away. “You had me there for a minute.” She gently swats my chest, before kissing me, long and deep. When she pulls back, she’s smiling wider than I’ve yet to see. “You’re mine too.”

Never thought I’d find someone I loved as much as Wendy. I always thought movies and books were the only places people ever got to find love again after their first one died. Guess I was wrong—one of the few times I’m happy about it.

I nuzzle into her neck, kissing my way up to her ear. “Glad we’ve got that out of the way.”

A soft moan escapes her lips and I nip the connected lobe. She pulls back, her teeth sinking into her bottom lips. “Never thought I’d be saying this but . . . behave.”

I chuckle, then take her hand in mine. We walk back into the apartment where everyone’s taking a break to watch the game. It’s the start of the second period and the score is tied. Can’t believe it. Thought it would be a blowout.

My stomach twists, heart beating faster. Even my palms are getting clammy. My teammates are fidgeting, nervous as well. Roan’s biting his nails, to which Garrison keeps batting his hand away. Nora keeps ruffling Wyatt’s wavy blond hair, trying to distract him as his leg bounces rapidly.

I clear my throat, hoping to get their attention. "Let's finish setting this place up. We can watch the last period properly once we're done."

They grumble but get back to work. By the time the intermission report comes on, the apartment is set up, someone’s ordered pizza, and we’re all sitting around. I chuckle at Mykyta, who I’m learning is a stress eater. He’s already polished off half a pie and considering how fast he’s eating, I don’t think he’s chewing his food.

The third period begins, and the food all but forgotten . . . except by Mykyta, who's eyeing the last slice like it holds the secret to victory. Cat joins me on the couch, curling into my side. I wrap my arm around her shoulder, bringing her in for a hug.

“Come on, come on,” Smitty says as the Blackhawks narrowly miss a shot on goal.

With five minutes left, the game’s still tied. My heart's racing, and I'm pretty sure I haven't blinked in the last ten minutes.

And then, it happens.

The Blackhawks' center intercepts a pass, breaks away, and scores. The room erupts, and for a second, I think I might pass out from the sudden rush of adrenaline.

I remain seated, muscles locked. “It’s not over, there’s still time.”

But two minutes later, lightning strikes twice. Another Blackhawks goal. The room explodes into chaos, and suddenly Cat and I are at the bottom of a celebratory pile-up.

When Cat yelps, they finally back off, but the excitement is far from over. Mykyta sweeps Rosa into a bear hug while Wyatt spins Nora around, kissing her passionately.

“We’re going to the fucking playoffs!” Roan has the biggest grin on his face. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him happy.

For a second, I just stand there, frozen in place, as chaos unfolds around me. Mykyta’s cheering booms across the room, Wyatt’s practically lifting Nora off the ground, and Roan—Roan, of all people—is whooping and hugging everyone.

But me? I’m just standing here, taking it all in.

My entire body deflates as I let out a long exhale, the tension that’s been coiled for months unraveling.

We did it. Against all odds, we've clinched the wildcard spot.

“You okay?” Cat’s staring up at me, those brown eyes full of concern.

Of course, I grunt because I can’t find the words. She reaches up and wraps her arms around my neck. I pick her up, holding her close, and when she wraps her legs around my waist, I bury my face in her neck.

“We did it.”

“Yes, you did.”

Rosa claps her hands and says, "I think this calls for a celebration. Who wants cake?"

And just like that, the elder Alonso’s new apartment becomes party central. There's laughter, there's cake (where Rosa pulled it from, I have no idea), and there's a sense of joy that fills the room like a physical presence.