Page 106 of The Obvious Check
Is that normal? Acting like lovesick teenagers in front of his family? I have no fucking clue. I've spent so many years locked away in my own protective bubble that I don't know how real couples behave. How engaged people are supposed to act.
“That was the sweetest thing I've ever seen,” Madison gushes, completely oblivious to my internal spiral. “You two are absolutely perfect together.”
Perfect.Right. The girl who doesn't know how to exist in normal society and the golden boy who probably deserves someone who can handle a simple hockey game without having a breakdown.
“Thanks,” I manage as I force myself to look up and smile.
God, I really need to get my shit together before I embarrass him in front of his entire world.
“I like the jersey,” Madison says, wiggling her eyebrows. “And the ring.”
“Uh, thanks.”
“Gotta admit, when Dash told me my brother asked you to marry him, I didn’t believe it. I thought he was trolling Dash after…” She trails off, shaking her head. “I guess that doesn’t matter since it’s not the truth.”
I look down at my ring, the emerald sparkling, grounding me in a way.
“You do love him, right?” The question comes out softer than her usual confident tone, laced with a vulnerability I haven't heard from her before. Madison seemed so fearless when I met her, all sharp edges and unwavering self-assurance. But now there's something almost fragile in her voice. “Because my brother deserves that. He's one of my favorite people on this planet, and I think you're sweet, so I really don't want to have to threaten you.”
“Uh.”
My throat goes completely dry. I haven't even said those three words to Cade yet, haven't found the courage to voice what's been burning in my chest for longer than I want to admit. It feels wrong to confess to his sister before I confess to him.
But the truth sits heavy on my tongue, demanding to be acknowledged.
I love him so much it terrifies me. I love him in ways I didn't know were possible. I love him with every broken piece of my soul.
“I…” I start, then stop, my fingers twisting the jersey fabric again. “I care about him. More than I've ever cared about anyone.”
It's not the whole truth, but it's all I can manage without completely falling apart.
Madison studies my face with those sharp eyes that remind me so much of Cade's, searching for something I'm not sure I'm brave enough to show her.
“That's not what I asked,” she says quietly.
Thankfully, the game starts before I have to answer her loaded question, saving me from spilling my heart to his sister before I’ve had the balls to spill it to him. Then I’m left trying to find Cade amongst the hockey players, a task that’s much easier for Madison since Dash is planted between the goalposts, buried under enough padding to survive a small explosion. She canstare at her boyfriend to her heart’s content while I’m left squinting at the ice, desperately trying to follow the streak of motion that might be mine.
Cade is fast. Faster than I expected, and I can barely keep up with his movements, let alone understand what the hell is happening.
Ten minutes in, I've come to one conclusion: hockey is complete chaos.
Its speed, violence, and skill all wrapped into one with a constant battle of motion and force. Madison tries to explain the rules, but she's talking too fast and I keep losing sight of the damn puck anyway. One second it's in the corner, the next it's flying toward the goal, and I'm left wondering if I blinked and missed something crucial.
“Where did it go?” I ask for the third time, feeling like an idiot.
“Cade passed it to—oh shit, did you see that hit?”
No, I didn't see the hit because I still don't know where the puck is.
One of Rome U’s players is just on the other side of the plexiglass and there’s a moment he looks up at me with a smile.
Without warning, the player gets demolished against the boards, crumpling until he falls onto the ice. And standing behind his fallen body, is Cade grinning. He winks at me before casually stealing the puck and skating away like he didn't just commit legal assault.
Then he’s off, his skates carving deep lines into the ice, shifting the puck from side to side with precision. It’s beautiful to watch. Every movement is calculated, and there’s so much controlled aggression wrapped in pure athleticism.
And it’s hot as hell. As if I needed another reason to be completely gone for this man.
Another player closes in, aiming to slam him into the boards, but Cade anticipates it. He pivots at the last second, angling hisbody to absorb the crushing impact without losing an ounce of momentum. The collision echoes through the arena and I wince in sympathy, but Cade barely blinks. Instead, he digs deeper, using his weight to kick the puck to a teammate.
