Chapter 37
When I show up to Chandler’s house the next day while the guys are at practice, I think I scare the shit out of her. I call out her name the second I step foot inside and she comes running down the stairs with her long brown hair a mess, only wearing a large t-shirt that I assume is Brent’s.
“What?!” she exclaims clearly panicked.
“I told Charlie I love him.” Even saying the words out loud to her surprises me and the panic is still lingering, but I’m trying to push through.
Her draw drops, “The L word?!”
“I’m able to say it now. Kind of. Most of the time. It really depends. I freaked out at first, but I said it. I fucking said it, Chan!”
“Okay, wait, wow, hold on, you’re going to tell me everything.”
I follow her upstairs into her room so she can put on some pants while I start the story, starting with how my grandma showed up and ending with the sex and love filled day Charlie and I had yesterday.
My best friend, ever the romantic, is swooning the entire time. By the time I’m finished she’s beaming at me, and I swear there are tears starting to form in her eyes.
“Don’t you dare start crying,” I scold.
“I’m not,” she lies, waving me off. “I’m just so fucking happy for you, I mean finally this happened.”
“Hey, I’ve been happy with my life without a man,” I jest.
“I know you have, that’s not what I mean. You totally don’t need to be in a relationship to be happy, but I’m glad that you’re finally accepting love. This is huge and you deserve the world.”
Now I feel like I’m about to cry. “Do not make me cry, Chandler Hart, I swear.”
With that we both laugh through the tears we end up shedding because it’s impossible to hold them back. I’ve always been so thankful for her as my best friend and chose her as my family a while ago. She’s the sister I never had, and I know she would be with me through anything and everything. My true ride or die. Even if I showed up here heartbroken for the first time in my life, she would’ve gotten me through it. Because that’s what we do for each other, and nothing could ever change that.
I also text my support group chat with the massive update.
Audrey: I told him I love him.
Jade: OMG!
Skylar: Congratulations. Lacey is locked down?!
Audrey: Never thought I’d see the day.
Jade: He must be something special.
Skylar: His dick must be something special. Does he have a brother?
Audrey: No brother. He does have teammates, though.
Jade: Teammates?! Wait, who is this guy?
Skylar: I’ll take a teammate!
Audrey: That’s one secret I’ll never tell.
Audrey: xoxo…Gossip Girl. *wink emoji*
Jade: Wait, not fair!
Skylar: So, do I not get a teammate?
Chandlerand I go to the game that night. I didn’t tell Charlie I was going to be there and wanted to surprise him afterward. But we can’t help ourselves with the warmups and watch a few rows up from the glass to not be noticed.
I do notice someone else watching and I groan, loudly, dragging my best friend over to the woman currently trying to get Charlie’s attention.
“Fucking give it up,” I snap behind Tabitha and it has her turning to face me quickly.
“You wouldn’t understand what we have, he was always going to come back to me.”
“Uh, no. He wasn’t. I’m sorry that you fucked up your chances with him, but it’s done. It’s over, and I know he told you the same thing. He’s with me and you need to let it go.”
“Get out of my face.”
I bark out a laugh, “I tried to be nice. Get the fuck over it, Tabitha. He’s in my bed every night and he doesn’t think about you anymore. Especially when he’s moaning my name, got it? So you can fuck right off and move on with some other athlete to try and trap, you jersey chasing cunt.”
She opens her mouth to say something else, but Chandler speaks up.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t even try to argue,” my best friend says.
I can tell Tabitha wants to say something else, but she doesn’t. Instead she takes one more look at the ice and then rushes off. Fucking finally.
“I’m so done with unnecessary drama,” I say. Chandler and I link our arms and head up to the suite.
As the game starts, some of the WAGs that Chandler had an issue with last season continue to give us shitty looks as they always do. She’s gotten better at ignoring them, but it still pisses me off.
Whenever I see one of them trying to talk shit, I’m not afraid to call them out, though Chandler tells me not to, I can’t help it.
“I didn’t realize tonight was ‘bitch night’ at the arena,” I joke at one point.
Eventually, I can’t take it anymore, especially this one bitch, Rosie, who for some reason has a hard on for being an asshole to my best friend. And I”m not in the mood for it while we are watching the game. The first period just started and she’s throwing looks in our direction, then laughing with one of the other wives.
“Hey Rosie?” I call.
She turns toward me with her eyes narrowed, “What?”
“When I talk my shit about you behind your back, would you prefer if I referred to you as a bitch or a cunt?”
Her jaw drops, “What did you just say to me?”
“I’m just asking if you have a preference. Since you like to talk so much shit about my best friend and me I want to make sure I’m referring to you correctly when we do the same.”
“Audrey,” Chandler hisses at me, but I can hear her laughter.
“I don’t even know why you are here; you’re not dating a player unless Chandler has decided to rent one of hers out.”
“Oh, that’s fucking it.” I start to go toward her, not sure what I’m going to do, it’s not like I can fight a bitch, but I’m tempted. Chandler stops me with a hand on my arm.
“She is dating a player, actually, so maybe you shouldn’t talk about shit you don’t know,” Chandler speaks up.
Rosie just rolls her eyes and turns away from us again.
“I fucking hate her,” I say loud enough that I’m sure she can hear me.
Chandler just shakes her head with silent laughter, “I try to ignore her most of the time now.”
I roll my eyes and groan, “I just hate it. She’s just jealous of you, obviously. Fuck, I’m still jealous of you, you know?”
Now she actually laughs, “Oh I know, you tell me all the time, but I’m pretty sure you have no reason to be anymore.”
“You think I can convince Charlie to add another guy?” I wiggle my eyebrows at her.
“I bet you could convince that man to do anything you want.”
I smile, looking down at the ice right as the man in question gets possession of the puck and sends it flying into the opponent’s net. We jump up screaming as the loud horn goes off to signal the goal. They show a closeup of him on the screen and I couldn’t hide the cheesy smile if I tried. I fucking love him so much.
The game progresses and Charlie gets another goal right before the first period ends so naturally, I scream, “Get a hat trick, baby!” To which I get thrown dirty looks by Rosie and her little friends, but I ignore them all.
It only takes three minutes into the second period when Charlie shoots a one-timer. It flies just above the goalie’s glove. Chandler and I scream as the entire arena erupts in cheers. We hug each other, jumping and screaming that he just got a hat trick.
Hats fly onto the ice, and everyone continues to celebrate. His teammates congratulate him as he goes to the bench. The camera shows him on the Jumbotron and all I can think about is how I’m going to jump that man the first chance I get.
I can’t get over how fucking happy he makes me. That man right there loves me. And I love him. That gorgeous, kind, amazing man who I almost didn’t give a chance. Who was afraid to let anyone get close to him, but for a different reason than me.
We both let each other in and it’s easily the best decision we could’ve made.
I get to call him mine.
After the game, in which the Dragon’s win four-to-two, Chandler and I head down to the tunnel to wait for the guys. I know it’s extremely likely Charlie will have to do a post-game interview because of his hat trick. This is all but confirmed when Brent, Vince, and Matt all come out before him.
They stick around while I wait and the second I see him walking out, wearing one of those sexy as shit suits, I can’t stop from jogging toward him and launching myself into his arms. Not giving a fuck who is around, who could see, what anyone thinks. I want everyone to know we are together. Which is why I wrap my arms and legs around him, before kissing him with everything I have.
And yet one of the things I love about him is that he instantly kisses me back with just as much passion. The way he deepens the kiss and the way I’m wrapped around him is definitely not appropriate for the public, but I don’t even care. I would fuck him right here and now if I could.
We are pulled from our own moment when I hear the whoops and hollers from the other guys. I look back over my shoulder to see Chandler swatting at Matt, who I know started it, but Vince’s shit eating grin makes it known he joined in as well.
I reluctantly detach myself from Charlie and we walk back over to the group. Hand in hand.
“So, it’s finally official then?” Vince asks with a raised eyebrow.
I look up at Charlie, smiling, especially when he answers, “Yup, this is my girl right here.” He wraps an arm around my shoulder, and I nuzzle into his side.
“Fucking finally,” Matt shakes his head.
“Oh, shut up,” Charlie chuckles.
“Okay, well we should head out. I’m sure you want to get back home,” Brent says and I’m actually thankful for the suggestion.
“Did you drive here?” Charlie asks me.
I shake my head, “Nope, I came with Chandler so I could leave with my boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend, huh? I like that,” he leans down, pressing his lips to mine once again.
“Get a room!” someone says, and by the way Chandler is swatting Matt once again, I know who it was.
“We are leaving,” Chandler announces, pulling me into a hug, whispering in my ear, “I’m so fucking happy for you.”
I just meet her smile as we pull apart and head to the garage. Charlie doesn’t waste any time getting me in his car and leaving the arena. Once on the road I speak up.
“You got a hat trick,” I smile.
“I did.”
“The only hat trick of the season so far and you do it when I’m not on cam. You realize I have a whole plan for those during my shows, right? Big plans.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, but you just had to get one when I’m actually at your game, so now it can’t happen,” I pretend to be upset about it.
“Well, how about you give me a private show with your whole plan as my own personal reward for being the one to actually get a hat trick?”
I pretend to think about it, “I guess I could do that. I suppose you may have earned it.”
“You suppose?”
I shrug, “You still have to be a good boy for me.”
He glances over at me, smirking, “Always.”