30. “Wait . . . you never rooted for the Sharks, did you?” #2
“You okay?” I ask, knowing how bizarre it feels having your fiancée rooting for you in the audience for the first time.
He just nods. As always, a man of few words.
We sit in silence, watching Adler doing some stickhandling exercises. When he spots us, he skates toward us.
“Dude, I still can’t believe you have a fiancée .”
“Hey. What about him?” Wally says, nodding at me. “I come back after a few days, and he’s dating a girl I’ve never heard of.”
“Haha, very funny.” I give him a pointed look. “She’s still the same woman, but yeah, I guess that was pretty fast too.”
“Now I’m concerned.” Adler frowns, placing a hand on Wally’s shoulder. “You’re cracking jokes . What happened, dude?”
“He has a point,” I say with a frown. “A week ago, you barely even talked to women. This is definitely a surprise.”
“Did someone cast a spell on you?” Adler asks.
I chuckle, but judging by Adler’s expression, he’s dead serious.
“Are you being threatened?” he continues. “Blink twice if you are. I still have a contact in the CPD.”
“Come on, now,” Wally grumble s, shaking his head. “We just reconnected, that’s all.”
“Yeah, I’d say so.” I chuckle. “Well, in any case, I’m happy for you, man.”
“Me too,” Wally says, and I catch a glimmer of something in his eye. Something I’ve never seen before. Grace is good for him, I can feel it.
“Aww. This is adorable,” Adler says, his hands cupped around his chin. “Truly adorable.”
Wally smacks him on the head with his glove. “Shut up.”
“What are you all chit-chatting about?” Miles calls out, coming from the tunnel with Beaumont. “Let me guess: girls?”
Crossing my arms, I just roll my eyes in response.
At this point, I’m just eager for the game to start.
Eager to see how we all perform tonight, with our friends, girlfriends, and wives in the audience.
Wally has always been one of the fiercest goalies in the NHL.
I can’t wait to see him unleash his skills at full force.
As if reading my thoughts, he says, “We’d better win tonight, lads.”
Adler stands up straight, a hand on his hip. “Let’s win the last game of the year so we can get back to our girls.”
We frown, and I blow out a laugh.
“Yeah, that came out a lot less manly than I intended,” he says. “Let’s crush them.”
We all laugh, high-fiving and pumping ourselves up to win.
Aria
The Raptors were on fire tonight. After a heated fight, they won the game 6–2 against the Chicago Cavaliers.
We’re now milling around a large event space at the hotel, which was specially rented out by the Raptors staff so we could ring in the new year together.
Most of the team and staff have their family and friends here tonight, and the space is packed with people.
“So,” Elio begins, turning to me as Caleb, Lucy, and I are having a drink. “Have you ever been to Italy? You two should visit sometime soon.”
“Never left the US, but I’d love to go.”
“Oh, I’m definitely taking you,” Caleb says, resting a hand on my back. “And to France too, to visit Gaby.”
“Italy is amazing,” Lucy says with a warm smile. “I love France, but Italy already has so much to offer, and I’m not even done exploring yet.”
The DJ cranks up the m usic a notch, and Elio starts moving to the rhythm. “Ohh, mi piace questa canzone . Dance with me, Bella ?”
Lucy takes his hand, and they walk to the dance floor.
“Shall we?” Caleb asks, waggling his eyebrows.
We start swaying to the music, and it’s obviously a popular song. Every couple in our group is dancing next to us. Even Wally and Grace.
James and Beaumont keep teasing him, and he responds by flipping them the bird.
Caleb chuckles into my neck. “They deserved that.”
“It’s almost midnight,” Aaron calls over the crowd, peering at the digital clock on the wall.
“I can’t believe the year is almost over,” I whisper, mostly to myself.
“I know,” Caleb says. “I didn’t think it was going to end like this, but I’m so happy it is.”
We lock eyes, sharing a smile that holds everything we feel.
Caleb has a point. If someone had told me on January first that this is how my year would end, I would have laughed in their face.
But now, I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
It’s crazy how your outlook on life dictates the direction it takes.
You don’t even realize it, and soon enough, you’re stuck in a vicious cycle.
But here’s the thing. You can also make it a virtuo us cycle, and that’s what I’m aiming for now.
“Ten, nine, eight…” They start the countdown, watching the clock, and I’m eager to start this new year—this new beginning.
Because finally, after all this time, I’m right where I’m supposed to be. I get it now. My crappy past had to exist just so I could have a future this amazing, and I can’t wait for it to begin.
“Happy New Year!” everyone cheers when the clock strikes midnight.
Caleb draws me against him, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Happy New Year, Aria.”
And with that, he kisses me. It’s like one of those dramatic movie kisses, where he dips me low. I let out a gasp of surprise, but I know I’m secure in his arms. I wrap my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Nothing bad will happen to me right now. I’m sure of it.
Because I’m the luckiest girl in the world.