Epilogue
I watched as Tolliver rushed down the ice with the puck.
"Come on, Stone! Hit 'em!"
Hazel gave me side-eye. "Are you serious right now?"
"What?" I said then growled when a player from the other team plowed into Tolliver. "Come on, ref! Open your eyes. He slashed that!"
"Do you even know what you're saying?"
"No really," I confessed. "I'm still learning."
Hazel sat back as I yelled again. "Oh, I think you've learned enough."
Suddenly, Tolliver and Hudson were storming up the ice. His brother passed to him as Tolliver crossed the center line, charging straight for the goal. At least, I knew what this was. A breakaway. Tolliver was sailing up the ice on a breakaway.
"Come on, come on," I said.
When he shot, the puck rebounded off the goalie's leg pads, but Tolliver got a second chance. And that one went right between the guy's legs. The red buzzer went off. Me and the rest of the Chapel Hill fans jumped to our feet and cheered.
"Yeah, Tolliver! Way to go!" I yelled.
As he got piled on by the rest of his teammates, Elle nodded.
"That was a good play," she said. "Nice assist from Hudson too. He usually likes to score, but he read that one right. Something's lit a fire in Tolliver."
Hazel sent me a look. "I wonder what that is."
"You seem lucky," Elle said to me. "You should come watch me play too."
"Yeah, I will," I said.
Hazel simply shook her head.
"What?"
"Nothing," she said with a sigh. "I just hoped they wouldn't convert you."
"Convert me how?"
"Into a mindless, hockey-loving fangirl."
I put my hands on my hips. "You take that back. My mind is fine, and I'm nobody's fangirl."
"What she said," Elle retorted. "And I'm actually a hockey player, so I don't think you can classify me as a fan—even though technically, I'm that too."
Hazel threw me a knowing smile. "Your boyfriend obviously likes you fangirling."
"Hazel, what the what?" I said. "I thought we were friends, writers in arms, readers who love reading."
"That last one was the best."
"Thanks. So?"
She sighed. "What can I say? My brother plays, and I was forced to go to all his games. I just don't get how you can like it."
Tolliver threw me a smile and waved to me from the ice.
"Well, that's how." I waved back. "Also just so you know, Tolliver came to my orchestra concert the other night."
Her eyes went round. "He did?"
"Yes, and it was only classical music. The pieces were gorgeous. I was first chair as usual. Anyway, he cheered the loudest too. I could literally hear him above everyone else."
"Seriously?"
"The conductor gave him a dirty look once when Tolliver wouldn't sit down."
Elle laughed. "That's hilarious."
"It really is," Hazel said. "Good on Tolliver."
Sitting down and turning to face her for a moment, I felt my brow furrow.
"Does this have anything to do with Hudson?" I asked. "I saw you two talking earlier."
Hazel scoffed. "He was talking while I walked away."
"Yeah, that's what I meant."
"He just makes me so mad," she said.
"Which is different from any other day how?" Elle said then grinned and held up her hands. "Sorry, Hud's always getting on someone's nerves. I have to live with the guy. I get it."
Hazel crossed her arms. "I wish he'd just ignore me."
"Do you though?" I said.
I didn't back down from her glare.
"I'm only saying maybe there's more to him than meets the eye."
Hudson knocked someone into the boards, hard, and before he skated off, he blew Hazel a kiss.
"Doubtful," she said. "Seriously, doubtful."
As she and Elle continued their conversation, I went back to watching the game. Three minutes later, Hudson scored a goal with some help from Tolliver, and as he came to the bench, he beamed up at me.
"What are you smiling at?" his coach/father said.
"My girlfriend, Coach," he said.
There was a mutter of something that sounded like "Keep your head in the game," but I saw his dad hide a small smile. Tolliver simply stared at me a moment.
Then he said, loud enough for the whole bench to hear, "Love you."
"Jeez, love you too," Hudson said. "No need to shout."
"Not you," Tolliver said, looking at me expectantly.
"Love you," I said back.
"What?"
"I love you too," I yelled.
Elle shook her head. "You may be lucky, but my dad is weighing the pros and cons of having you in the stands."
"She can only make them better," Hazel said with a yawn. "At least Tolliver's happiness is translating to goals."
It was true.
But I didn't care too much about the outcome. I wanted Tolliver to win. Of course, I did, but what mattered to me most? What made me want to keep coming back and cheering my head off?
Tolliver's smile.
I wanted him to know that I was here for him.
That I loved him.
And I couldn't think of a better way to show that than showing up.
He gave me his heart as surely as I'd given him mine, and I was going to keep it safe.
Because I did love Tolliver.
Because he was my person.
And because he was the only one to ever melt the ice around my heart and set my soul on fire.
* * *