Chapter 50
fifty
. . .
Aidan
Somehow, my apartment has become the gathering place for team activities. I’m used to Ryan and maybe Sinclair and Jenkins coming by to game, or Henry and Lewis popping in to talk strategy, or Gonzo and Mitchell showing up for book club.
What feels like the entire twenty-three-man roster is in my tiny little three-bedroom apartment, though in reality it’s probably only eight or ten guys. Those who have partners have brought them. A few have their kids with them. It is crowded.
I’m in hell.
Ceci, however, is in her element. She even invited all of her book club friends to join us for an informal get-together—at least, those connected to the hockey team.
Henry and Audrey.
Larsson and Vanessa.
Lewis and Rachel.
McKittrick and Amelia.
Gonzo and Riley.
Mitchell and Bex.
And, of course, Ryan and Hailey.
For some reason, Sinclair and Jenkins decided to drop in too, so we’ve got a full house.
Plus, Colt and Robby are soft launching their relationship tonight.
Our assistant equipment manager doesn’t often hang out with us when we’re all in town, busy with his life away from the arena, but on away games, he’s as much a part of the team as any of the other players.
A knock raps on the door, and I open it to find Tyler Owen, Amelia’s brother and my meal prep guy, and his husband, Brandon Walker, elite pitcher for the Boston Bulldogs.
Brandon is holding their two-year-old daughter, her face sticky and hair in tiny little pigtails.
I have the inexplicable urge to boop the tiny tufts of curls to see them spring back.
“Sorry we’re late,” Tyler says. “The little one did not want to cooperate tonight.”
“Not a problem. Thanks for coming. She’s going to flip her sh—stuff.” I catch myself in the nick of time. I don’t know much about childrearing, but I’ve heard that cursing is a no-no.
I step back to let them in, and Tyler hands over a casserole dish.
“I brought seven-layer dip,” he announces.
“You didn’t have to bring anything. I’ve got it covered.”
Mainly because he dropped off a ton of food earlier today. I certainly wasn’t about to cook for these assholes. It’s bad enough they’re in my private space when they don’t have to be.
But this is for Ceci. She wants to get to know my teammates better, especially since she’s friends with so many of their partners. So I guess I can deal for a few hours.
Tyler scoffs. “I’m not about to show up empty-handed. And I figured the guys didn’t need more alcohol this close to the final playoff push.”
We’re one point away from the wild card slot in the standings. There are still plenty of games left in the season, but every game counts, and we can’t afford to slack off now.
“I appreciate that.”
Brandon lets Ainsley down, taking hold of her little hand. “Well, come on, then. Introduce us.”
They’re already part of the greater team family, so they know everyone—except for Colt and Ceci.
To my surprise, it’s Colt and Robby who beeline for them.
“Hey, Ty,” Robby says, greeting his ex with a strong handshake and a half hug. “It’s good to see you.” He immediately steps back and reaches for Colt’s hand. “This is my boyfriend, Colton Phillips.”
Tyler grins, no sign of jealousy or resentment on his face. “Nice to meet you. You finally locked this one down?”
I don’t know that I’d be so chill about meeting my partner’s ex. Though I’m glad they have a decent relationship now. I definitely wouldn’t be cordial with Ceci’s ex-husband. I’m not a fighter, but I’d have no qualms about punching that bastard in the face for what he put her through.
Colt blushes. “Something like that.”
Robby presses a kiss to his cheek. “You totally have.”
“I’m happy for you, Rob,” Tyler says. “Both of you.” He reaches for his husband. “And hey, now we can finally double-date.”
My face scrunches up, and I look between them. “You would do that? Double-date with your ex?”
To my surprise, Brandon laughs. “Rob is part of our family. What happened between them is in the past, and that’s where it’s going to stay. Just because a relationship isn’t romantic doesn’t mean the love goes away. And we could all use a little more love in our lives.”
I consider that. “True…”
“If I didn’t trust Ty, our marriage wouldn’t work,” he says simply. “All relationships are based on mutual trust and respect. It won’t survive without it.”
My gaze flits to Ceci, who’s across the room with Hailey and Bex. A wave of affection rushes through me. Mutual trust and respect. We have that in spades.
As if feeling my eyes on her, Ceci looks up—and then she looks behind me, and she lets out a shriek.
“What’s wrong?” at least three people ask.
My girl beelines to us, still lingering in the entryway. She’s at my side in an instant, reaching for my hand automatically. I lace our fingers together, indulging in the simple pleasure of holding her hand.
“Holy fruitcake,” she blurts. “You’re Brandon Walker.”
“Be cool,” I murmur into her ear, breathing in her scent.
“How can I be cool when Brandon freaking Walker is here?” Her voice comes out high-pitched and squeaky.
He cracks up laughing. “I’m just a normal dude.”
“She’s kind of a baseball nut,” I explain.
“It’s nice to meet you,” he says, offering his hand.
She holds her breath as she takes it. “Holy fruitcake,” she says again.
“Come on, let’s grab a drink and we can chat a bit,” he suggests.
Tyler scoops up his daughter, holding her on one hip. “You want to go find Auntie?”
Ainsley shrieks with delight. “Auntie! Auntie!”
I’m still holding the dip, so with my guests situated, I turn on my heel and head toward the dining table, which is already overflowing with food. Somehow, I find a place for it, and Gonzo and Henry converge on the dish.
“What did Tyler bring?” Gonzo demands. I peel back the foil to reveal the seven-layer dip, and he groans. “His food is so good.”
I hum in agreement as Sinclair joins us.
He seems relaxed and happy. No sign of his freak-out the night of the gala. He’s playing well on the ice, putting in the work in the weight room, and generally seems back to his normal happy-go-lucky self.
“You doing okay?” I ask.
He gulps down some of his green electrolyte drink. “I’m getting there. Had a rough go the last few months, had to deal with harsh truths I didn’t want to hear.”
“But you’re good?” Gonzo asks.
He nods. “Yeah, I’m good. Threw me for a loop, but I’ve got my head in the game and am back on track.”
“You’ve got this,” I tell him. “Try the seven-layer dip.”
Clapping him on the shoulder one more time, I try to convey my support as subtly as I can before leaving to mingle with the rest of the guests. Apparently, mingling is a very important part of hosting.
Ryan rummages in my drink fridge, coming up with a purple Gatorade.
I watch from a distance as he finds a glass and pours it over ice, then takes it across the room to where Hailey’s parked in her wheelchair, talking to Vanessa and Bex.
He delivers her drink, then ducks down and kisses her forehead. My heart seizes with happiness for her.
Today isn’t a good day. She’s having a lot of pain and almost didn’t come at all. I’m glad she decided to show up, even if it’s for a limited time.
Despite her health setback, she seems happier than ever. Always smiling, always laughing. As much as I hate to admit it, marrying my best friend was a positive move for her.
But I’m still going to give them shit over not telling me. That’s my job as a big brother.
Ceci comes to stand beside me, her hand slipping into mine.
“Thank you,” she murmurs, kissing my cheek. My skin burns like it’s been branded. Because it has. Just like she’s put her stamp on my heart, forever changing me for the better.
“For what?”
“For inviting Brandon Walker. For doing all of this.” She waves at the crowded room. “I know you probably hate every minute of this, but—”
“Not every minute.” I bring our linked hands to my lips, kissing her knuckles. “Some parts are pretty nice.”
She smirks at me. “Oh really?”
“I might need a week to recharge, though.”
“I might know some other ways we can speed that along.” Amusement dances in her eyes. “Maybe with something else that takes batteries.”
Anticipation floods my system, and my cock twitches at her insinuation. “Oh really?”
“Something involving me, you, and a bed. Or maybe a shower.” She winks.
“I could be interested…”
“Tonight.” She kisses the corner of my jaw. “When we’re all alone.”
“I can’t kick everyone out now?” I’m only half joking.
Ceci giggles. “Patience. The anticipation will make it that much sweeter.”
“I don’t know. You’re already pretty sweet.”
“Sweet? Me?”
“And spicy.” I squeeze her hand. “And chaotic. And irresistible.”
“Aw, you big softy.” She leans into me.
“I used to think I needed to be tough. Strong. Immovable. But you’ve taught me it’s okay to ebb and flow. That it’s okay to bend. I won’t break. I won’t fall apart.”
“Aidan…”
“And if I do, I’m confident I have the skills to put myself back together again. Because of you. Because of what you’ve taught me.”
“I didn’t—”
“Because of your love and support, even when I hurt you. Because of your trust in me, even when I didn’t deserve it. You’ve shown me what love and respect really are, and I will never, ever take that for granted.”
She swallows, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.
“I love you, Cecilia. And I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you.”
She cards her fingers through my hair, then cups my cheek. “Wish, you already do.”
And when she kisses me, my soul soars, wild and free.
This is it. This is us. Surrounded by my sister, my teammates, and all our friends… This is what happily ever after looks like.
And I can’t fucking wait.