epilogue
PACKY
Noah’s pass made it through traffic and landed cleanly on my stick. I was wide of the goal and too far back to shoot, so I cut inside, slipped past a white sweater, and found the slot as their D closed in. I took the shot anyway.
Bar down. Scrimmage over.
Kai, still in the crease for Team White, dropped his glove and flipped me off. Never one to let a gesture like that go unanswered, I blew him a kiss.
As we headed to the locker room, Theo came up next to me. “You’ve never looked better,” he said. “Guess we finally taught you how to play hockey after bringing you here from Buffalo.”
“Already knew how,” I said, “but I’ve learned a few new tricks.”
Theo laughed. “Rosco teach you those?”
“A gentleman never tells. Fuck you very much for asking, though.”
“Anytime, bud.” He slid his stick into the rack and grinned. “I’ve got your back.”
Since we were leaving on a road trip the next morning, no one wanted to hang around the rink. Nico and I walked out with Noah, Theo, Jace, and Kai, trading goodbyes on the sidewalk as the cold settled in.
Kai grinned. “Have a good night, lovebirds. Get it out of your system so you’re not so loud at the hotel.”
“Are you talking about Pack and me?” Nix asked.
“Just saying. You two have a reputation.”
I laughed. “At least we’re consistent. Ever thought about finding a lovebird of your own?”
“Not a chance,” Kai said, still smiling. “Too much work. I prefer a steamy night followed by ‘have a nice life.’”
“See you tomorrow,” Nix said, urging me forward before we got into a chirping match.
We walked toward home, our shoulders bumping in the cold. When we reached the bakery on the corner, Nico opened the door without even looking at me.
“Two chocolate croissants and a lemon tart,” he told the woman at the counter.
I smiled. “You didn’t even ask.”
“You always order the lemon,” he said. “And you’ll eat it as soon as we get home.”
“And you’ll steal a bite, so—”
“So I know what you’ll taste like when I kiss you later.”
I laughed. “That’s the worst excuse I’ve ever heard.”
“You love it.”
I did.
Sure enough, I polished off the tart as soon as we got home. Nix took his bite, then kissed me and said the taste wasn’t so bad after all. I kissed him a few more times to make sure he meant it.
We spent the afternoon packing for the roadie and reading in the living room. By the time the sun went down, my stomach was growling.
Nix looked up from his tablet. “Ready to cook?”
In the kitchen, I turned on the oven to preheat while he grabbed things from the fridge. He pulled out his phone and read me a news story as I rinsed the vegetables.
“Are Brussels sprouts okay?” I asked, already trimming the wilted leaves.
“As long as you’re roasting them. I—”
“Hate them any other way,” I finished for him. “I know.”
“Great.”
He kept touching his pocket, as if he were checking for something. Every time I looked over, he was watching me, but then he’d glance away.
I arched an eyebrow. “You good?”
“Yeah. Need some help?”
I arranged the sprouts on the baking sheet, and when I turned to grab the olive oil, Nix reached for the pan but dropped it. Brussels sprouts rolled across the counter and fell to the floor.
“Shit.” He crouched down. “Sorry, babe.”
“No worries.” I held the colander while he picked up the sprouts. “Nervous about the road trip?”
“No. Just distracted.”
After I rinsed the sprouts again, spread them on the baking sheet, and added oil, he offered to put them in the oven.
“Think you can get them there this time?”
“For sure.” He held the pan with both hands until it was safely on the top rack.
I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” He gave me a peck on the lips. “Promise.”
While I seasoned the chicken for the grill, I said, “Believe it or not, my brothers want to meet up when we play Montreal in three weeks. It’s funny how they finally want to get closer.”
“Yeah? Both of them want to see you?”
“They’re already planning it,” I said. “There’s a running argument in our group chat over who gets to buy dinner. And guess what?”
“They want to go to a poutine place?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “They want you to come.”
“Me?” He whistled. “Are you sure?”
“Zero doubt. They want to meet the man who stole my heart.”
He stepped behind me and kissed my neck. “If you want me there, babe, I’m in.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Will I get a reward?”
I already saw where this was going, so I deadpanned, “I’ll make sure we go to a steak place.”
“What if I said…” He placed his hands on my hips and pressed himself against me. “I might prefer another kind of meat.”
I couldn’t help laughing. “Don’t worry, you’ll get that too.”
“Exactly what I wanted to hear.”
He stayed behind me while I put the chicken on the grill.
“Ready for this roadie?” I asked.
“Sure. Who doesn’t love Toronto and Detroit?”
“What about Buffalo?”
“No comment.”
I scoffed, then paused for effect. “You fucker.”
“Hey! I was just going to ask if you’re looking forward to seeing your buddies?”
I nodded. “We’re staying with Riley and Logan. They already claimed us.”
After peeking into the oven, he said, “Good. I get tired of team hotels.”
He seemed calmer now, but I still sensed something under the surface.
What are you thinking, Nix?
When he took the pan out of the oven, the smell of roasted Brussels sprouts filled the kitchen. We plated dinner, and when he looked up, there was a question in his eyes. I almost asked what was on his mind, but I let it go instead. He’d tell me when he was ready.
NICO
After dinner, Pack washed the dishes while I dried, both of us moving to music we loved back in college.
Every time our hips bumped, my hand went to my pocket.
The box was still there, like it had been all day.
Hell, it had been there all week and part of the week before.
I kept waiting for the perfect moment, but what if there wasn’t one? Maybe I just had to take the shot.
We’d planned to watch our favorite show, and on the way to the living room, I checked my pocket again. Still there.
Now? Is this the moment?
He stretched out on the couch, and I settled in beside him. I’d barely turned on the TV when his phone buzzed with a message.
He glanced at it and laughed. “Check this out.” He showed me the Warriors’ group chat where they were chirping him about the Condors’ upcoming game in Buffalo.
HARPY: Heads up. We’re not booing the Condors when you come to Buffalo. We’re booing you personally.
Pack grinned. “What a fucker. Harpy sure knows how to be welcoming.”
Another message popped up, and Pack read it to me.
DOG: First shift, first hit. It’ll be welcome home, traitor.
The phone buzzed again, and he sighed. “Listen to this bullshit from Brody.”
brODY: Reminder: you don’t get a tribute video and two points. Choose wisely.
“Assholes.” Pack, still grinning, read his reply to me while he typed.
PACKY: You’re all adorable when you’re threatened. I’ll let you kiss my ass when we’re there.
Another message came in, but he tossed the phone on the coffee table. “I love those bastards.”
“They’re going to target you,” I said. “You know that, right?”
He grinned. “They always do. I wouldn’t want them going easy on me, though.”
I hit play to start our show, and Pack leaned against me. When he draped his leg over mine, my heart went into overdrive.
While we watched, I kept thinking about how perfect we were together. I’d never been happier, and he obviously felt the same. Anyone who could laugh when I spilled half of dinner on the floor was a real keeper.
I didn’t want to wait for someday or eventually. I wanted our relationship to be as official as it already felt inside me. We needed to call it what it was and make it ours.
Now. Do it now.
I eased out from under him so I could sit up.
“Nix? What’s wrong?”
I turned to face him. “Pack—” My voice caught, so I had to try again. “So much has happened to us through the years, and now it’s time to…”
He kept his eyes on mine, waiting.
“You gave up everything you’d built so we could be together, and you did it without knowing if we’d last.” My hands started trembling. “I don’t wake up wondering if this is real anymore. More than anything, I want to make what we have official so we can be together forever.”
I pulled the box out of my pocket. My fingers fumbled as I opened it, and then the eighteen-karat gold ring shone in the light.
Pack’s mouth fell open, and he gave a shaky laugh. “Took you long enough, Rossi.”
“You don’t have to—”
“You really want this?” he asked, the joke gone. “You want me?”
“Absolutely. I’ve wanted you for so long.”
Tears welled in his eyes, and he ran his finger along the ring. A shallow groove circled the band but didn’t quite connect. It stopped, then started again. His finger paused at the break. “This is where things fell apart?”
I nodded. “And kept going after a while.”
He met my eyes and smiled. “Yeah.”
I scooted closer. “I love you, Pack. Will you marry me?”
His mouth opened, but he stared at me as if I’d knocked the air out of him. Then he laughed while tears rolled down his cheeks. “Love you too,” he croaked. “Of course I’ll marry you.”
I slid the ring onto his finger. It fit perfectly. He held his hand up, turning it so the gold glimmered in the light.
“It’s beautiful,” he said.
“Look inside.”
He took off the ring and held it near his eyes. “4-12,” he read aloud. “And, ‘Here is magic.’” He looked at me. “April twelfth, the locker room fight.”
I nodded. “And everything since, especially the last couple of years. All the work, and all the choices we’ve made. Every time we chose to stay. That’s the magic.”
He put the ring back on slowly. “I used to think April twelfth ruined everything.”
“It didn’t.”
“No. It just gave us time to figure out what we really wanted.”
I placed a hand on his jaw and slid the other down his back. We took our time, kissing and holding each other close.
When we pulled apart, he was smiling. “I love you so much,” he said. “I can’t wait to marry you.”
“I love you too.”
We kissed again, and when he pulled me closer, there was heat underneath the tenderness.
“So,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “Being engaged means we celebrate with sex, right?”
I chuckled softly. “I sure hope so. Want to find out?”
We stood, and he took my hand and pulled me toward the bedroom.
Later, with the city glowing dimly through the windows, Pack lay on his back beside me, naked and still catching his breath. He lifted his hand and turned it, watching the ring catch the light.
“It’s still there,” he said. “It’s real.”
Propping myself up on one elbow, I ran my fingers through his chest hair. “Yes, it is.”
He turned to face me, and I kissed him again, slow and sure.
Two years earlier, sitting beside him in that conference room had felt like torture. Now, everything was totally different. As he nestled closer and draped an arm over my stomach, I relaxed.
The world would always be loud with games, cameras, and noise. But here, it was quiet.
This was ours. He was home. And for the first time in my life, so was I.
THE END