I know Lily loves me. She’s told me so many a time over the last two months. But I’m moving fast, and a part of me still thinks she’ll wake up one day and decide she made a huge mistake by staying.
Anytime that fear rears its ugly head, I remember what I told her. That I’d follow her if that were the case. And I still feel that way, but it still boils down to her heart and if I’ve truly made her mine. Because that woman pretty much owns me.
At the sound of a text chirp, Luke reaches into his locker for his phone. “Sophie’s on her way with Lily.” He looks at me with some concern. “You ready?”
I think about what I’m about to do, and a surge of wild energy buzzes through me. “More than ready.”
Wade whistles. “You heard the man. It’s showtime.”
Lily
The horn blows, and I, like all the rest of the Sun Kings fans, jump to my feet, cheering and celebrating another win. The guys are having their best season so far, according to Sophie and Mia, who are jumping up and down on either side of me. They’ve been teaching me about hockey so I can understand the game better.
Payton has, too, but having these two giving me play-by-play explanations has been surprisingly fun. Especially when they get their noses bent out of shape when the refs miss a penalty call, and I can relate. Even though he can handle himself, seeing a player from the opposing team get rough with Payton riles up the bodyguard in me.
By the way, I’ve traded in being a bodyguard for becoming a college student. I don’t know what I want to pursue yet, but since I’ve had to study people most of my life, I figure psychology might be a good place to start.
As the guys leave the ice, I sit back down to watch the top scorers come out and give their sticks to the kids. I think this is my favorite part of the game, especially when it’s Payton. Or Wade. In all his bulky gear, he acts like a giant teddy bear.
After checking her phone, Sophie grabs my arm, tugging me back to my feet. “Let’s get down to the waiting area.”
“Don’t you want to watch Luke skate out and give his stick away?” I protest.
“Seen it once, you’ve seen them all.” She continues to pull on my arm, dragging me toward the aisle.
“What’s with you two?” Obviously, they’re up to something. Maybe it’s a surprise party. I always wanted to experience one of those.
“Nothing. I’m just ready to get Ethan and go home.” Mia pushes me from behind, giggling, which tells me they’re definitely up to something.
Okay. I’ll play along. I can still pretend to be surprised.
My conviction wanes though, when Sophie bypasses the family waiting area and heads to the players’ entrance. Luke’s standing there, holding the door open, still dressed in his gear and skates.
Sophie pats him on the chest. “Thanks, babe.”
He grunts, but one side of his mouth tips up.
Sophie drags me inside and down a hallway while Mia tries to keep up.
“Are you guys going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Not yet.” Sophie throws over her shoulder.
Luke gets ahead of us and skates into the rink. I catch sight of Ethan’s jersey and Wade’s big goalie pads, but no Payton.
That’s when I realize Sophie is leading me in that direction as well. “Are we allowed to go on the ice like this?”
“Only for special occasions,” Mia calls out from behind me.
The idea that they involved the entire team sends a flush of warmth through me, warding off the cold as I gingerly step out into the rink. I only wish I knew what was going on. Mia and Sophie flank me like soldiers, and the guys line up on the ice, facing us. But I still can’t find Payton.
Hands behind his back, Ethan skates forward and stops. He brings his hands around to the front, revealing a small poster board with my name on it.
Then Elias glides up and does the same. Except his has the word ‘WILL’ on it.
Luke is next, and his board says ‘YOU.’
Looking rather sheepish, Wade approaches, flipping his card, which says ‘MARRY.’
