Chapter 24
Theo
It was our first game for the season, my final college home opener. I deserved a goddamn Oscar for being able to focus on hockey at all with the rest of my whirlwind life. In the three weeks since my dad announced he was a fucking cheater, I’d made more of an effort to see my mom.
It hurt every single time, but Audrey went with me. Sometimes, she stayed in the hallway. Others, she came in and played Uno with us. Em, Daniel, Penny, and I still hung out three times a week, but my dad kept his word. Not sure his word was worth shit after twenty-one days, but he’d stepped up. He came home from work, picked up my siblings, and went back to being our dad.
He didn’t seem like he lied. The two times he was late, he’d shared his location with me as he was at the store. He promised me he’d never lie to me again, and he said he wanted me to live my life.
How did I even do that?
Spending every second with Audrey, learning more about her, and getting to experience things with her. My life had been go-go-go all the time with fleeting relationships where there was no deep meaning. The fact I had someone like her? It made everything seem less intense.
I stood on the ice as someone sang the national anthem and stared into the crowd. Audrey was there. Her auburn hair was in a high pony, and she wore a navy and orange hoodie. It wasn’t my number on the back, but she was here. For me.
My chest filled with pride.
She shared she wasn’t sure about coming because of Quentin or her mom, but she wanted to see me play. She sat by Em, the two of them laughing at something on my sister’s phone, but something ran into my arm and made me lose balance.
“What was that for?” I hissed, not drawing attention during the song. Fucking Quentin Hawthorne stood next to me. His injury had improved, and he could skate. Not play during the game, but he could gently practice. I was happy for him as a fellow athlete. Being injured was a special kind of hell.
“My sister is here,” he said, his voice much less sarcastic than what I was used to. Things were less weird between us, but I wasn’t about to hug him or be besties for life.
Even after our chat, he hadn’t reached out to Audrey. I knew because I’d asked her. I hoped our talk would knock sense into him but nope. The kid was still an idiot.
“I texted her and asked her to come.”
Oh. My stomach tightened. I thought she came for me. “Good, yeah?”
It didn’t feel good. I wanted her for myself, regardless of how that sounded. I’d never voice that to her, but the blip of annoyance did intrude.
“I didn’t think she would. She never came to my games before, ever. Maybe a few times in high school, but dude, I’ve been thinking about what you said. I need to do something for her.”
Oh, she never came to games. That meant she came for me. Okay. Phew.
Get it together.
“What are you thinking?” I asked because he expected it. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. I wanted to know. Seeing Audrey upset made me feel aggressive, protective, and feral things I wasn’t accustomed to. So if he could make her less upset, that would be great for me.
“She loves reading, I think.” He paused and glanced at me, like I was supposed to confirm for him or something.
I kept my face neutral. He cleared his throat and continued, “I’m gonna get her a few books and bring her favorite drink. Tea, if I remember.”
“It’s coffee.” I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “I’m glad you want to do something nice.” The intros ended, and I hit Quentin on the arm as a goodbye before skating over to Reiner. He held a fist, and I hit it.
Instead of running plays last week, we switched positions and ended up having a fun practice. I played goalie and fucking sucked. Hannigan played forward and scored twice on me. It went to his head, but by the end of the two hours, we felt like a team instead of separate individuals all playing hockey on the ice.
Right as I got into position and the puck dropped, my mind switched to hockey. My sole purpose was to play the game, and every other thought left my mind.
No more worries about my mom or dad. Nothing about Quentin. Audrey was a nice blip in the back, but I forgot about all of them. It was me and the ice and the guys.
Jefferson won the face-off, slapping the puck to me, and I flew into action. Skating was a part of my blood, who I was. With the smells of the gear and sounds of the metal on ice, I was home.
My pulse raced as I headed for the goal. Peters was open, so I passed it. He fired it back, and I slapshot the puck right past the goalie. First goal of the season.
Sirens blared, and the guys huddled around me, offering compliments that felt good as fuck. I couldn’t wait to be in the NHL on the large scale. But as Hannigan and Liam congratulated me, my gaze went to the stands. Em and Audrey were on their feet, huge smiles on their faces, and it hit me.
I wanted Audrey to be in my family. I wanted her at all my fucking games, and yeah, the NHL was my future, but so was she. I nodded up at her but felt the back of my neck prickle. Quentin’s attention went from me, to her, then back, and he narrowed his eyes.
This damn punk was a pain in the ass, for real.
The game continued, and I scored another goal and had two assists. We took our home opener for the year, and Reiner was giddy. Him and JD hooted and hollered in the locker room, talking about teamwork and how true collaboration was what the game was about. Not personal stats. They mattered, sure, but cohesiveness mattered more.
“What did the Acorns say to you before you signed, Sanders?” JD asked me, as we all sat around in our post-game celebration. “Any advice for the rest of the guys?”
The room quieted, and every guy faced me. It was a powerful feeling, knowing they looked up to me and respected me enough to listen. Even Quentin stared at me without the usual judgement. If anything, it seemed like he was in awe of me.
“We played like a team tonight. Like everyone’s success mattered equally. That’s the whole point of being on a team. It doesn’t matter how many goals one of us scores. The assist matters, and the amount of blocks Hannigan had was insane.”
“Fuck yeah, dude.” One of the guys hit Hannigan on the back.
“Hannigan!”
Cheers followed but then everyone quieted and stared at me again. My face heated but not from embarrassment. It was pride. I was fucking proud that I was a leader on this team, that Reiner wanted me to help and I had. “No one has a role too big or too small here. Every fucking one of us matters. Even Quentin.” I pointed to him, and his eyes widened. “He’s been at every practice, taking notes, watching film, and giving input. He can’t play, yet he’s with us every single day.”
“Yeah, Q. Yeah, Q!”
Reiner leaned against the wall with the goofiest smile on his face, and he nodded at me when I met his gaze. That little nod told me enough, and the same proud, happy feeling filled me up. He took a chance on me transferring here, and I didn’t want to let him down.
“If we play like this every game, no one can beat us. So, let’s keep playing like a pack. Let’s go, Wolves!”
Howls and barks, claps and cheers echoed in the locker room. It’d be a long season, road trips and hard opponents, but instead of dreading it, I was excited. Maybe it was the fact I didn’t have to rush home to babysit or the fact Audrey was waiting for me after the game, or maybe it was the win and two goals I had, but my life finally was looking up. I showered and packed my shit and was out the locker room door to find my girl.
I’d stay with her tonight. Most of the guys wanted to go party and celebrate the win, but I’d only do that if Audrey wanted to tag along too. It was weird to join a team my senior year. I didn’t have the connections with any of them. I liked them. Trusted them on the ice. But the bonds the others had that formed three years ago? I didn’t have that.
And I’d be out of here once I graduated.
Girlfriends and family members waited outside the locker room, and my gaze instantly sought Audrey and her auburn hair. I did one scan and didn’t see her. Frowning, I did another, and Em waved me over.
“You did so great, bro.” She hugged me. “I was texting Jace the whole time about you. He wants to come watch next time. Would that be okay?”
“Jace?” I cringed. I really didn’t like him, but I couldn’t tell her that. “Uh, maybe. Hey, where’s Auds?”
“Oh, her brother wanted to talk to her. Why, should I have gone with them?”
“Nah.” I sighed and tried to find her again. They wouldn’t have walked far. “Do you need me to drop you off at home?”
“No. Jace is picking me up.” She beamed. “I really like Audrey, Theo. Did you know she gave me her number to call her if I need anything? Like, she knows you’re leaving next year but said she’d still be around and would always help. That’s so nice.”
Audrey would do that. Give herself to my family, even if I was gone. She’d do it even if we broke up or didn’t work out. Even though breaking up wasn’t an option. That wasn’t my plan at all. I’d do anything to make sure we stayed together. Her offering that to my sister just proved how good of a fucking person she was. Damn, I loved her.
“Oh, there she is!” Em pulled my shirt and pointed toward the west hallway. Quentin and Audrey faced each other, and he hung his head.
My feet twitched with the urge to run to her. I remained here though, watching and waiting. She didn’t seem upset. There were no tears on her face, no red cheeks from her anger either. If anything, he seemed more emotional than her.
Had he figured out we were together? Had she told him?
“She told me they had a fight, and she wasn’t sure if she should forgive him. I told her if you and I ever fought, it would kill me. And that younger siblings aren’t used to being the ones to take the first step in fixing something. So, if he wanted to say sorry, she should listen.”
“When the fuck did you turn thirty years old with your advice? Who are you?” I chuckled and pulled her into a half hug. “What the hell, Em?”
“I’ve learned a bit the last two years,” she said softly. “From you.”
My heart twisted in my chest knowing I’d leave next year. We’d just have to FaceTime every day or something. I loved my family despite the dramatics. “Don’t make me feel things. I can’t handle it.”
She laughed just as Quentin hugged Audrey. He wrapped his arms around her, and she squeezed him back, her gaze meeting mine over his shoulder. I loved how she sought me out, and in that one look, with her large green eyes and half-smile, I knew she was okay.
“They talked it out.” Em sighed. “Good. I think she downplayed how much he upset her.”
“She tends to do that.”
“Don’t let her do that to you. She’s good for you, dude.”
“Fully aware.” I shoved Em away, teasing her. “Where is your ride?”
“Oh, he’s here now.”
“I’ll walk you out.” I quickly texted Audrey to meet me outside, that I was going to ensure Em got in Jace’s car okay. “Need to make sure your boyfriend is safe.”
“Ugh. Come on. He’s fine. You’ve met him before.”
“Yeah, but still.”
I was ready for Em to go to college and forget that loser, but that wasn’t until next year. Too much time for Em to make poor choices with him. Maybe our dad would step in and stop it.
We walked out, and Jace leaned against his car, his face breaking into a huge smile when he saw my sister. “Hi, Em. Theo!”
“Hi, baby!” She ran to him and hugged him. It was a little too much of a hug for my taste, but I shooed them away and watched the car disappear down the road. She seemed happy, and that was honestly all I wanted for my siblings. To feel safe and happy.
“Good game, Sanders.”
I spun around, a smile on my face as Audrey approached me. “Liked seeing you in the stands today.” I pulled the string on her hoodie until her shoes touched mine. “Everything okay with you and your brother?”
She chewed her lip, her eyes sparkling as she gripped my waistband. “That’s what you want to talk about? That was my first time really watching you play, and you are incredible. I’d much rather go to my dorm right now with you.”
Oh. Yes. I liked this.
I grinned. “To do what?”
Her signature blush spread across her face, and she giggled. “Get naked.”
“Mm, I knew you were perfect for me.” I cupped her face and kissed her hard. “Fucking loved seeing you in the stands.”
“Wondered if you were showing off or if you really were that good,” she said, her lips brushing mine with each word. “Em seemed to think you were flaunting for me.”
“Maybe I wanted to make my girlfriend proud.”
“I always am, Theo. But you are exceptional on the ice.” She held my gaze and said the words in a serious, deep tone. “You’re incredible.”
“Thank you.” I cleared my throat. I wanted to yank her against me and declare my love and demand she never leave me. It so wasn’t the time, plus I needed more details on her brother. Instead, I kissed her against and held her tight. “And thank you for being so kind to Em.”
“Don’t thank me for that.” Audrey sighed, and her minty breath hit my face. I loved her little sighs. “What are you grinning about?”
“You. Just you.”
Her eyes warmed, and her cheeks pinkened as she intertwined our fingers. It felt so natural, and there was no hesitation on her. We were finally together without a doubt. “We can talk about your sister and my brother later. Right now, I just want to spend time with you.”
God, I loved those words. My life was a dream right now, and instead of worrying when the other shoe would drop, I was gonna enjoy it. “Lead the way, baby.”