Chapter 34 Blue
Blue
“Next stop, Regionals!” Ollie releases a howl in the locker room before doing an imitation of a choo-choo train all around the perimeter of the locker room.
The man is unhinged, and I wouldn’t have him any other way.
He brings me in for a back-clapping hug as he screeches “All aboard!” and damn near blasts my ear drum.
I can’t be mad, though. We swept the ice with Mountville, and we’re headed to Albany in two weeks.
After that, we’ll be Vegas bound. I have no doubts.
Hell, Ollie and Fallon will probably want to renew their vows while we’re there.
It’s going to be a hell of a ride, and I can’t wait.
But while my teammates are celebrating, I have something else on my mind.
Or more accurately, someone else. Who am I kidding?
Liza’s been front and center in brain for months now.
Things are decidedly less frosty these days than they were two weeks ago, but I haven’t taken the leap.
I’ve ben too fucking scared. We’ve been stuck in a limbo of my own making because even though I know I’m re-earning her trust, I’m terrified that I haven’t convinced her yet.
When I asked her out the first time, back at the winter carnival, I was pretty damn confident she'd say yes. The stakes weren’t as high then.
Now I know what falling for someone feels like.
I know what heartbreak feels like. I know what love feels like.
Our eyes meet across the crowded room and even though I’m dying to go to her and lay it all out there, I also know she’s technically still at work, and I don’t want to mess with that.
And yeah, we had sex in the penalty box once, but that was different. She wasn’t on the clock.
“Are you having regrets?” Mickey asks, moving into the cubby next to me and stripping down to his bare ass, despite the fact that there are reporters with cameras twenty feet away.
“You’re going to have to be more specific, man,”
“Tonight was a prime opportunity for you to win Liza’s heart back. There’s even a freaking balloon arch in the lobby. We totally could have borrowed it. They even have red balloons with little tiny hearts on them. Talk about perfect”
“Isn’t that for the organ donation group? I’m not quite sure that’s the vibe we’re going for.”
“Your loss,” he says, shrugging and wrapping a towel around his waist.”I’m just saying, you kinda look like a sad sack over here.
And you haven’t been yourself lately. Hazel and Doug have noticed it, too.
They didn’t want to bring it up, but I feel like I’ve gotta be honest with you.
You’re a lovesick puppy, my dude. And believe me, from one lovelorn fool to another, take my advice and do something about it. ”
It suddenly hits me that Mickey gets a bad rap.
Most of the guys love him, but he’s famous for being too loud, too energetic, and too damn crazy.
And all of those things are true. But he’s got the biggest heart of anybody I know, and the man is fucking wise.
Don’t tell him I said that, but it’s true.
“Thanks, pal,” I say, clapping him on the back before I make my way across the room.
It takes a while because the energy in here is cranked up and I’ve got guys hugging me and high-fiving me from every direction.
When I finally make it to the storage room, I panic for a second when I don't see Liza.
My heart rate returns to the normal range when I see her over by the laundry bins.
What the hell. This is where it all started, right?
So it might as well be where I shoot my shot.
“Good game,” she says, not bothering to look up at me from the pile of clean towels she’s folding.
“Yeah, thanks,” I say. “And I’m glad you brought it up. Because, you know, I’m definitely back here to talk to you about the game.”
“What else would we have to talk about?” she asks, unable to keep the flirtatious tone out of her voice.
“There’s a whole fucking lot we could talk about. And even more that we could do, especially once these guys finally go the hell home. But first, there’s something I need to say to you.’
She starts to shake her head. “You’ve already apologized, Blue and it’s—”
“I love you,” I say, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear before cupping her face.
“I love you because you are incredible. You are smart, and talented, and beautiful, and so fucking wise. You’re everything I never knew I wanted, and I think you should know how I feel.
You don’t have to do anything about it. You don’t have to say it.
You don’t even have to feel it. But I love you. ”
I’ve never been this vulnerable with another human being in my life. It’s all on the line right now and she’s got the power to stomp my overly large ego to smithereens, but it doesn’t matter. The truth is the truth. And my truth is that I love Liza DeWalt.
This locker room behind us is buzzing with people, and the washers and dryers in this room are far from quiet. But my whole world goes quiet as I wait for her reply.
Liza’s expression goes soft as she looks up at me, pressing her hands to my chest. “I hate you so much,” she says. “So, so much.”
Her words should cut like knives, but when she follows them with a kiss, I forget to be offended. “You sure about that, Tiger? Because it doesn’t seem like you hate me,” I say, pulling away just to tease her before capturing her lips again.
“Oh, I definitely do,” she says the next time we come up for air. “I hate you for making me miss you so damn much.”
“That’s fair,” I say, wrapping my arms around her lower back to keep her close.
“But,” she continues, a smile gracing her lips, “In addition to hating you, I also love you, too. And that’s not easy for me to say.
It’s scary as hell. Who knows what happens next?
You know how much I love having a plan, but maybe there isn’t a right way to do this.
Maybe we just love each other every day and see where that takes us. ”
“That sounds like a solid plan to me.” I take her hand and lead her through the locker room.
“I can’t leave yet. The laundry’s not done.”
“Isaac can do the laundry for once. There’s one more thing I want to do before we leave the Wolf’s Den tonight.”
“I’m pretty sure this place is way too crowded for us to spend some quality time in the penalty box. I think that will have to wait.”
“Oh, we’re definitely putting that back on the list. But this won’t last nearly as long, and it’s a lot more PG,” I assure her before glancing at my phone and tapping out a message. “Come on, they should be down this hall.”
When we round the corner, I see something I never thought I would.
My dad is standing at the end of the corridor, decked out from head to toe in Bainbridge Wolves gear.
He’s even got a foam finger and a souvenir cup.
The guy looks more like a kid at the county fair than a grown ass man with his own financial empire, but he’s smiling, and I’m not pressing my luck.
“Hey, guys,” I say, giving my dad a clap on the bag and embracing Bri with a one-armed hug. “Thanks for waiting. Things tend to get a little hectic after games, especially when we win.”
“Congratulations,” my stepmom says. “I have no clue how you play in here, though. It’s freezing.”
I want to tell her that’s the fucking point, and when Liza squeezes my hand I know she’s thinking the same thing I am.
“Great game, son,” my dad says, clasping my hand.
Again, I’d like to point out that the only reason my dad knows we had a great game is that my team has more points on the scoreboard.
I don’t think he could name two hockey rules, two hockey players, or two pieces of hockey equipment.
But tonight isn’t about that. It’s about something far more important.
“I’d like you both to meet my girlfriend, Liza DeWalt. Liza, this is my dad, Greg, and his wife, Bri.”
They exchange pleasantries and my dad acts as though he’s never seen Liza before in his life.
I shouldn’t be surprised. He probably doesn’t recognize her because the last time he saw her, she was just a waitress in his mind.
But he’s not the one I’m focused on right now.
I’m not doing this for anyone’s approval.
I’m just proud as hell to call Liza mine, and I want everyone to know it.
Our idle chitchat lasts a few minutes until Bri says she’s got to get home in time to put the dogs to bed.
I’m glad they came, but I’m not sad to see them go.
I doubt I’ll ever have the relationship with my family that some of my teammates have with theirs, but that’s okay.
I’m making my own way, and that’s more important.
We stroll back into the locker room hand-in-hand. “So, I noticed you didn’t correct me when I called you my girlfriend back there.”
“Of course I didn't," she says. “I only correct you when you’re wrong. Granted, that’s a fair amount of the time, but since you got this one right, I kept my mouth shut.”
“Are you sure? Because the general consensus of the team was that I had no hope of winning you back unless I went into full grand-gesture mode. I believe a parade of swans was mentioned. Also an announcement on the jumbotron and a declaration of undying devotion given while riding the Zamboni.”
Liza pales. “Oh, my god. You realize that’s the stuff of my nightmares, right? I’d have died if you’d done something like that.”
“Tell that to the guys! They probably think I’m a shitty boyfriend because I didn’t serenade you during one of the intermissions.”
“You are the best boyfriend,” she tells me, reaching up for a kiss. “You show up everyday and you love me. What more could I ask for?”
I lift Liza in my arms and set her on top of the dryer before bringing her in for another kiss. “Showing up for you is easy. Loving you is easy,” I tell her. “And I promise I’ll never forget how damn lucky I am to have that privilege.”