Chapter 37 Center Ice Luna #2
But my body? My heart? They’re already moving. I step onto the ice without thinking. I’m not wearing skates, and I don’t have a plan. But adrenaline is racing through me, sending my heart into overdrive as I move toward him. Beau’s wide eyes stare at me like I might disappear if he blinks.
He lowers the mic slowly as I make my way toward him. I hear murmurs. The crowd is starting to get restless. Rustles and whispers are amplified in the open space. But it’s all background static. The only sound that matters is the pounding in my chest.
And the voice in my head tells me to keep moving even when my limbs feel like rubber and my hands are tingling.
When I reach him, he opens his mouth, probably to say something overly formal and completely Beau, but I don’t give him the chance.
I grab the collar of his jersey and kiss him. Right there on center ice.
In front of our teams, our friends, and every curious stranger and livestream viewer who’s been watching our lives unfold in 15-second clips.
His hands come up like muscle memory, one cradling my jaw, the other fisting in the back of my coat. He kisses me back like he’s afraid I’ll break. Then harder, as if he realizes I don’t need him to be soft. I need him to be real.
And this? This is the most real thing I’ve ever felt.
Someone in the crowd whistles. A chant starts. I don’t know who begins it. JJ, probably, but it’s loud and full of laughter and chaos. Just like us.
When we finally break apart, I rest my forehead against his. “I’m still mad,” I whisper.
His breath hitches. “Okay.”
“But I love you, too.”
His exhale is a full-body thing. Like he’s been waiting for me to say the words so he can breathe again. I know because I feel the same way.
I turn toward the camera, toward the crowd, toward every person who thought they knew my story and smile.
“Let’s try this again,” I say. “Hi. I’m Luna. And I choose him.”
The cheering is so loud, the rickety old boards are rattling.
But that’s not what matters. What matters are the people I care about.
My sister is beaming at me, but she points to her eyes and then at Beau, giving him a warning.
I laugh, shaking my head at her. My friends are all beaming.
The old ones and the new ones. But it’s him I turn back to.
He pulls me in closer until the warmth of his body seeps past my coat and under my skin, and I lean my head on his chest. The world fades away again. Because we chose each other. And we may have a lot of tough decisions ahead of us. But I know we can get through them.
Together.
We leave the rink hand in hand.
His fingers twine around mine like he’s afraid I’ll slip away if he doesn’t hold on tight. But I don’t protest. In spite of the time apart, it feels easy. Like we never stopped. He doesn’t let me go even when Maisie pulls me into her shoulder for a quick hug.
She gives Beau a gentle punch on the arm. “Don’t mess this up again. You won’t get a third chance.” Her smile is teasing, but there’s a clear warning in her tone.
“I won’t.” He squeezes my hand as if to reassure me too.
The path back to his car is quiet. The wind rustles through the trees, branches dancing in the wind.
Fresh green buds are popping up all over the bare branches in the annual promise of warmer weather to come.
Now and then, we pass someone still lingering near the outdoor rink.
There are parents wrangling kids, a pair of teens taking selfies under the string lights, and the two hockey teams mingling together in a harmony we didn’t share before this year.
No one seems to notice us. Or if they do, they keep their distance, like we’re something too delicate to touch.
My boots sink into the muddy path, leaving behind prints.
I’m not saying anything. Neither is he. But the silence has a comfortable quality to it.
I’m still catching up on everything that happened over the last few hours.
I finally checked my account after the game, and the livestream had more viewers than any of my previous ones, and I’ve had some good ones. It was the dancing. It had to be.
“You think it was JJ’s dancing that kept all those viewers glued to the livestream?”
Beau turns to me, one eyebrow stretching toward his forehead.
“Absolutely not. In fact, I’d be surprised if he didn’t scare some of them away.
It was you.” He reaches over to cup my cheek.
“You’re the one who keeps them mesmerized.
I should know. I haven’t stopped thinking of you since the day you lingered into our practice time. ”
“Shut up. You make it sound so romantic. You couldn’t stand me that first day. And for a while after.”
He smirks. “I was pretty annoyed that day. But even then, I was captivated by you. You’re stunning.”
“Uh huh.” My stomach flutters at the flattery even though I have my doubts.
Beside me, he exhales.
I glance up and can almost see the thoughts racing through his head. His jaw’s tight, brows drawn. Like he’s still bracing for the fallout.
“I can hear you overthinking from here,” I say.
That earns a half-laugh. “Is it that loud?”
“Only to me.”
We reach his car, and he leans against the shiny surface.
He studies me, hesitating for a moment. “I understand if you need space. I didn’t mean to put you in a position where you felt obligated to say yes.
It wasn’t even supposed to be about us. When I recruited your friends, I promised I was doing it for the charity and to salvage the event.
So, if you need time. If you’re not ready to jump back in, I get it. I’m willing to wait for you.”
I place my palms on his chest. “You showed up,” I say, fingers curling into the fabric at his chest. “You told the truth. You danced. In public.”
His ears go red. “Technically, Celeste made me.”
Of course she did. I smile. “That makes sense. But it’s about more than that. You’re doing all the right things. You’re seeing a therapist. Reevaluating your priorities. Those are the things that matter. That let me know this thing between us can work.”
“I still owe you a thousand apologies, several cats, and even a free punch if you want it.” He turns his cheek to me.
“I’m not punching you, but I might take you up on the cat offer.” I take a step back, releasing my hold on his coat. There’s still a lingering hint of doubt. What if he does it again? I don’t think my heart could take that kind of hurt a second time. “How do I know you mean it this time? For real?”
“Oh, Luna. I wish I could take back every moment I hurt you. All the time I spent locked in my own obsessive thoughts. I should never have bailed on your live. I should have been there by your side every step of the way. I’ll regret that until the day I die, and trust me it’ll haunt my thoughts.
But that’s how I know this is real. And that’s how I know I’ll never push you away again.
I couldn’t handle that kind of pain. And I’ll do everything I can to keep proving it to you every day.
I love you, and that’s never going to change. ”
He lifts his hands up but doesn’t touch me. Waiting for me to decide. Letting me be the one to reach out and wrap my arms around his waist. Only then does he pull me into his chest.
“I love you too. Even though you’re a bit of a dumbass.”
“You’re not wrong.”
His chest rumbles with laughter under my cheek.
“Right. And just so we’re clear. I’m going to do it, Wild Thing. I’m going to declare for the draft. And I have you to thank for that. I might never have found the courage to do it without you.”
“Shut up.” Excitement fizzes through me as if we just popped the cork off a bottle of champagne.
I pull away again, slapping him on the chest. “See. That’s how I know you mean it.
” It feels so much more real knowing he’s choosing himself too.
Because even if he chose me, I know he’d be miserable if he didn’t at least try to chase his dreams.
The pieces slip into their rightful places when I grab his head, pulling him down for a kiss. His lips are a heated contrast to the chilly air, and his arms are solid and reassuring around my back. The air shifts, trapping us in our own little bubble of connection.
I keep my hand on his thigh the entire ride back to his place, jumping down from the car before he’s even put it in park.
He jumps out after me, racing me to the door as his lock chirps behind us. My pulse roars in my ears. I don’t know what I’m doing. I just know I need this. Not to fix things. Not to prove anything.
Just to be here. With him. Real. Raw. Mine.
He fumbles the key twice before I get it open. I laugh. Bluebeard races up to greet us with a tiny squeak, but we don’t stop walking until we hit the stairs.
The ground vanishes under me before I hit the first step, and I let out an undignified squeal. “Hey.”
Beau holds me tight and safe in his arms, but the world jolts under my body as he takes the steps two at a time.
Moonlight spills through the cracked blinds as he swings the door open. But then he pauses as if he’s not sure he’s allowed to cross the threshold.
“What are you waiting for?” I ask.
“Just savoring the moment. I’ve got everything I need here in my arms.”