Hard Checked (Ice Kings #4) - Stacey Lynn Page 0,94
watching, counting down the last minute while men get shoved aside, knocked off their skates, pushed into boards. It goes from a Vegas player to a King, back and forth, and finally, with less than a minute to go, Jude gets a hold of the puck, pulls back and slams it at the goalie. Who misses it go through the far top corner of the goal.
“Score!” all the girls shout. I cry out too, clapping, with the rest of them.
They can do this.
They can win it all.
The question is… what will I end up with?
Chapter Thirty
Sebastian
This series is a killer. We’re tied at two and two, heading back to Charlotte for another game tomorrow. Traveling is the worst part during playoffs. Two games here, two games there, and then every other one until the series is over, back and forth through time zones.
It forces everyone, exhausted at the end of an already long season, to push through all the pain and discover our mettle.
How strong are we really?
Add in all the emotional and family problems I’ve had this season and when I pull into my driveway, Gigi’s Jeep Wrangler bright blue and in the driveway already here, I almost don’t care if we win any more games.
I’m bone-weary tired, in need of a long, hot bath to soak my muscles and a few hours in the sauna to sweat the rest out. I need a night of quiet, curled up with Gigi on my couch, listening to her tell me about her week and grin as she excitedly prattles on about her plans for the bar.
God.
Yes.
This. This is what I’ve been missing for so long—excitement in my veins at coming home. Gigi gives me this in a way that’s effortless and easy to hope it can be forever. I want that. With her.
I might not have known it until early this week, but sitting across from Madison, mourning what I had for the last night, it took that moment to show me what I have now, and what I will have in the future.
Gigi is laughter and love and adventure, and she’s all mine in a way I want to keep her there.
Which means I park my car in the garage, hit the button to shut the door and enter the drop zone where I drop my suitcase and kick off my sandals, intent on finding her so I can tell her all of it.
Everything I feel for her.
“Gigi,” I call out, stepping into the kitchen, already searching for her.
She’s at the couch, standing as I enter and my grin, all the things I feel for her and want to say crash to a slamming halt when I see the look in her eyes.
“What is it?” I ask, hurrying to her.
To my utter shock, she steps back, hands clasped together. We talked last night and everything was fine, outside her being tired.
Or was it?
“What’s wrong?”
“How was your trip?” She stresses the word trip with a look.
She saw the games. It takes a second for it to click.
I take a step back, a cool fist gripping deep inside my chest cavity. “Did Tessa call you?”
She tilts her head to the side. Face blank. No. She’s not void right now. She’s hurt. I’ve done that by not telling her I saw Madison. “Interesting that’s your response.”
“I didn’t think you’d find out.”
And ouch. She flinches and I feel that pain lash so deep so quick I’m already apologizing for that. “Shitty. That was shitty and sounds bad. It was nothing. For me, Gigi, it was absolutely nothing.”
Tears wet her eyes and she nods, pressing her lips together. She pulls up her phone and holds it out.
“This doesn’t look like nothing.”
I don’t want to see the damn photos. But now I know it wasn’t Tessa. Which I should have known. She probably would have assumed I told Gigi right away, which in hindsight, I should have done. Mostly I wanted to push Madison’s visit out of my mind.
“What did she want?” Gigi asks, still holding out the phone. “Because I’ve been trying, trying to trust what you’re telling me right now, but I have to tell you it’s difficult considering the way you’re looking at her, and knowing how much you love her.”
“I don’t love her. Not in that way. Not anymore.”
Screw this. Seriously, screw this. I take the phone from Gigi’s hand, glance at the photos and cringe. It does look bad, but I know why she’s insecure and worried right now.