Chapter 61
HAILEE
The roar of the crowd vibrates through the arena.
The first home game of the season is a buzz like no other.
Okay, so being in the Stanley Cup Final at the end of last season was up there with it, but still…
this…this is what it’s all about. The unwavering support, the love for our boys and the entire team that surrounds then, making sure they can go out there fully prepared for the next hour and a half or so.
They started this season with a series of road games, all of which they’ve won. So coming into this game with our home crowd fired up and ready to see the team in action…well, I’m buzzing.
I’ve been run off my feet all day, ensuring all the press that has been happening today has run smoothly and not been distracted from what’s really important.
The game.
Usually, after such a busy day, I’d be hiding in my office with the game on the screen hanging on the opposite wall to my desk to keep an eye on while I catch up on emails.
But tonight, there’s no chance of keeping myself hidden.
I want to be right down there in the middle of the action.
I want to see every second of my man on that ice from the closest vantage point I can get.
It’s been a few days since I discovered the image from Casey’s house had been leaked, and thankfully, I’m well over my breakdown.
I freaked out, I know this. But, just like that night in the hotel room with Hayden not so long ago, I needed it.
I needed to exorcise all of my past demons, my fears, and my shame of the things I was forced to go through.
Am I going to be mortified if all the footage Brandon has of me gets released? Absolutely. But I also know that it won’t be the end.
I’ll do everything in my power to get them all removed, although I’m not naive enough to believe that as the CEO of Caldwell PR, he has a lot more power than I do.
Something I’m sure he’s banking on. I’m not going to take it lying down, though.
I’ll fight to the bitter end if it means I get to secure my happily ever after with a man I deserve.
A man who will treat me right. A man who…
a man I never could have imagined being the one for me, but I very quickly discovered that he’s everything.
My heart aches as I think about him. Despite going through his own pain and grief, there hasn’t been a single second that he hasn’t been there for me. He’s the most incredibly selfless and supportive person I’ve ever met. And I cannot wait to discover even more about him.
Tonight, his parents are out in the crowd, and after this game…
My stomach knots.
After this game, I’m meeting them for the first time.
Honestly, I can’t think about it too much for fear of vomiting over my own feet.
I never had any of this when I was forced into a relationship with Brandon. His parents had hand-selected me—lucky me. My biggest hope was that they’d discover they didn’t like me and force me out. Sadly, I wasn’t that lucky.
Hayden’s parents, though…shit. I’m desperate for them to like me. But despite knowing how good we are together, I keep thinking that they’re going to see everything else. Our age gap, the differences between us. Are they going to think that I’m holding him back?
“Fuck,” I hiss, shaking my hands out at my sides.
“Are you okay?” a little voice asks from beside me.
Looking down, I find Sutton staring up at me with a little frown between her brows.
“Yeah, I’m just nervous.”
She nods in understanding. “I get that too before a game. Not for my own, because I know I’m going to kill it. But for Dad’s. I’m not in control when he’s out there. He could get injured at any moment, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything to help.”
“Sutton,” I say, smiling down at her.
“Yeah?”
“Promise me you’ll never change.”
She tilts her head to the side. “Why would I? I’m awesome.”
I burst out laughing as I wrap an arm around her shoulder and give her a hug.
If I’m lucky enough to have a little girl one day, I’d love for her to have Sutton’s confidence and self-worth. Maybe if I’d had a little more back in the day, I wouldn’t have ended up where I did. But then you may never have met Hayden, a little voice points out.
It’s a sobering thought that I had to go through all of that to be where I am now, to be the person that I am now. Maybe, just maybe, it was all worth it.
I startle when the door ahead of us opens, and the second I see who’s on the other side, my heart begins racing for a whole other reason.
“This is a nice surprise,” Hayden rasps.
“Not really, considering I messaged you to say I was out here.”
He smirks. “Still love it.” His eyes drop to Sutton standing at my side. “Hey lil’ Riv. How’s it going?”
“Good. Just waiting to see you all out there.”
Twisting around, he shouts into the locker room. “Rivers, you’ve got a visitor.”
Seconds later, a half-dressed Kodie appears, and almost instantly, Sutton jumps into his arms.
“Hey, peanut.”
The moment Hayden steps toward me, I forget all about what they’re doing. Just like always, he steals every bit of my attention.
“Hey, baby. You’re spoiling me with this little visit.”
“I couldn’t help myself,” I breathe as he wraps his arms around my waist.
“I hate to tell you this, but I might get used to in-person good-lucks, and you’ll have to come to every game,” he tells me before ducking low to steal a kiss.
I don’t mean to respond with a groan, but that’s exactly what happens as he deepens the kiss.
“All right, kids. There are young eyes around,” Coach states as he stalks past. We jump apart, and the second I look at Coach, I find determination in his eyes but a smirk playing on his lips.
“Oh yeah, because I’m not forced to watch stuff like that at home,” Sutton deadpans.
“I should hope not,” Coach quips, shooting Kodie a death glare.
Kodie holds his hands up in surrender before he gives Sutton a kiss on the nose and puts her back on her feet. “I want to hear you shouting for me out there,” he tells her.
“I’ll be louder than anyone else, Daddy,” she says proudly. “Score me a goal.”
“You got it, peanut.”
With a small wave, he ducks back into the dressing room.
“Monroe?” Coach growls.
“Gotta go, baby.”
Stretching up on my toes, I give him another kiss.
“Have you seen my parents yet?”
“Uh…”
“You’re not scared, are you?”
I swallow nervously.
No. I’m not scared. I’m fucking terrified.
They only have one kid left now. What if they don’t think I’m good enough for him?
“What? No. Of course not.”
His brows lift, not believing a single word.
“I’m so grateful I get to see this side of you, Hails,” he says before finally taking a step back before disappearing from my sight.
“You should go and say hello to his mom and dad,” Sutton suggests helpfully. “They’re going to love you.”
I smile down at her, hoping like hell that she’s right.
The game is brutal. Vancouver comes out with a point to prove, and fuck me, do they try every tactic in the book to try and secure the lead.
But no matter how hard they try, they can’t get past our D-line. And on the very few times they have, Handsy has been a freaking beast in the net, stopping every single one of their attempts and reminding us all that we’ve got one of the very best tendys in the league.
The crowd is wild as two Vancouver players walk their asses to the box, giving us another power play. We managed to score in our last one, much to Vancouver’s irritation.
The puck drops, and the three Vancouver players on the ice do their best, but it’s not enough to stop Kodie and Fletch from finding the back of the net.
With us up by four and the clock counting down to the end of the third period, we’ve got it wrapped up. The crowd’s chants get louder, the excitement palpable as they watch their beloved Vipers do what they do best.
My eyes scan the seats behind our bench, just like they have numerous times during the game, to find Hayden’s parents.
I swear, they haven’t stopped smiling the whole game, and when Hayden climbs over the boards for a shift, pride oozes from them.
The sight of them supporting him so wholly makes my chest ache in the best kind of way.
There’s no one on this planet who deserves that kind of love and encouragement more than Hayden.
As far as I know, they haven’t spotted me, and I’ll happily keep it that way. While I’m content hiding in the shadows, I’d rather they not know that I am.
There’s only a minute left on the clock when our D-line makes a shift change, and I watch as Hayden dives over the boards and grabs his drink.
Knowing exactly where I am, he finds me in a heartbeat.
The most incredible smile lights up his face.
But our little moment only lasts so long, because Rett and Killer hit the ice to finish this off.
Vancouver wins the puck drop, and they dart across the ice, desperate for one last chance to slip the puck past Handsy.
Their D-line races over the blueline, throwing everything at this last chance.
But Rett, Killer, and Handsy are ready.
Rett intercepts the puck on Vancouver’s first change and takes it around the back of the net before sending it over to Killer who sends the puck toward our forwards for a breakaway. He pulls his stick back and just makes the shot as Cooper Nash collides with him, sending Killer flying.
I swear the entire arena gasps at the force of the hit.
Killer hits the ice hard, and there’s a beat of silence as everyone waits with bated breath to see if he’s okay.
It takes a second or two, but the moment he moves, everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief. But as he rolls onto his side, clutching his leg, the fear begins to settle over everyone again.
The guys surround him as our medical team races onto the ice.
“Shit,” I hiss, my cell buzzing with a reminder that I need to move my ass and get ready for post-game press.
I’m torn. As much as I resisted being pulled into their little group, I’m now firmly a part of it. And not only is Killer my colleague, but he’s also now my friend.
Hayden’s eyes meet mine across the ice, silently telling me that it’s okay to go.
I take off with my heart in my throat.
We’re barely two weeks into the season, and we can’t lose one of our best D-men already.
As I get closer to where I need to be, I put on my professional mask and do what I need to do.
There’s literally nothing I can do to help Killer or any of the guys right now. But I can ensure that post-game press goes as smoothly and as quickly as possible so that they can get out of here and be the support that Killer might need.
I’m forced to watch on a screen as the medics carry him off the ice. The devastated look on Killer’s face tells me everything.
His season is over, and he knows it.