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His words linger in the night air as I watch him drive off, leaving me standing alone under the glow of the streetlights.
When am I going to make us official?Good question.
It’s odd how quickly she became the thrumming pulse beneath my skin, a rhythm I didn’t know I was missing until the silence filled with her laughter.
We’re supposed to be playing pretend, but every shared glance, every brush of her hand against mine, feels like a line erased, a truth written in its place. Boston General wants her, and hell, who wouldn’t? But thinking of her in that city while I’m trying to carve out my own destiny on ice has my stomach twisting.
The weight of expectations plays heavily on me: mine, my dad’s, Boston’s. But when I close my eyes, I see only one face cheering for me, and it’s not any of them. It’s hers, Amanda. And suddenly, I’m not just playing for my future—I’m playing for ours.
CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT
AMANDA
I forcea smile and walk into the chaotic ice rink with Maddy by my side. I’ve mastered the art of hiding my true emotions. Technically, I should be ecstatic now that finals are done, but today is the skills competition. Even though Blake is confident in his abilities and assured he’d win, I can’t help but worry for him. There is so much riding on this. If his teammates knew the stakes, they’d throw their performance to help him win.
But Blake is way too proud and honorable to allow that to happen.
We have seen little of each other since I returned from Boston. Our schedules haven’t aligned with his intense practice and our preparation for finals. He had an away game this weekend, and the team took another hard loss, leading to speculation that they can’t win on the road. Total bullshit but still, stuff like that can mess with your psyche. Their late-night return on Sunday left no time for us to catch up.
My palms are slick against the cold metal of the railing as I lean forward, peering over the heads in front of us. It doesn’t take long before Blake catches sight of me. That signature grin of his stretches across his face, and my stomach does a flip-flop despite the worry.
“There you are,” he calls out, gliding over with the ease of someone born on skates. He acknowledges Maddy and turns those blues to my greens. “I was hoping you’d make it.”
“I wouldn’t miss a chance to watch you kick ass.”
“Damn straight. My girl knows me.” Blake studies my face for a moment, his expression growing serious. Heavy. “Thanks for being here.”
“Anything for you. You know that.” I want to keep the mood light. Lessen the burden of today’s tasks with what little I can in my arsenal. “Besides, you’re in your element.”
He laughs. “Yeah, it’s a win-win. We get to do what we love, and it helps the kids. Plus, I get to show off for you.”
“Show off?” I raise an eyebrow. “Let’s hope you’re as good at scoring goals as you are at scoring points with flattery.”
“Ouch,” he says, clutching his chest in mock pain. “But just watch, Hoyt. I’ll be tallying the most points all night.”
“Confident, aren’t we?” I tease, but there’s a part of me, a very real part, that swells with pride at his confidence. Blake’s more than just a talented athlete; he’s a force on the ice, and everyone here knows it.
He has to win.
“Always,” he shoots back, a playful glint in his eye.
Drew skates up beside him. "Hey, Amanda, Maddy."
When he says hi to Maddy, I swear there is fire in her gaze. Interesting. Here, I thought they were starting to like each other.
“Are you ready?” Maddy asks him.
“You know it,” Ryan smirks with his own confidence. Maddy rolls her eyes. But is that a smile on her face? Oh, something is going on. I just can’t tell what.
“Please. I’m going to smoke your ass,” Blake says with ease.
“You could go easy on us this year. It’s for charity, you know.” Pointing his thumb at Blake, Ryan says, “He always goes after it like his career depends on it.”
If he only knew how close to the truth that statement was.
“Bring it if you want to win. I won’t slack in front of my girl.” Blake laughs as if joking, but when our gazes connect, the sincerity in his depths warms my heart. We still haven’t discussed what happens after the Gala tomorrow, but he cares about me. That I can’t deny.
The buzzer sounds, pulling our direction to the center ice.
