39. Novi
THIRTY-NINE
Novi
It only takes Colby a couple of minutes to hunt me down in the storage closet. I still can’t believe that my plan worked—not that it was a plan, exactly. More like a vibe. And I pulled it off anyway.
The second he walks in, I’m feeling the happiest I have ever been because we did it. All Anaheim has to do is say yes. Then Oskar Voyjik and I will be teammates, and Colby and I will be safe being together.
I should probably give my bestie, Ezra, the heads-up about that first part. He will be very jealous.
Colby’s hands settle on his hips, and I can’t stop myself from thinking how sexy he looks with his chest all puffed out like that.
“I’m a genius,” I say before he can drop to his knees and worship me. “I’ve fixed all our problems.”
Colby doesn’t react, and it takes me a second to realize that something is wrong.
“Are you still worried about something?”
“You blindsided me.”
“Blinded by my genius?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t understand me. I had no idea what I was walking into. What if I’d said something that completely ruined your whole story?”
“I made sure you didn’t.”
“But I could have. I thought I was fired.”
I tip my head to one side, studying him. “You’re mad at me?”
“Yeah. A bit.”
“I can work with a bit.”
I swear he almost smiles. “I’m serious. That could have been bad.”
“But it wasn’t. I don’t understand the problem.”
“The problem is that if we’re together, we need to make these decisions together . You don’t get to keep making all the choices for the both of us. This is my career.”
My first instinct is to brush him off because everything is fine, so there is no point in worrying.
But if I want to make him happy, I need to make him all the way happy, and this has obviously upset him.
“It’s also my career,” I say. “And if I had told you I was going to tell him to fire me so I could be with you, you wouldn’t have let me. ”
His jaw drops. “You told them what?”
I brush the question away. “But they didn’t.”
“But they might have. They might have fired us both.”
Maybe this isn’t the best time to approach him, but he looks like his head is about to explode, and his face is too pretty for that. I gently take his hands, and he doesn’t pull away. “Coach and I have a good relationship, and you said if we’d been up-front, they would be okay with it.”
“But—”
“So I was up-front.” I tilt my head from side to side. “In a way. I told them I want to date you, and I do, so it wasn’t a complete lie.”
“It was a total lie, and you know it.”
I drop trying to convince him. “Yes, I lied. I would have said anything I needed to in order to make this happen.”
“And if they’d fired you?”
“I would have made sure they threw me a giant farewell party first.”
“Novi—”
“Please stop.” I stroke his cheek with my thumb. “You are my whole world, and as much as it’s hard to admit, this team needs you more than it needs me.”
“That was almost humble of you.”
“Not humble, honest. I like to pretend I’m the best, but that’s just my playful side. I got to achieve my dreams, and now I can’t wait to see you achieve yours. I can’t wait to be the one who supports you through it all.”
Slowly, his anger fades. “This won’t be the end for you. You’re Radimir Novicov. Whatever you put your mind to, you’re amazing at it.”
“Including my wonderful plan to fix all our problems?”
Oops, shouldn’t have brought that up yet.
His eyes harden again, and he removes my hands from his face.
“You need to understand I’m still not happy about you not talking to me first. You want us to be this power couple?
To be happy forever? It starts now. With you promising me that every decision from this point forward will be an us thing. We’ll talk it through.”
“And if you wouldn’t have let me?”
“There’s no let . You’re a grown man. But you need to trust that I’m going to support you too. Through the good … and the stupid. That doesn’t mean we don’t get to talk about it first.”
Through the good and the stupid. That makes sense.
“And if it’s something I’m firmly a no on, you need to respect that. No going behind my back. I have to do the same with you.”
“Okay.” After almost forty years of doing everything alone, it will be an adjustment to listen to someone else, but if I’m prepared to do anything for him, it includes that. “So we talk. Compromise. Then if one of us is firmly no, we say …”
“Anaheim.”
“Anaheim?”
“Yeah. From now on, it means I love you, but I’m overruling this one.”
I’m thinking it over when Colby finally smiles.
“And no. You don’t get to Anaheim everything. Let me win sometimes.”
“You have me.” I cup his face. “You’ve already won.”
He laughs and kisses me softly. Not enough, considering we’re at work and need to get back, but I’ll take it.
Before I let him go, I murmur, “But can we admit that my actual Anaheim idea was not so stupid?”
“Fine. You’re amazing. But that’s the last time you’re amazing alone.”
“Da. From now on, we’re amazing together.”
It’s been a week, and I still haven’t heard back about this trade.
Colby won’t stay at my house, and he told me I’m not allowed to sneak into his place either until it’s settled.
It’s very, very hard not to go over anyway, but we promised to make choices together, and I’m going to master that like I have everything else in life.
Which means I’m having a terrible, lonely week, and we lost last night because I was so irritated. Not a good selling point when I’m hoping to be traded.
It’s hard to admit, but I’m also nervous.
What if I didn’t pull it off? What if they’re buying time as a way to fire Colby anyway?
What if they trade me to New York? Or Winnipeg?
Or even Florida? Anywhere other than Anaheim will be too far.
Could we do long distance for the last year of my contract? Sure. Do I want to? Fuck no.
My phone buzzes on my kitchen counter, and a message from Colby flashes up on the screen.
Coaches’ meeting was called. Ackerman thinks it’s about your trade.
Shit. Is this it? I immediately try to call him, but he hangs up after the first ring.
Fine. I will be patient. I’ll get ready for practice and not go in there too early. It will be fine. I can wait.
Still, I’m ready about half an hour too early, and I drive to the practice rink anyway. It’s not an unreasonable time to show up, and if anyone asks, I will say I’m here to flirt with Colby some more.
The nerves plaguing me are not something I’m used to. Leaving LA wasn’t an option when I started the season, but here I am, willingly asking for it.
Even Radimir Novicov is wrong sometimes.
There are more important things than hockey.
I’m almost at the locker room when my phone starts to ring. It’s Coach.
“Hey, when will you be here?”
“Miss me already? But you saw me last night.”
There’s a pause. “Is that you in the locker room?”
“Da.”
“Creepy timing. Come to my office.”
He hangs up, so I dump my bag and go through. The whole coaching team is there, and when I walk in, he points to close the door behind me. There’s no hellos, no good to see yous.
“It’s done.” He doesn’t look happy. “Not gonna lie, I’ll be sad to see you go.”
My eyebrows jump up. “Anaheim?”
“They jumped at the offer. Not surprised—they’d be crazy not to. A star forward for a backup goalie, a fourth-line forward, and a second-round draft pick? The fans are not going to be happy about this one.”
He’s right, of course. Our fans live and breathe hockey.
They feel our losses and celebrate our wins right alongside us.
On paper, this trade does not make sense, but I will keep everything crossed that he’s vindicated next season.
“I really appreciate it,” I say, no hint of the lovable joker in my tone.
“Then why do you still look like you want to kill me?” The spark in his eyes tells me he’s joking. “We’ll miss you. Other than this last week, you’ve been a joy to coach.”
“I am a very lovable man. Will you cry at my farewell party?”
“What farewell party?”
“The one you will be throwing me.”
He stares at me like I have sprouted a horn. “Tell you what: I’ll send someone for cake. Best I can go.”
“Deal.”
“But you’re going to do something for me. Press conference. This afternoon. You’re going to tell everyone what a fantastic team this is, what an amazing coach I am, and that you love LA, and the only reason for this trade is because we support you finishing out your career in Anaheim. That’s it.”
All of those terms sound fair, and unlike some of my team, I love the attention from press conferences. “Of course.” I wink at Colby. “Only reason.”
“Right.” There’s a long, stale silence. “I guess this is it, then.”
“Only one thing left to do.”
Coach looks confused as I round the desk and motion for him to stand up. “What are?—”
My hug cuts him off. “This is a fantastic team, and you are an amazing coach.”
He laughs and hugs me back. “Just like that. But save the love for the press conference. We’re going to need it.”
“I disagree. You are going to need it when you tell the team. They love me.”
He groans and pulls away, checking the time on his phone. “They should all be here by now. Guess we better get it over with.”
Coach leads the way out, and when we get to the locker room, it’s already full. My team—well, old team now—are in the process of getting changed, lacing up skates and talking smack with each other.
I’d miss it, but all locker rooms are the same.
“Hey, hey, listen up,” Coach calls, making the room fall silent. “We have some, uh, news. Today is Novicov’s last day with us. He requested a trade to finish out his career where he started it, and we’ve agreed.”
“What?” Turkey exclaims, pushing to his feet. “He’s leaving?”
“Da,” I answer before Coach can. “It has been an honor working with such a fantastic team and amazing coach”—said coach sighs heavily beside me—“but this makes sense. I am sad to go, but I want to spend my final season where it all started.”
“But we’re a family,” he says. “We’re going to playoffs together.”
My eyes find Colby’s, and he gives a little nod. “We are a family, and I will cheer for you, but this is something I need to do to start my other family. Away from here and hockey. I have a new life to begin.”
Turkey catches on to exactly what I mean. “Shit,” he says, finally letting it sink in. “We’re all going to miss you.”
“I know. But it will be a lot easier to miss me with your names on a cup. So maybe put your focus into that and miss me during the off-season instead.”
He grins. “Deal.”
And I will miss them. All of them. But I meant what I said: this is the start of everything else for me. My heart will always be with LA.
As long as Colby is.