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Briggs stared at me, and then he nodded and walked away. The locker room door opened, and the guys made their way back to the bench. I followed, sat down and closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths trying to right myself.

I thought of Lillah telling me she would not compete with the game and that she was the person who would be there when I got home from it. She had given me permission to be fully present during game time, regardless of what was going on between us or in my personal life. She wanted me to give this game everything I had, and she wanted me to know she'd be waiting for me on the other side. She wanted me to be the player I was meant to be, and the fact that we were having our first fight, that she hadn't shown up tonight, that she hadn't spoken to me in days, changed nothing.

Third period was different. Whatever Briggs had said flipped the switch. I won faceoffs. I was closing gaps that had been open all game. I blocked a shot with my shin, and a bolt of pain ripped through my entire leg, but I kept going.

We were tied with four minutes remaining in the game. The puck came loose in front of Florida's net, and we scrambled. It came free to my side, sitting there like it was waiting for me to take it. I didn't hesitate. I moved without thinking, my stick on the puck, quick release. The shot went high, right over the goalie's blocker and into the back of the net. The crowd went crazy as the horn blared and the red light spun.

I turned toward the team box, and even though her seat was still empty, I pointed at it anyway. In my mind, she was right where she should have been, there in the box where she'd been every home game since the night I'd asked her to come.

The guys were going out to celebrate the win, but I showered and dressed, then packed my bag and said goodnight to everyone. I left the boys in the locker room and made my way to the players' car lot and drove home. I pulled into my driveway, cut the engine, and climbed out, looking over at her house.

It was almost eleven and her lights were still on downstairs. I saw Cooper's shadow pass the window, so I went over, climbed up the steps of her porch, and rang the doorbell. I heard Cooper let out a bark, and then I heard the lock turn.

The door opened and Lillah stood there in leggings and my t-shirt, her hair up in a messy bun. She looked as tired as I felt.

"Hey."

"Hi." she said, leaning against the doorframe, her arms at her sides.

"Could I come in?" I questioned.

She stepped aside and waited while I walked past her. I bent down and gave Cooper a hug while his tail wagged with excitement. I scratched his ears and then made my way into the living room where Lillah already stood against the couch, waiting.

"One second." She said, holding up her hand. "Before you say anything, I need to say something first."

I waited, giving her time without interrupting her.

"I overreacted," she said, her voice shaking. "Well, not completely. I meant what I said about wanting to build my career on my own; that is not negotiable for me. It was something I promised myself when I left Brett. It is one thing I need to be mine because that proves to me I am real and that they are choosing me because of me and not someone else."

She took a deep breath.

"The way I handled this wasn't fair. You weren't trying to take over, and you weren't trying to make it about you or to establish a claim on my success. You were trying to be a wonderful boyfriend, and I punished you for it because someone else used to use the same gesture as a weapon."

"Lillah…"

"No, please, let me finish." Her eyes were glistening now as she looked at me. "You're not him, you're nothing like him, but sometimes I confuse the two of you. I hear his voice every time you're the one talking. I'm not being fair to you or to myself. So, I am sorry. I pushed you away when all you were trying to do was help me. I am so sorry that I went silent on you for two days and that I wasn't in the box tonight when you guys won."

"How do you know we won the game?"

"I watched it on TV." she said, shrugging her shoulders. "With Cooper. We shared popcorn." She said, a small smile on her face as she patted his head. "I saw the goal and saw you point to my seat, the way you would have if I were there."

I crossed the room in three steps and pulled her against me. She folded into my chest, her arms wrapping around my waist. I felt her body relax against mine as she took a deep, shaky breath.

"I'm sorry, too." I whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I should have asked before I promoted you. Your business is all yours, and I don't get to decide anything regarding it, even if I have well-intentioned ideas. I gave you a PR boost you didn't ask for, and now everyone can see how great you are on their own, but it should have been your decision to put yourself out there."

She pulled back and looked up at me.

"A PR boost?" She asked.

"Yeah. That was all it was. I pointed people in your direction. Your work did the rest. The clients who are emailing you are emailing because they looked at your portfolio and saw exactly what I see. A talented designer. I opened the door, and you walked through it on your own, babe."

She stared at me and then a smile spread across her face.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"You really love me. Even when I'm difficult and pushing you away for no reason?"