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I don’t talk much on the flight. In fact, everyone is fairly quiet. I guess we’re all just focused on tonight’s game against the Panthers.
For me, though, Addison is also on my mind.
That woman just fucking owns me.
Even on the bus ride from the airport to the hotel the team is staying in, I feel the need to text her.
Me: We just arrived in Fort Lauderdale. I miss you, and I hope you’re having a good day.
Addison: Hmm, I feel very relaxed. Almost euphoric. I wonder why that is…
She adds a little thinking person emoji, and I laugh.
Me: I’m happy you feel good, babe. But you just wait until tomorrow night. Euphoria is just the start.
Addison: Damn, I can’t wait.
Me: Same, sweetheart.
The bus reaches the hotel, and I wrap up with her.
Thankfully, the next few hours fly by.
I take a short nap, join the guys for a pregame snack, and then we all take a bus over to the arena.
The game with the Panthers turns out to be a tight defensive matchup. There’s not much scoring, and we’re still tied 1-1 by the start of the third period.
Things then start to open up.
Finn scores a goal at 11:02.
Then I set up Nils on a sweet two-on-one, and he buries the puck in the net.
We win the game 3-1.
Even though we have a very early flight over to Tampa for a late-afternoon game with the Lightning, by the time we make it back to the team hotel, Arden, Nils, and I are fucking starving. Most of our teammates are heading to bed, but we decide to grab a quick bite in the hotel restaurant.
It works out well, as we have a table to ourselves in a dark corner.
Good, we can talk without being overheard. I really want to let the guys know I’m seeing Addison now—especially Arden—but I’m waiting for the subject to come up.
So far, it’s been all hockey talk.
But then Arden, setting his fork down and pushing away his mostly empty plate of pasta, asks, “So, are you and Addison still getting along okay?”
Cryptically, just to keep them wondering before I divulge the sure-to-be-surprising update, I reply, “Er, uh…you could say that.”
I smirk, and Nils looks over at me curiously.
Chuckling, he says, “You hooked up with her, didn’t you?”
All I have to do is laugh, and they know.
Arden shakes his head. “I knew it was going to happen. All that hate from early on had to come out somewhere. I suspected it was always fueled by lust.”
I take a sip of water, then set the glass down. “Yeah, it was. But now it’s more than that.”
“Whoa.” Arden looks surprised. “So it’s going to be more than a onetime thing.”
