Chapter 48 Alex
ALEX
Iwatched from the sidelines with my heart in my throat.
This hadn’t been the night I’d expected, not with the frantic drive, the missing skate, the showdown with her mom. Everything had felt like it might fall apart at any second. All I could do now was hope Eleanor was okay out there.
Then they announced her.
“Slayerella!”
The grin that spread across my face was unstoppable. I was on my feet, cheering like a fool, like there was nothing in the world more important than that woman rolling out onto the track.
And honestly?
There wasn’t.
The bout started fast, and my nerves went right along with it.
Every time Eleanor took a hit, I winced like I’d been the one knocked to the floor. My whole body tensed when she went down, breath caught in my throat until she was back on her skates, pushing forward like nothing could keep her down.
“Is she okay?” Ava asked for the third time.
“She’s okay,” I said, even when my heart was hammering. “See? She’s already back up.”
Then Eleanor delivered a hit of her own, clean, powerful, sending a blocker stumbling out of Mel’s way, and I was on my feet again, cheering so loud my throat hurt.
Ava's eyes were glued to the track. “She’s strong.”
“She is,” I agreed, proud and terrified in equal measure.
I kept watching, answering questions, clapping and shouting and holding my breath through every jam.
And through it all, one thing was clear.
She wasn’t just surviving out there.
She was owning it.
When the final whistle blew and the scoreboard confirmed it, the Grimm Reapers had won, and the whole place exploded.
Ava and Leo were bouncing like they’d been plugged into the rink’s sound system. That kind of wild energy was normal for Leo, but seeing Ava that animated and cheering, clapping, calling out plays, felt like a small miracle.
“And then she totally blocked her!” Leo shouted in his best announcer voice. “Did you see that hit?”
“I did!” Ava yelled back, pumping her fist. “My mom was awesome!”
A few minutes later, the locker room door opened.
Eleanor came out, moving a little stiff, like every muscle was making itself known, but she was smiling so wide it made my chest ache.
“There she is, ladies and gentlemen—Slayerella!” Leo called out, cupping his hands around his mouth like a real announcer.
Ava was already on her feet, darting past me to throw her arms around Eleanor. Pride lit her whole face, bright and unguarded in a way that made my chest tighten.
Mel followed close behind, laughing as she caught up to them. “Wins call for ice cream,” she declared, ruffling Leo’s hair.
“Can we have ice cream too?” Ava asked, looking up at her mom.
“Of course,” Eleanor said without hesitation.
And just like that, the five of us, sweaty and laughing, spilled out into the parking lot together, headed for ice cream and whatever came next.