Page 13 of Until the Last Star Fades

“Is it ever with her? Anyway…Rye, my goal! It was EP-IC! Their defenceman was clinging to me, pulling me backward, but I dragged him and the puck over the blue line, across the slot, then my wrist shot—”

“MVP! MVP!” Teammates pumping the air with bottles invaded the screen, their deafening chants sending Riley’s fingers scrambling to lower the tablet’s volume. They jumped around, slopping beer on each other without regret or concern. “MVP! MVP!” They tried to hoist Josh up on their shoulders, but he wrestled them off with laughter and a round of aggressive high fives.

“YASSS!” With each smack, the vibrations jarred Josh’s phone, distorting the picture. “I am! I am the FUCKING MVP, right, fiancée?!”

Riley nodded with a tight smile. She was happy for Josh, for all of them. Their season had been a rollercoaster ride of nail-biting wins and devastating losses. Going into the tournament as underdogs, their guts and grit captured the title, and her guy—the science nerd from school who was bullied as a preteen for competing in figure skating—was now a sculpted, six-foot-two hockey god who could outskate all competition and had scored the game-winning goal two games in a row. Celebrated in chants, plied with booze all night, and destined for the NHL in six short months, Josh was proving wrong all those bullies who called him weak, weird, or a waste of space. What had made him a target as a kid was now his gift. He was the MVP—and her fiancé.

Fiancé. Most f-words I have no trouble saying, but this one…?

High fives morphed into ‘I love you, man’ hugs, bro back slaps, and Josh’s phone zooming into some guy’s plaid shirt.

Riley exhaled heavily. Anything she said now wouldn’t be heard. I should let him go…

His red face flew back on screen. “Aww, babe, wish you were here.” He pushed off another teammate invading their conversation. “Make sure you tell your mom about our engagement, okay? Tell her.”

“I will, when I see her.” She grinned. “You should go, have fun. I’m glad I got to see you…”

“Rye?”

“Yeah?”

“Wait.” He covered his phone, only a flicker of light making it through the gap between his fingers. The booming bass and locker room chants faded, replaced by the brief squeal of a hinge. “Woah, c-c-old!” Josh gasped and his phone shook, revealing a flash of dirty Nikes crunching snow underfoot. “It looks like Christmas…see?” His phone tilted, sweeping across the woodland bordering the bar’s property. Snow-kissed evergreen trees stood still, pointing toward a jet-black sky pierced with tiny dots of tinsel, faraway stars twinkling hello. No wind, no voices, just the passing splash of tires through slush on the road and the muted thump thump thump of bass from the bar keeping them company.

Returning to the screen, Josh chuckled, muting another hiccup. “The chill…it’s sobered me up a bit.” He inhaled deeply, blowing out a cloud of breath. “So, fiancée…” A sly smile raised his cheeks. “I couldn’t be happier. It’s what everyone wants—you and me engaged!”

Not Piper. Piper thinks I should dump you—now.

“My parents, Erika, your mom—yeah, think about how happy Maggie will be.”

Erika wants another WAG-y partner in crime, and Mom? How will Mom feel?

Josh stared, his eyes dropping to her thin tank top. “Hello…Riley? Are you thinking about our wedding night? I am! Riley?”

She blinked, rejoining the conversation. “Yeah.”

“Aw, babe, you and me in the same city, our own apartment with actual rooms—not like that shitty dump you’re in now. We’ll have a huge bedroom with a king-size bed, an en suite bath, maybe even get a place with a pool so you can swim whenever. I’ll take care of you—of us. I’ve got this.”

“Josh—”

“I know. Maggie raised an independent girl and you hate letting a guy take care of you, but that’s what a husband does.” A laugh burst from his lips. “I’m so gonna let you pick out a massive ring with my signing bonus.”

“You can’t blow your bonus on me, Josh.”

“Can’t I spoil my fiancée? Make sure everyone knows you’re mine? The Wild veterans, man, they’re gonna be so impressed—and envious. I may be a rookie on the ice, but off it—with you—I’m anything but! I’m dying to show you off. You’ll be the hottest girl at the rink.”

You want me to play a role that’s not real—that’s not me. “Those girls will think I’m a freak. I’m not into shopping or babies. I hate manicures. I have more in common with your future teammates than their girlfriends—I actually know what a failed offside challenge is.”

“Erika and Leia don’t think you’re a freak.”

“Leia does,” Riley shot back. Erika’s bestie wasn’t her biggest fan.

“Leia shouldn’t talk. She’s named after a Star Wars character.”

“She hates Star Wars.”

“Yeah, and that’s why she’s a freak. Look, when we move to Minnesota, you’ll meet girls nicer than her and Erika with none of that snotty New York ’tude. Sometimes I think that city’s a bad influence…”

Riley pulled the elastic from her hair, letting it fall long and wavy to her shoulders.