Chapter 46
Forty Six
Kaeli
If Ezra was stuck to me like glue after confessing his love, then he’s been a permanent overbearing fixture now.
For the past few days, he’s been keeping tabs on every little detail about me. And since I got tired of him texting me every few minutes to ask me if I’m okay and where I’m at, and if I need him, I decided to share my live location with him.
I’m independent, not stupid. I know that the cops or Ezra can’t be with me every second of every day, even though he tries his best to be. I know he would literally stop playing if I asked him to stay by my side.
The morning when I unburdened everything on him, we went down to the station and filed a complaint against him. Ezra even called his lawyer to get a restraining order against John Mullens while I was busy checking the notifications on my phone.
There was a text from Stacy asking me why I hadn’t clocked in, to which I made some bullshit excuse.
There was one from Roman sending me a cute video of puppies, and one from Jodi asking if I had reached home. A personal message from her was odd, but I figured that she might be trying to build a friendship like I have with Stacy.
I’ve been alert and made sure to leave my office while it was still light out. Ezra picks me up whenever he can. He has officially moved in.
There has been no incident with Mullens again. It’s like he’s disappeared off the face of the earth. Cops have been trying to locate him, but no luck so far.
So, as everyone rushes to prepare the arena for a game today, I shove thoughts of him deep into the crevices of my brain and get to work.
I schedule the posts for sponsor announcements, existing rivalries, and the lineup. I also make sure to create graphics in advance with the ideas of what I could capture tonight.
A couple of hours before the puck drop, Jodi comes by my office. “Hey,” she greets with a knock on the door, her hair pulled into a ponytail.
“Hey, Jodi. Come on in,” I say to her with a smile.
She walks in timidly. “I wanted to come by and ask if there’s anything I can help you with?”
“Thank you for asking. But I’m done too. I was just about to head to the rink and check the setup. Give me a minute, and we’ll both head there together,” I inform her, shutting my laptop and grabbing my phone and camera.
Jodi pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “Sure, ma’am.”
Walking by her side and out of the office, I remind her. “You need to stop calling me ma’am, Jodi.”
“Yes, ma’am…Umm, I mean, Kaeli,” she stammers, making me laugh as I sling my arm with hers.
“Oh, by the way, I’m sorry for not replying to your text the other day. I was…otherwise preoccupied.” I can’t tell her that I was actually being chased by a psychopath.
Her lips set in a straight line, her muscles tensing. Did I offend her?
As I’m about to ask her that, I hear my name being called. I search for the voice and find Andie waving me over to one of the benches in the lower bowl.
I pat Jodi on the shoulder. “That’s Ezra’s sister. Wanna come with me?”
She nods, so we head over to Andie, who sets her popcorn and drink aside to hug me and Jodi when I introduce them. She’s a ball of sunshine, really.
We take a seat with me in the middle as Andie sits to my right and Jodi sits to my left.
Jodi and I grab some great shots as the game progresses. I love this job. It allows me to enjoy every hockey game and use creative ways to make the same thing exciting to watch.
I’ll never stop being grateful to Stacy for being an angel to me and believing in me even when she didn’t know me.
Gripping my camera and vowing not to ever let her down, I record some content while watching my sexy boyfriend play.
When the players enter the rink for a pre-game warmup, Ezra skates right to me and presses his hand to the plexiglass between us. Elated to see him, I do the same.
“I love you,” he mouths, a grin stretching his lips.
I love you, I want to say back, and that sudden urge shocks me to my core. My eyes widen at the realization, not because I can’t imagine loving him. But because I’m wondering how I can be so stupid not to realize it earlier.
He skates backward, not expecting me to respond. With his eyes still on me, he gives me a flying kiss and a wink. The arena shakes up with screams of his fans as the other players slap him on his back, hooting and teasing him.
Seb comes closer to me and places a hand on his chest, pretending to be hurt. I feel Jodi stiffen beside me, but when I look at her, she seems okay.
I roll my eyes at him and find my face plastered on the Jumbotron. My face heats up as I cover it with my hands, and the entire team and staff members howl.
Everyone stares at me, stares at the woman who finally got to claim their captain’s heart. I feel a prick of awareness at my neck, but then the whole arena is looking at me.
When my eyes collide with Ezra’s, all I see is love, loyalty, and devotion. He deserves to know that I feel the same. I’ll tell him after the game tonight.
The players drag him to get warmed up. Though unlike his usual self, Noah skates by us and glares to my right.
Furrowed, I turn my head to look at Andie, but her face is split into two with a huge grin as she records the players.
Feeling my gaze on her, she puts her phone down and looks at me. “I’m happy Ezra has you,” she states.
“Why?” I ask, giving her my attention.
“I have never seen him so happy. Not since—” She doesn’t have to complete her sentence for me to understand what she means.
There’s only one word. Jenna.
I put my hand on her soft ones. “I’m glad I have him, Andie.
He has been so special to me. He has helped me shine in ways I didn’t think were possible.
He saw parts of me no one did, and not just accepted them, he cherished them.
So, I’m grateful I can give him a lick of the happiness and comfort he offers me. ”
Andie looks at me with emotions swimming in her eyes. “You love him,” she concludes.
My lips tilt up. “He deserves to know first.”
Her eyes widen, and she claps excitedly. “Oh my God! He’ll be ecstatic when he finds out. Eeeee!”
I chuckle at her enthusiasm as she pulls me into a hug.
“I’m so happy for the two of you. You both deserve it all,” she whispers in my ear.
My heart fills with adoration for Andie, and I know the person who gets to call her theirs would be the luckiest in the world.
My heart hurts, and anger surges when I remember how the guys in her past have treated her. Ezra has told me enough to understand her. People need to grow the fuck up and be better.
I pull back and say, “Thank you so much, Andie. You’re the best!”
We both finally exchange numbers and plan a meet-up as the players get off the ice and the Zamboni does its job of leveling the ice before the puck drops and the game begins.
* * *
The game goes into overtime.
I turn to Jodi and Andie beside me and inform them, “I’ll be back in a minute. I need to use the restroom.”
“Okay,” replies Andie.
Jodi stands alongside me and pipes, “I’ll come with you.”
“Sure, okay.” I nod at her, and we both leave the rink and head to the staff washrooms.
“Ma–Kaeli, I really appreciate everything you’ve taught me since I joined the Boston Bandits as an intern,” Jodi speaks out of the blue as we walk down the empty corridor.
That’s sudden. My brows furrow. “It’s truly been great, Jodi. You have a lot of potential. I love having you around,” I give her a comforting smile.
We take the turn to the washroom and enter. The cleaner with a trolley greets us with the dip of his cap, his words muffled by his mask.
I thought all the workers were to do the cleaning after the game was over and everyone had left the building.
Before I can ponder more on it, Jodi’s voice pulls me. “I love learning from you. You’re truly an inspiration.”
“Aww, you’ll make me cry, Jodi,” I say with a laugh, shutting the door behind us.
We both get to our business and enter the cubicles. Within a few minutes, I’m out in the corridor, waiting for Jodi.
She takes quite a long time, so I sigh when she’s finally out. “Oh, good. You’re here. Let’s hurry,” I say, turning to leave.
She grabs my hand, halting me in place. My head swivels to look at her.
“Kaeli, I’m really sorry.” The emotions on her face are too serious to be apologizing for taking a little longer in the restroom.
I almost laugh. “There’s no need to apologize, Jodi.”
Something like regret and pity reflects in her eyes, but before I can question her, someone covers my face from behind and presses a cloth to my nose.
My eyes flare in horror, and I struggle in the hold of whoever has captured me. I reach out to Jodi with muffled screams, but she doesn’t move a muscle to help me. That’s when it dawns on me; she was never apologizing for being late.
I scratch their hand over my mouth, drawing blood and praying that someone hears us over the scream of the arena.
But all those hopes turn to dust when Jodi’s figure starts to fade from my vision, the lights dulling.
Unconsciousness soon pulls me in its dark embrace.