Chapter 67
HAILEE
Ifeel incredibly self-conscious as I join the small number of players, friends, and family who travelled to watch this game.
“Hailee,” Trudy calls, ensuring everyone turns to look my way as I slip into the room.
Despite Monroe’s jersey hanging almost down to my knees, I still tug at the fabric to make it longer.
It’s stupid. I’d happily wear a dress shorter than this. But seeing as I was wearing it at home, watching the game in private, now I feel utterly exposed. Or it might just be because of the claim of ownership that’s written across my back.
I haven’t looked at my cell, but I know it’s blowing up with notifications. The photos of me jumping into Hayden’s arms after the game will already be spreading like wildfire. And I only have myself to blame. I lit the match when I climbed into my car and started driving.
I might have been acting on instinct, but I knew what I was doing.
And now, I’ve just got to roll with the punches and hope the cards fall in my favor.
But for the first time in my life, I don’t really care if they don’t.
My job is secure, and I’ve got Hayden by my side. The rest will be what it’ll be.
“Hey,” I say, looking between Hayden’s parents.
Trudy embraces me, holding me a little tighter than the first time I met her.
“He’s okay,” I assure her.
“I know,” she says, sniffling. “We all saw the way he caught you as if you were a football.”
Embarrassment rushes up my neck to my cheeks all over again.
“I didn’t really think that through,” I muse as Hank gives me a sideways hug in greeting.
“Sometimes the best thing to do is not to think. We know you’re worried about how people will take your relationship, but I have a feeling the reality won’t be as scary as what you’ve built up in your head,” Trudy says encouragingly.
I don’t know how much Hayden has told his parents about my reality, but for the first time, I don’t mind if they know. With only one meeting, they’ve proved that they’re supportive of our relationship, of me, and that’s more than I had from my own parents in my entire thirty years on this planet.
“I hope so,” I say, smiling at her.
“So, tonight’s game was something, huh?” Hank says, successfully changing the topic.
“I missed most of it,” I confess.
With a smile, Hank happily dives into a very detailed play-by-play of what I missed—of course paying the most attention to anything that involved Hayden. Pride oozes from him as he talks about his son, and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
“We couldn’t believe it when he came back on,” Trudy says in astonishment. “I know hockey players are a different breed when it comes to injuries, but it’s different when it’s your own flesh and blood.”
“Our team doctor is incredible. I’ve seen him work some real magic to get our guys back out there.”
“He was lucky. If that stick was a little higher…” Hank’s words trail off. They don’t need saying, and I shudder at the thought of that stick getting closer to Hayden’s eye.
Injuries are a part of playing hockey, no matter what level you’re playing at.
I’ve always known that, and I’m constantly dealing with the fallout.
But it’s never seemed quite as important or life-changing as it does now.
Before, an injury was just a part of my job; now, it’s personal.
I know it’s something that I’m going to have to get used to.
I can’t always get in the car and drive to him to settle my own mind.
The next time it happens, and there will be a next time, he could be on the other side of the country, and I’ll have no choice but to sit around and wait for news.
“So, what are your plans now? Where are you heading next?”
“We’re heading toward Texas, ready for the game there, and then we’re going to head back up to Las Vegas. We’ve never been, and it’s been on our bucket list forever.”
“Vegas is incredible, and the game is always action-filled.”
“Will you be there?”
“Absolutely. It’s one of my favorite games of the season. And I’m sure it’ll come as no surprise that it also provides me with more work than most other locations.”
“Oh.” Hank laughs. “I wonder why that is?”
“Hockey players and the city of sin are a deadly combination.”
“How many shotgun marriages have you had to deal with?” Trudy asks.
“Surprisingly, none. Yet. I’m sure it’ll happen one day, though.”
Conversation slows as we wait for Hayden to do his thing. There’s a TV in the corner of the room showing the press conference, and I find my eyes drifting over there every few minutes, but I don’t allow myself to get dragged in.
I haven’t told Hayden what he can and can’t say when it comes to us after our little moment downstairs, and although I’m nervous, I’m also excited to watch it back later.
Nerves flutter in my stomach, my chest tightening as I think of those three little words he said to me after the game.
Happiness successfully pushes the fear further down.
For all I know, Brandon is sitting at home, lapping all of this up and planning his next move. He probably thinks this is a huge scandal that he can spin into a huge PR disaster for me. Sadly for him, though, I’ve already got my ducks in a row, and he can’t touch me. Not anymore.
What’s the worst he can really do? Expose some videos that’ll be highly embarrassing, but realistically will be smothered in a matter of minutes in the grand scheme of things.
People want news about Hayden and the rest of the players.
They don’t care about me or my past. Sure, they’ll have opinions.
Call me a cradle snatcher and whatever other terms are being thrown around these days.
But it’s just online bullshit that I spend my days dealing with.
It’s not real. It’s gossip. The only two people who know what our relationship is like are Hayden and me.
And that’s exactly how it’s meant to be.
Our future is ours to plan how we wish. But before we can really dive into all that, I need to finally sever my connection to my past.
It’s time to deal with it head-on so I can focus on my future.
It seems like forever when Hayden finally disappears from the screen, and my heart rate picks up knowing that he’s probably heading this way.
Every time the door opens, my heart jumps into my throat, but it’s quickly followed by disappointment.
But then, there he is. Dressed in a Vipers athletic T-shirt and shorts, his hair still a little damp from his shower, his cheek red and swollen, but his eyes are alight with happiness, and they only get brighter when they land on me.
A lopsided smile spreads across his mouth, and he races over.
“Hey,” he breathes, wrapping me in his arms and pressing his lips to the top of my head.
I chuckle against his chest, listening as his heart beats rapidly beneath my ear.
“Did you miss me?” I tease.
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” he confesses.
“Was it okay? Did I say the right thing?” he asks anxiously.
Pulling back, I gaze up at him. “I didn’t watch,” I admit. “But I trust you.”
He blinks down at me, disbelief flickering through my eyes.
“What if…what if I told them that I’m madly in love with you and that one day I’m going to marry you and we’re going to have loads of kids?”
My brows shoot up? “Loads? How many is loads?”
His mouth twitches with a smile before a laugh erupts. “Is that the only thing that concerns you about what I said?”
“It doesn’t concern me as such. I’m just curious. I’m getting on a bit. Might not have much time to pop out loads of kids.”
His large hands cup my face, and he lowers down until the tip of his nose grazes mine.
“I don’t care how many we have. None, two, five, ten.” My eyes widen in horror at ten, and he chuckles. “All I need to know is that my future is with you by my side.”
My smile grows. “I’ll be there,” I promise him.
“Me too, baby. Always. Whatever tonight brings our way, we’ll deal with it together. Same as what comes next week, next month, next year, or the next decade. It’s you and me now, baby.”
“You and me,” I agree as someone sniffles behind me.
“Trudy,” Hank teases.
“I’m sorry, it’s just…look how happy and perfect they are. And they’re talking about giving us grandbabies. It’s just…it’s all so perfect.”
I fall into Hayden’s arms again before he focuses on his parents, allowing his mom to see that he really is okay.
The time goes too fast, and long before I’m ready, Hayden is heading back down so he can get another session in with Darcy before they have to pack up their stuff and get on the bus.
The thought of driving back home alone now that the adrenaline has subsided fills me with dread. But I figure that I was brave enough to get here, so I’m just as capable of getting home.
It occurs to me that I probably should have called Bea or Freya before leaving, so I wasn’t alone. But there wasn’t time for that. I just had to get here.
“Are you coming down with me?” Hayden asks.
“I don’t want to get in the way,” I say.
Sure, I could go down there and fall into work, but I’m not on shift tonight.
Tonight, I’m a player's girlfriend, and I promised myself and Anthony that I would try to stop those lines from blurring. Although I’m pretty sure I failed miserably today.
“No, you go. I’ll see your parents off and then I’ll follow the bus back,” I say, trying to sound as confident as possible.
Hayden sees through it, though.
“I’m proud of you for getting here tonight.”
“Thanks. I’m proud of myself, too. It just didn’t occur to me at the time that I’d have to get home as well.”
He chuckles, but I see concern darkening his eyes. “You’ve got this, baby.”
After kissing me and hugging his parents, he heads off, leaving me to explain my fear of driving to them.
We continue chatting as we head out of the arena along with the others. I walk them to their rental in the parking lot, and the hugs they give me before climbing in bring tears to my eyes.
Hank offers for me to call them so I’m not alone while I drive home and they head to their next location. The offer means the world to me, but I decline.
I can do this myself.
I wave them off, my stomach a tight knot of anxiety again as I make my way toward my car.
I don’t know how long it’ll be before the guys head out, but I’m happy to sit around and wait. Hayden promised to message when they’re loading up, so I can keep an eye out for them.
My legs carry me slowly to my car, and the second I see it, I get even slower, unsure if I’m ready to climb back inside.
The parking lot is practically empty now, all the fans long gone. After the chaos of the night, it’s peaceful, and I’m more than happy to embrace that.
I search in my purse for my keys, press the button to unlock it, and pull the door open.
With my head full of thoughts of the long drive home, I drop into the passenger seat.
The fact that the scent in the car is different from my anxiety-fueled journey really should clue me in, but I’m so lost in my head that I don’t notice I’m not alone until movement in the passenger seat catches my eye, and I scream bloody murder.