EPILOGUE
RILA
She couldn't sit still, it was impossible. Each of her hands was busy, one gripping Blake's fingers and the other Adrian's. She also couldn't breathe properly and her heart was pounding incessantly in her ears.
God, she was going to have a heart attack.
— Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! — Lucas exclaimed alongside the former Bruins forward as the team took possession of the puck.
The anticipation in the air at the stadium was almost palpable, everyone there stared intently at the players gliding aggressively around the rink.
This time, they weren't in the reserved box they usually sat in. No, for this game they were in the seats closest to the ice, right in the front row and it was almost a straight path to the rink gate.
Because this was the NHL finals, it was the game Kieran had been waiting for his entire life. Especially after they lost in the semifinals last season.
— Yeah, fuck, we're gonna make it — Adrian couldn't sit still either, his body long and a little thinner than before, leaning on his new crutch — And please don't crush my hand, I don't need another damaged limb on my body.
— Sorry — Rila eased her grip on her fingers, her eyes fixed on the player with the number twenty-two on his back. She wasn't sure if she had blinked more than three times in the last ten minutes.
That's when it happened.
The puck made contact with the opposing net one last time, breaking the tie and sealing the victory. And the stadium erupted in that same second.
Screams, horns honking, crying, loud music and people jumping everywhere. This time, the confetti that fell all over the rink was black and gold and the sea of fans wearing those same colors went crazy. Including her and her friends.
— Oh my God — the emergency doctor screamed, her eyes filling with tears of joy as her entire body shivered — My God, they did it.
— Fuck yeah they did — Adrian threw his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and placing a smacking kiss on the top of her head — The fucking Stanley Cup, for fuck's sake.
— Guys, look — Blake waved her hand frantically toward the rink, where players were hugging and shouting as well.
The long-awaited cup was reaching the team captain and she began to look for Kieran in the middle of the crowd of men who were celebrating tirelessly.
Her favorite blue caught her eye a few seconds later. Crystal blue that always took her breath away. Crystal blue that now shone with happiness. Crystal blue that accompanied a big, huge, gigantic smile.
She saw the coach handing him something at the exact moment the Stanley Cup was raised by the captain. And it was when she saw him lift the jersey emblazoned with the number seventy-three that the tears she was holding back ran down her cheeks.
The stadium's big screen focused on that moment, the Stanley Cup raised and the uniform with GARCIA written next to it, and the people there screamed even louder.
— Shit — she heard Adrian gasp. Rila looked up to find him in the same situation as her. Tears were streaming down his tanned face and his lips were pulled into a watery smile — I can't believe he did that.
— You are brothers — she couldn't stop crying, but she wasn't even trying. The moment called for tears of happiness — He loves you, Adrian, of course he would do something like that.
—Yeah, and he loves you too — her friend jerked his chin toward the rink, causing her to turn her attention there too.
Kieran was still looking in their direction, the shirt with his friend’s number now thrown over one shoulder as he grabbed the sleeve of his uniform on the other side, exposing the number twenty-two stitched there. And thanks to the proximity of their seats, Rila could see his lips moving.
I love you.
The days following the Bruins’ victory were a whirlwind of activity.
Interviews, photo shoots, fans and reporters camping out on his doorstep and in the driveway of her apartment building.
Some even dared to wait outside the hospital in an attempt to corner her boyfriend while he picked her up after a shift.
It took a week for Kieran to finally find a chance to celebrate the victory with his friends and now they would do it in the best bar in town.
— I'm so happy for them— Jessie said as they walked from the hospital to The Secret.
— Me too — she put her arm around her friend's shoulders and whispered in her ear — Victory sex may be the best I've ever had.
— Urgh, I don't need to know that— the gynecologist pushed her away, making her laugh.
Her friend was unable to attend the winning game due to a non-transferable shift, but she was there in the way she could with celebratory messages when the team held the trophy.
Rila was so lost in the memory of last night's hot sex that she didn't notice how quiet the place was until she finished hanging her coat on the hook by the door. And when she turned around, she understood why.
There were flowers made of building blocks decorating the entire bar. On the tables, in the booths, on the counter. Everywhere. And almost everyone important to them was there, even her parents were sitting on one of the couches in the booths.
She saw Mark wink at her from behind the bar and nod his chin toward the corner of the room she always avoided when she went there. Rila's heart, which had been pounding wildly against her sternum since the moment her eyes met the first flower, nearly leapt out of her chest when she saw blue.
Her favorite crystal blue.
Kieran Ward stood in the middle of the small karaoke stage with his arms behind his back and waiting patiently for her.
— Surprise — Jessie whispered excitedly beside her before gently pushing her forward, as if to encourage her to go to him.
Keeping her eyes on his the whole time, she crossed the room and climbed onto the stage, her hands shaking slightly as he turned so they were facing each other. Her mouth was dry as a desert. She needed a beer. Or maybe two.
— We won the championship and I achieved something that had been my dream since I was a little boy: I held the Stanley Cup.
And while I was doing that, I realized it was time to do something else — his voice wasn't loud, but it wasn't hard to hear him thanks to the silence that reigned over the bar — Something that is much more important to me than winning the game.
I love you, Rila Hana Hill. And I know you know that, just like everyone else here knows that.
He walked closer, stopping just a step away from her and knelt down.
Kieran Ward dropped to one knee and removed his hands from behind his back, putting a small box of building blocks in front of his blue eyes.
— You were the first woman I loved and I know I will continue loving you until the day the heart you hold in your hands stops beating — the black and red lid opened, revealing a golden ring with a square diamond with rounded edges between two smaller ones — Marry me?
She didn’t need to think to answer that. There was nothing she was as certain of as her love for Kieran and his for her. So she said the only thing that could be said at that moment.
— Looks like I'll be able to stop wearing your jersey.
And then, his lips broke into a big smile, full of happiness and understanding. It was the kind of smile that Kieran kept hidden most of the time.
— Are you going to kiss me now?
She had barely finished her question when he was already standing up, their lips crashing against each other. Everyone there began to scream and applaud at the same time as music began to play through the speakers.
— I love you — she murmured against his mouth before feeling the ring slide perfectly onto her finger.
— Hell yeah! I finally get to wear my groomsman suit — Adrian's voice made their heads turn towards him — My speech is ready, just so you know.
They walked off the stage laughing and were surrounded by their families and friends.
A while later, she, Blake and Jessie were at the bar staring at her hand with the engagement ring.
She couldn't believe that one of them was engaged, the other was having a baby soon and all three of them had survived their residencies and would be taking the exam for their respective specialist titles in less than two months.
— Hi, sorry — Adrian appeared, stopping with his crutch next to Blake and extending his hand toward the bartender who was holding a beer — I just need to get the…
— Oh, no problem — the blonde swallowed hard and let out a strange laugh before moving her body to the side, making room for the former player — Let me just…
— Yeah, ok, hun — he nodded, grabbed the bottle and gave them a weak smile — Thanks.
Adrian was out of there in the blink of an eye, proving that all his physical therapy was paying off by the speed at which it happened.
— What was that? — Rila grimaced and stared at the blonde.
— What? — Blake played dumb, taking a sip of her wine as she pretended to look around the room.
The reaction made her eyebrows rise even higher.
— That weird, uncomfortable thing that happened between you and Adrian.
— We kissed — the sentence came out so low and abruptly that it took her a few seconds to understand what her friend had just confessed.
— What?! — Jessie almost choked.
— Yeah — the blonde laughed nervously — We kissed and now things are weird. Can we talk about something else now? Jessie, where's your guy?
— Emergency surgery. Now, spit it out, blondie.
As they listened to Blake give all the details, Rila's eyes met Kieran's from across the room.
As always, blue was all she could see. The crystal blue that was the first thing she saw when she woke up and the last thing before she fell asleep, even if it was through a video call because of their crazy schedules.
That was the blue she would see for the rest of her life, and there was no hesitation in her when she thought about it.
The end.