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“I’m sorry, honey, but you know you’re ours now. An unofficial Lancaster.” Her smile is audible. “You both know you have a safe space here. I can’t wait to see you boys soon. We’ll celebrate properly.”
The casual inclusion warms me. “That sounds perfect. Thank you, Aubrey.”
We chat a few minutes more before reluctantly hanging up. London sags against me in relief, and I wrap my arms around him.
“That went so much better than I expected,” he admits.
I kiss his temple, holding him close. “Because you have an amazing mom. I’m happy for you, Hotshot.” And I truly am.
But looking at the lightness in London's eyes, I know we've cleared another hurdle today. His family knows about us, and they’re still here.
The future feels scary as hell but hopeful too, in some small way.
We've got London's people standing with us now. And together, we can weather whatever narrow-minded bullshit gets thrown our way next.
I didn't have a clue what I was signing up for when I fell for this infuriating, reckless, incredible man. My world's been tilted on its axis ever since, in the best and most terrifying ways. But I know one thing for damn sure—I'm ride or die for London now. Where he goes, I go too.
26
RIOT
The deafening cheersof the crowd reverberate through my chest as I step onto the ice. Spotlights trained on the rink glare down, bright enough to feel like the damn sun beating against my skin. I squint up into the stands, the roar rolling over me in waves.
This is it. The championship we've bled and sacrificed for all season comes down to this one game. Win or lose, this is the last time this team takes the ice together.
A wave of nostalgia sweeps through me, potent enough to steal the breath from my lungs. We've been through so much—injuries, rivalries, triumphs and defeats that have bonded us tighter than family. The ice beneath my skates is home in a way nowhere else has ever been.
But tonight isn't just about putting another trophy in the case. It's a final stand for what we believe in. What I've found with London.
Across the rink, the doors slam open and our opponents skate out. The Evergreen State Enforcers. Hulking forms packed with raw aggression and power. They're known league-wide not just for their ruthless playing style, but for their narrow views off the ice too.
Bile rises in my throat as the crowd cheers for them, oblivious to the pieces of shit they’re rooting for. Their star defenseman winks up at the stands, the girls around him shrieking. My hands tighten around my stick. Men like him make me sick. Bigots hiding behind charm and popularity.
But he won't catch me or London off-guard. We know men like him—the kind who seem supportive in public but spew hatred in private. Who never hesitates to take cheap shots if it knocks someone like us down a peg.
At a party last year, I saw him put hands on a dude he thought was gay, literally throwing him out of his frat house. Fuck that guy.
My gaze finds London across the ice, and he skates toward me. He holds a hand up, his glove tucked under his other arm, and I mirror him, pressing our palms together and linking our fingers. We exchange a single look, a hundred emotions flowing between us. We've got each other's backs. No matter what dirty tricks or slurs get thrown our way tonight, we're in this together.
He’s my ride or die and I’m his.
The boys fall into formation around me as we take the ice, focus radiating off them in waves. We're honed to a razor's edge, connected in a way we've never been before. It's bigger than a championship now—we're family. And we'll bleed for the man next to us if that's what it takes.
Even Knight seems less broody today. There's a sense of brotherhood enveloping us all as we carve up the fresh sheet of ice. The scrape and hiss of our skates is that siren song I've craved, feeding the fierce hunger that lives in my gut. My blood's on fire for one reason—to leave everything I've got out here tonight. No doubts, no regrets, no holding a damn thing back.
This team's put me through hell, and I've returned the favor. But those trials fused us into something unbreakable. Destiny brought us together to be champions. And we sure as hell will be after tonight. The world hasn't seen the likes of us—won't know what hit 'em once we're set loose.
So I've got one job: lead these boys to war. Take every shot, make every pass count. Do whatever it takes to bring back that trophy. And if I've gotta put my body on the line, I'll do it without blinking. Because we're not skating for glory or some piece of metal today. We're proving what family forged in fire and blood can achieve. And I'll be damned if we fall short now.
The Enforcers line up across from us, eyes raking over our team. Their captain angles his body just enough to bump my shoulder as we skate by.
"Hope you're ready to get knocked on your ass tonight," he sneers under his breath. "We don't go easy on your type."
It didn’t take long for word about London and me to spread to other schools, and I’m sure this dickhead’s going to be chirping at me all night. It’s not okay, but I can take it.
Heat flares in my chest, but I keep skating, my expression impassive. He wants a reaction. But I won't give him the satisfaction. A quick glance at London tells me he caught the exchange too, anger smoldering behind his neutral mask.
We pass it off to our teammates in warning. If tonight goes the way we expect, tensions will run high. But we know how to handle it. Their slurs and cheap shots are nothing. They can't touch what London's given me—strength, purpose, a reason to fight with everything I've got.
