Chapter 20
Zane
As soon as I step out of the hallway and onto the ice, the roar of the crowd fades into a distant hum. I glance around the stands, and as expected, Gwen is there. She looks incredible in orange, though honestly, there isn’t a color that doesn’t suit her.
I wave at her and give a quick wink. I’m about to begin my warm-up when something catches my eye.
A few rows down… my parents.
It takes everything in me not to react. My chest tightens for a brief moment.
My parents have always been… complicated.
The thought of Gwen meeting them without me there weighs heavily on my mind.
Throughout the entire game, I’m silently hoping Leo and Lisa can help her navigate whatever that turns into.
After the game, I pull my jersey over my head and roll my neck, letting the familiar weight settle across my shoulders.
This is the part of my life that always made sense: the structure, the discipline, the certainty.
Out here, effort equals outcome. The ice doesn’t care who you are, only what you do.
But today, even the jersey feels heavier than usual.
The team is buzzing with excitement over the win, but my thoughts are elsewhere, stuck on Gwen meeting my parents without me there.
A trainer stops at my stall. Jenna. Efficient. Direct. The kind of person who’s seen every injury, every excuse, every ego.
“How’s the shoulder?” she asks.
“Fine,” I reply automatically.
She gives me a look that could strip paint. “Fine as in fine, or fine as in you’re going to keep saying you’re fine until I catch you wincing?”
I pause, slightly caught off guard. “Fine-fine.”
She nods once, as if she’s heard enough to accept it for now. Then she studies my face briefly. “You sleeping?”
“Yeah,” I lie.
Her eyes narrow. “Don’t be stupid. Sleep is recovery.”
“I’m not being stupid.”
She exhales, clearly unconvinced, and moves on, calling out to another player to stretch like his body isn’t made of stone.
I stand, gather my things, and head toward the hallway. Blake falls into step beside me. Before the game, he insisted on coming back to my place afterward. At this point, having him there might actually help; he could be a buffer between my parents and me.
“Did you see Perth’s reaction to the Buffaloes losing? His face was all over the Jumbotron.” Blake chuckles.
Perth has been a rival of his since we were drafted, competing for the same teams and the same opportunities.
Sometimes I find myself wondering what things would’ve looked like if the Grizzlies had picked Perth instead of Blake.
In every version of that thought, things somehow end up worse.
He was here to watch the Buffaloes or maybe to watch us lose, which thankfully didn’t happen.
“I saw him,” I reply with a laugh. “Pretty sure he has a dartboard with your face on it.”
Blake laughs along with me as we reach the car.
Outside, it’s pouring rain. We both hurry inside, shutting the doors quickly behind us as the storm beats down around the vehicle.
“Ready for some fun?” Blake asks.
“Sort of.”
“What’s wrong?”
“My parents showed up at the game…”
“They did? Unexpectedly? Like a surprise?”
“Yep,” I reply.
“So your girlfriend met your parents without you there,” Blake concludes.
“Yep,” I say again.
“Man, you are screwed,” Blake laughs.
“Thanks for the support,” I chuckle, shaking my head as I pull away from the venue.
We reach the apartment in just a few minutes. When I park in my usual spot, I notice Blake’s car already sitting nearby.
“I thought your car was in the garage?” I ask, glancing at him in surprise.
“It was. They fixed it and had it delivered here,” he shrugs.
“Now that’s customer service,” I say as we step out of the car.
By the time we reach my front door, I can already hear voices inside. Leo’s voice stands out the most, loud and animated as usual, but Gwen’s voice cuts through everything for me. Something about hearing her immediately pulls at me, and I don’t hesitate before stepping inside.
“Congrats!” Lisa calls out as we enter, popping open a bottle of champagne.
“Thanks,” I say, scratching the back of my neck.
“What a warm welcome,” Blake comments, already moving to grab himself a glass.
Gwen is standing on the right side of the apartment. I make my way over to her, wrap my arms around her, and kiss her.
“I missed you,” I tell her, noticing the faint blush rising in her cheeks.
“You were incredible,” she says softly, then gently pulls back. Her eyes flick toward my parents before returning to me. I catch the hesitation in her expression and don’t want to make her uncomfortable, so I release her as well.
“Hey, mom,” I say, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Dad.” I shake his hand the way we always do.
They both seem more reserved than usual, tense, even.
I greet the rest of the group before taking a glass of champagne for myself.
“Cheers to victory,” Lisa says loudly, raising her glass. We all follow suit except my parents, who decline. Knowing them, the win probably isn’t something they feel the need to celebrate.
“Snacks are on the way,” Tess adds, checking her phone. “I called a friend who caters; she’s bringing post-hockey food.”
Post-hockey food. I have no idea what that means, but I nodded when she mentioned it earlier, so I guess we’ll find out.
“Can I talk to you?” Lisa asks suddenly.
I glance around the room. Gwen is chatting with Leo and Tess, so I nod and follow Lisa into the hallway.
“What’s going on?” I ask, immediately noticing the look on her face.
“I think everything’s ok… but during the game, they put Gwen on the Jumbotron. Since she’s dating you, she’s kind of become recognizable in the hockey scene,” she explains.
“Ok…” I say slowly. “And?”
“The crowd didn’t react well. I think it’s because of that article. People were loud about it, they basically booed her off the screen.”
My stomach drops.
“We heard some boos during the break,” I say, exhaling. “I thought it was because they showed someone from the Hawks on the Jumbotron. Not Gwen.”
“I think she’s alright. I just needed you to know,” Lisa explains.
“Yeah, of course. I appreciate it,” I reply with a small smile before we both head back into the living room.
My parents are seated together on the couch, somewhat apart from everyone else. Near the kitchen, Blake, Leo, Tess, and Gwen are gathered, talking and laughing casually. Music plays through the speakers, Falling in Reverse. Something tells me Blake had a hand in that.
“Did you enjoy your first official hockey game?” I ask Gwen, trying to gauge how she’s really feeling.
“It was fun,” she replies with a smile, though it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. It feels restrained like she’s holding something back.
“You look amazing in orange,” I say softly, leaning in to kiss the top of her head.
“These two,” Leo says, pointing between Tess and Gwen, “need a crash course in ice hockey. I think one of them called the Buffaloes’ color cute, and I even heard someone say ‘touchdown.’”
That earns a laugh from me.
“I volunteer,” I add, pulling Gwen a little closer to my side.
“Zane, can I talk to you?” my dad’s voice cuts in as he suddenly appears beside me.
“Sure,” I reply, running a nervous hand through my hair.
Blake cracks open a beer, and I reach over and take it from him before he can even take a sip. Tess laughs at the move.
I follow my dad into the hallway and then into my bedroom. The moment he closes the door behind us, I already know this conversation isn’t going to be light.
“Is something wrong, dad?” I ask, leaving the door slightly ajar. It feels better to have some air and to still hear faint sounds from the living room.
“We need to talk about your career,” he begins.
“What about it?” I ask, though a sense of unease starts to settle in.
“You’re making some poor decisions,” he says firmly. “I didn’t come down here just for the game, though your mother seems to think we did.” He pauses. “I’ve seen the articles online. And today, at the game, it became even clearer.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, tension building in my chest with every second.
“You’re throwing it all away,” he continues. “Everything you’ve worked for, you’re putting it at risk. And for what? For some… girl?”
His tone hits something deeper than I expect. It takes me back to being younger, to moments where approval felt conditional, tied to performance, tied to being “enough.”
“I’m not throwing anything away,” I say, my voice steady but firm. “And you don’t even know her. She’s the sweetest, funniest, nicest person I’ve met,” I add, defending Gwen without hesitation.
“That doesn’t matter,” he cuts in, his voice sharp. “The public has already formed its opinion. If you continue down this path, you’ll lose everything.”
In the hallway, I hear faint movement, but I don’t turn around. I don’t break eye contact with my dad.
“I am in love with her. She’s an amazing woman. Don’t speak about her like that in my house,” I say, my voice tight with anger.
“Don’t be so stupid,” Dad snaps, clearly annoyed. “What do you think people will say when they see you with her?” he continues, but I cut him off before he can go any further.
“I want you to leave.”
“You’re not thinking straight,” he insists.
“Please leave,” I repeat, more firmly this time.
He exhales sharply, then finally gives in. Without another word, he brushes past me and heads back into the hallway.
“Glenda, we’re leaving,” I hear him call out to Mom.
The conversation in the living room comes to an abrupt stop. A moment later, two sets of footsteps move through the space, slow at first, then gradually fading.
Silence settles in.
Not long after, a soft knock comes from the bedroom door.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Tess says gently as she steps in. “Gwen asked me to tell you she’s not feeling well. She had to leave,” she explains.
I turn around immediately.
“What? Where is she?” I ask, panic creeping into my voice.
“Leo is driving her home. I’m really sorry,” Tess adds, her tone sincere.
“Did she hear my dad?” I ask.
Tess lowers her shoulders slightly. “I think so.”
I close my eyes briefly. I should’ve known. This was probably exactly what my dad wanted.
“Tess… you know her well. What can I do to fix this? I don’t want to lose her,” I admit, the words coming out more like a plea than anything else.
“That’s why I stayed,” she says softly, offering a reassuring smile. “Let’s figure something out together.”
Then she steps back out, leaving me alone in the room with nothing but the weight of everything that just happened.