“Hey, Sawyer,” I say softly, keeping my tone light even though my heart is pounding. “How ya doing?”
“Not great. I just couldn’t get on the plane.” Her voice cracks, and it guts me. “I’m so embarrassed. All my teammates are going to think I’m a baby.”
“They won’t. They’ll understand. I’ve been scared of getting on flights before.”
“Really?”
“Totally. I get it.”
She sighs and I hear how tired she sounds.
“Look, the Mayhem game is wrapping up and I’ll be I’m on my way to you. I’ll be there in a few hours, okay?”
“Okay,” she whispers, sounding a little calmer.
“Do you feel safe spending the night with Kelly until I can get there?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. I’m gonna make sure you’ve got a nice, comfy hotel room near the airport. Get some sleep, and I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
“Okay… that sounds good. Thanks, Bri.”
“See you soon.”
She hands the phone back to Kelly, and I quickly confirm the hotel details before hanging up. My heart’s pounding as I turn back to the ice. Only a few minutes remain on the clock. TheMayhemholds strong, and despite the one goal in the second period, they close it out with a commanding 6-3 win. The crowd erupts, the home fans going wild. But I can’t bring myself to fully enjoy the victory because I need to tell Seth what’s going on and I need to get on the road.
As the team moves to post-game interviews, I work on cleaning up the PT equipment with the rest of the medical staff and tending to any lingering players who need post-game rehab. My body’s moving on autopilot, but my mind is already halfway to Boston.
By the time I finish, I spot Seth just stepping out of an interview. His hazel eyes are bright, his face flushed with post-game adrenaline, and…wow.That smile. It’s the kind of smile that steals the air from my lungs, the one that takes ten years off his face and makes my heart do a stupid little flip because it’s aimed at me tonight. It’s close to the one that I saw Halloween night, when he didn’t know who I was.
He’s fresh from a shower, his hair still damp and messy, and he’s wearing a suit that fits his big, strong body so well it has to be custom made. And he smellsdivine.
“Hey,” he says, slinging his bag over his shoulder casually, grin still firmly in place.
And that’s when it finally clicks for me. On the ice, he’s free. Whatever weight Seth carries around in his everyday life, whatever keeps his shoulders tight, and his expression guarded, it disappears out there. Hockey strips him down to instinct, motion and focus. He smiles more on the ice. Breathes easier. Like it’s the only place in the world where he doesn’t have to hold himself together so carefully.
But off the ice, it all comes back. And the second I tell him about Sawyer, that grin is going to fade right off his face. For a moment, I selfishly hold onto this version of him a little longer just so I can memorize it. The way his eyes brighten when he looks at me like this. The rare, genuine warmth in his smile. The version of Seth that feels open instead of guarded. Before I ruin it with bad news.
Levi, who had disappeared sometime during the third period, chooses that exact moment to reappear.
“So,” he drawls. “Where are we grabbing grub before making the trip back to Brookhaven?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t do dinner tonight,” I tell him. Seth’s expression instantly shifts from light to guarded. I turn to him. “One of the moms from Sawyer’s team called me.”
And just like that, fear replaces the joy in his eyes.
“What happened?” His voice comes out like a growl; his pupils instantly blow wider.
“She refused to get on the flight home. They had to close the gate.”
Seth drops his bag to the floor and shoves his hands through his hair.
“Fuck!” he shouts. “I should have been there with her.”
“Kelly got her calm and she’s resting now. I told her I’d cover a hotel for the night, let Sawyer get some sleep, and I’ll drive up there right now so that I’m there when she wakes in the morning. I can drive her back in the AM.”
“Absolutely not.” Seth’s response is immediate, his tone low and sharp. “I’m going.”
