My phone buzzes in my pocket.
Avery:OH MY GOD. I’m screaming.
Harper:That was the most romantic thing I've ever seen.
Olivia:Theo says Ethan is a wreck. Go easy on him. Also, we're all crying.
I'm still staring at my phone when a hand touches my elbow. “He's asking for you.”
I look up to find Theo standing beside me, still in his gear, sweat dripping down his face. “He told me to come get you.”
“Where?”
“The family room. Down the hall from the locker room. He'll meet you there in ten minutes.”
The corridors are crowded with staff and players and media, but everyone steps aside when they see me coming. A few people clap, and one of the trainers whistles. I keep my head down and walk faster.
The family room is quiet when I slip inside. It's a comfortable space with couches and a TV, designed for players' families to wait after games. Tonight, it's empty.
I sink onto one of the couches and try to calm my racing heart. My hands are shaking, and my whole body is vibrating with anticipation and nerves.
The door opens, and Ethan walks in.
He's showered and changed into jeans and a dark sweater, his hair still damp and curling at the edges. He stops just inside the door and just looks at me.
“Hi,” I say.
“Hi.”
We stand there for a long moment, the silence stretching between us. Then he crosses the room in three long strides and pulls me into his arms.
I bury my face in his chest and breathe him in. His arms tighten around me until there's no space left between us, until I can feel his heart pounding against my cheek.
“I'm sorry,” he says in a rough voice. “I'm so sorry. I was an idiot. I was scared, and I took it out on you, and I'm so fucking sorry.”
I pull back enough to look at his face. “It’s okay. That’s the past.”
“The flowers were from me. I should have signed the card, but the guys said not to. I shouldn’t have listened. I didn't know if you'd even want to hear from me after everything I said.”
“I hoped it was you.” I cup his face in my hands. “I wanted it to be you so badly.”
“Can you forgive me?” His eyes search mine, vulnerable in a way I've never seen from him before. “I know I don't deserve it. I know I hurt you. But I love you, Natalie. I love you, and I can't do this without you.”
“I love you too.” The words come out thick with tears. “I never stopped, even when you were being a stubborn, impossible ass, I never stopped loving you.”
He laughs. “I was a stubborn, impossible ass.” He grows serious. “Let’s go home. I need to be alone with you.”
We leave through a back exit to avoid the media. Ethan's car is waiting in the player parking lot, and we drive in silence, our hands intertwined on the center console.
I'm pressed against his side, his arm around my shoulders, on the elevator ride to his apartment. The moment we're through his door, everything changes.
His hands are in my hair, tilting my head back so he can kiss me. “I missed you. God, I missed you so much.”
“Show me.”
He groans and lifts me off my feet. I wrap my legs around his waist, and he carries me down the hallway to his bedroom. We fall onto the bed together, his body covering mine.
His hands find the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head. “Beautiful.” He traces his finger along the lace edge of my bra. “You're so beautiful.”
