48
Kennedy
I stood with Sammy, Jackson, and Nash’s parents in the Empires waiting area. It was quiet and surprisingly empty considering they’d won their game and were one step closer to making the playoffs. Despite the win, the mood felt heavy.
Nash had played well but hadn’t dominated the way he could.
I just hoped that it had been enough and that everything would finally line up in our favor.
If anyone was getting traded, I prayed it would be Josh.
Hell, at this point, I wanted them to trade him just so we could put all this drama behind us.
The last couple of weeks had been brutal.
Nash had coped by spending even more time at the gym, while I’d ended up having my doctor bump up my blood pressure meds.
Nash had lost weight. His body looked even more shredded than normal, but underneath all that, I saw how tired he was. How stressed.
And I was scared for him.
Josh had fewer restrictions in his contract than Nash did, and he was cheaper. On paper, keeping him probably made more sense. Except Nash was the better player, and the better leader. At least under normal circumstances.
Mitchell had texted me the other night to say that he’d passed my recording to Bryce, who’d somehow managed to get it into the hands of one of the coaches.
He didn’t know if the coach had actually listened to it, or if he would, but it still felt like a small victory. At least we’d done what we could.
“Kennedy,” Sammy said quietly, her hand landing on my arm. It startled me out of my thoughts, and I realized I’d been tapping my foot nonstop.
“Oh—sorry.”
I planted both feet firmly on the ground and took a deep breath, trying to slow the frantic pace of my heart.
“It’s all right. We’re nervous too,” Liz said with a gentle smile.
“Yeah.” I breathed out, closing my eyes for a second. We were all worried, all running the same what-ifs in our heads. I just needed it to be over. Good or bad, I wanted to know where we stood. Not just for Nash’s sake but for practical reasons too.
Jackson’s research had shown the boutique agency had good bones. It looked like a great purchase, something we could shape into what we wanted, except we hadn’t been able to talk about any real details because I still didn’t know if I’d even be living in New York.
The locker room door opened, and I turned even though I knew it wouldn’t be Nash. It wasn’t. He was always one of the last ones out.
“He’ll be here soon,” Howard said, trying to calm us down, but it didn’t work. My eyes kept darting to the door every few seconds, silently begging for it to open. When it finally did, I wasn’t prepared for it to actually be Nash.
And I wasn’t prepared for the way my world tilted. There was a light in his bright-green eyes I hadn’t seen in weeks.
“Oh.” I breathed out as his gaze locked on mine.
Please, please let this be good news.
He was in front of me in an instant. His freshly washed hair was still wet, hanging over his forehead and curling around his ears. Before I could speak, he wrapped his arms around me, crushing me against him. Then he straightened, lifting me right off the ground until my feet dangled in the air.
“We’re staying, babe,” he whispered hoarsely in my ear.
“Oh my God,” I whisper-shouted, loud enough for Liz and Sammy to hear. “They’re keeping you?”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice rough with relief. “We’re continuing the contract, just like before.”
“Oh, thank God.”
I clung tighter, burying my face against him.
His warm breath fanned across my neck, and all of the stress, the sleepless nights, the tears I’d swallowed, the constant what-ifs, they all just drained out of me.
We were staying. We were right where we wanted to be.
In New York City. With our friends. With his hockey family.
The tears came, and I didn’t even try to stop them.
I made a promise right then, wrapped in Nash’s arms, that I wasn’t going to waste this new chance we’d been given. I was going to live the life I wanted with him to the fullest. Out in public, not worrying about what other people thought. No more stressing about things I couldn’t control.
Nash finally set me back on my feet and kissed me hard, right in front of everyone. I was too stunned to do anything but melt into it.
“Nash!” Liz cried, reaching for him the second he let me go. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
I stood there in awe, watching his broad back as he bent down to hug her. My chest felt so full it almost hurt. One quick glance at Sammy and Jackson told me they felt it too. Sammy had a soft smile on her lips as she swiped at a stray tear.
Jackson stepped forward without a word and pulled me into a tight hug. I sagged against him as my whole body shook with relief.
“I know,” he murmured into my hair. “I know.”
I swallowed hard, trying to ease the lump in my throat.
“I’m proud of you, son,” Howard said, his deep voice thick with emotion as he clapped Nash on the back and pulled both him and Liz into his arms.
A light tap on my shoulder made me turn. Mitchell stood right behind me with a sweet, genuine smile stretching across his face.
“Mitch,” I cried out, and that was it, the tears came with a vengeance. Mitchell’s arms wrapped around me, strong and steady, the way Nash’s had. I buried my face in his chest and sobbed. “Thank you,” I choked out between breaths. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you, Kennedy,” he said, his voice unusually serious. “I’m glad I helped, but I’m not sure this would’ve happened at all without you. I think Nash might’ve given up if you hadn’t been there to push him.”
That only made me cry harder. Mitchell pulled me tighter, letting me break down against the solid wall of his chest.
“Damn, Mitch,” Nash’s voice rumbled from behind us. “Now you’re making her cry.”
Mitchell chuckled, loosening his hold before gently passing me into Nash’s waiting arms. I stepped into them without hesitation, melting into the love and everything that was Nash Reed.
“You all right?” Nash whispered in my ear, his big hand rubbing slowly up and down my back.
Sammy, Jackson, and Mitchell were talking with his parents somewhere nearby, but I tuned it all out.
My whole world narrowed to Nash—his warmth, his voice, his beautiful green eyes watching me with so much love it set off another wave of tears.
“Yeah.” I swiped at my cheeks, though the tears just kept coming.
“Okay,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Nash. So much.”
“Let’s go home.”