Epilogue
Austin
The sun’s bright, and I slip my shades on outside the arena. “That went better than I expected,” I admit.
“Yeah?” Gray reaches for my hand but stops himself.
“I could tell my head was better, but Doc is a stickler, and I was afraid he wouldn’t agree.” I’m not cleared yet, but in Doc’s opinion, I should be able to fly in a few weeks, which gives us plenty of time for a vacation.
“It gives us time to really plan it out and make a stop along the way so the flight is shorter.” He’s always one step ahead. Long flights could increase my chances of headaches, dizziness, or even a seizure, and Athens is a ten-hour flight.
“What should we do today?” I grasp his hand and won’t let go when he tries to pull out of my iron grip.
“Tinny, what are you doing?” he asks softly.
“I’m spending the day with my boyfriend and not worrying about things that don’t matter.” My grip loosens because I won’t force him into a public display of affection.
“It matters.” His thumb strokes my hand, and my anxiety melts away.
“Not as much as you.” I change the subject so he can’t argue with me.
“I want a normal day like a normal person. Why don’t we stop at the grocery store on the way home?
We can get steaks, junk food, and dessert.
” Sometimes I wish Finn and Gray had made the statement about our relationship without me.
Like, if the decision was out of my hands, I could separate myself from anything negative afterward.
It doesn’t make sense, but I just want it done.
He stops to face me and places the back of his hand on my forehead. “You don’t have a fever, so the only explanation is you’re an alien in my boyfriend’s body.”
I tug him along. “Funny.” I’ve never suggested buying junk food, but life is for living.
We don’t live far, and there’s a grocery store only a couple of blocks away.
“I know you’re not always recognized out in the wild”—He waves his hand around the store as we step inside—“but someone will notice.” His gaze drifts to our linked hands. “If you’re ready to do this, we can talk about how you want to do it.”
“Do you ever get tired of having to plan things with me?” I wheel a cart around and head to the produce section. “I mean, people dissect and analyze everything we do and say. Honestly, it’s not that serious.”
“Since when?” Gray stops in the middle of the aisle with his hands on his hips, challenging me.
“It’s all about perspective and not letting the negative in.
” I continue as he frowns in disbelief. “When I was drafted, bloggers said I was a mistake the Enforcers would regret. When I made the All-Star team, a lot of people said I didn’t deserve it.
I had a severe concussion diagnosis from both the team doctor and an emergency room doctor, and there are rumors that I faked it because I knew our playoff chances were over with Kenney out. ”
Gray’s arms drop to his sides, and his face softens.
“Those things don’t bother me. If they did, I wouldn’t be able to go out on the ice and prove them wrong because I’d be stuck in my head with self-doubt. You mean more to me than hockey, and I don’t care what people say. Maybe it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Maybe it can just be real.”
“What do you mean?” Gray’s gentle doe eyes and smile take my breath away.
“It doesn’t have to be an elaborate, scripted plan. We could do it now. Come here.” I hold my hand out, and he takes it.
“Finn will murder you in your sleep,” he says with a chuckle.
“I’ll have you to protect me.” I take my phone out of my pocket and hold it up for a selfie of us. Right before I click the button, I look at him. Gray gasps when he sees how I’m staring at him because it’s obvious I’m in love with him. And we are wearing the same shirt. Twinning again.
“Tinny.” He sucks in a breath as I open a social media app to post our picture.
I type the caption: So grateful to be feeling better and out shopping with my boyfriend. My Sunshine. He’s the biggest score of my life.
“You ready for this?” I ask, searching his eyes.
“So ready.” He rests his head on my shoulder as I post the pic to make us internet official.
“We can get some fruit for smoothies.” I steer the cart up to the peaches.
“When’s the last time you bought your own groceries?” Grayson scoffs.
He’s not wrong. I’ve had groceries delivered for a few years. I pop into the store only if I need one or two things.
“I’ve been missing out.” I hold up a big peach. “This looks so juicy.” As I pretend to take a bite to tease him, he snatches it out of my hands.
“Do you know how many germs are on this? Not to mention it’s stealing. I can see the headline: Enforcers star forward steals fruit and blames concussion.”
I back him up so his ass hits the crate of peaches. “Then you’d better let me lick your peach later.”
“That can be arranged.” He bumps my chest to move me. “Now let’s get food so we can go home and eat.” He says the word eat with so much innuendo I get hard. “Someone took a pic of us,” he says out of the corner of his mouth.
My phone rings, and Finn’s avatar takes over my screen.
“I warned you,” Gray says smugly.
He could be calling about releasing info on my health status, so I answer.
“Would it kill you meatheads to give me a heads-up?” Finn fumes before I say a word.
“I spend all my time trying to present the best version of you to the world, and you have the audacity to post a picture in some random store? The lighting was terrible. It’s a beautiful, sunny day.
You could’ve used the skyline to highlight actual sunshine as a visual cue to his nickname. But no, you—”
“Finn. Finn, are you there?”
“Don’t you—”
“You’re cutting out. Finn? I—” I hang up the phone and put it on silent.
“Terrible reception in the grocery store.” To see if anyone else has seen my post, I open my app.
It’s only been a few minutes, but it’s been reposted hundreds of times.
There are tons of likes, and the top comments are from my friends.
Lucky: Second cutest couple on the Enforcers *eggplant emoji*
Benzy: Hey, @Lucky, not funny. Glad you’re doing better @ace
Drake: @ace is in the scoring zone *fire emoji*
Brant: My heart is shattered *broken heart emoji*
Brant: Call me @King
King: @ace rest up for next season, bro
King: @brant show me what you got. I’m not that easy
Liska: @ace now I’ll teach you the handshake
“Handshake?” Gray asks as he takes out his phone and types.
“The gay handshake?” I laugh, unsure if they’re all fucking with me. Even though I’m watching him, I’m surprised he’s added to the comments.
Ward: @ace you had me at hello. Jerry Maguire
He puts his hand over my phone. “That was an answer to your note that you complete me. Now, we could laugh at these guys all day, or we can go home and practice what you peach.” His brown eyes smolder with his pun.
“Have I told you lately that I love you?” I abandon the cart and yell over my shoulder. “I’ll get steaks, and you get dessert, and I’ll meet you at the checkout.” We need to get home as quickly as possible.
“Race you,” he calls after me.
I hope you loved Austin and Grayson because they stole my heart. I send them to Greece and use my vacation as inspiration. There’s a chapel on the hotel grounds, find out if I wrote a vacation or a honeymoon! Bonus Epilogue: Scoring Zone Greece trip