Page 119 of Pucking Amazing

Tears prick the corners of my eyes. I blink rapidly, hoping the moisture doesn’t spill over.

And then I see them. DJ is standing at center ice, a bulky knee brace strapped to his leg, but his megawatt grin firmly in place. He looks directly at me and waves, his eyes crinkling with warmth. Tyler is beside him, waving too, his boyish face split in a huge smile.

I stare at them, my heart swelling with an emotion I can’t name. After everything we’ve been through...

As quickly as it began, the moment ends. The players disperse, skating to their positions for the third period. I remain frozen, my mind reeling, barely registering Selena’s excited chatter beside me.

“Holy shit,” Selena keeps repeating beside me. “Holy shit!”

I nod dumbly, stunned into silence. I have no idea what just happened. But I know one thing for sure—I’ll never forget this game. Not for the rest of my life.

The rest of the game passes in a blur. I barely register it, too caught up in the way that little display made me feel.

Seen. Special. Appreciated.

And DJ and Tyler were behind the whole thing.

The final buzzer blares and the arena explodes in a cacophony of cheers, whoops and joyful screams.

Glittering confetti rains down from the rafters as the Blizzards pile onto the ice, a mass of sweaty, exuberant bodies. Fans in black and white jerseys pour over the boards, flooding the rink to embrace their triumphant heroes.

It’s utter pandemonium on the rink, but I’m focused, on a mission. My eyes dart through the boisterous crowd, seeking out two familiar faces.

I spot DJ’s dark hair first. Tyler is right behind him, his goalie mask pushed up on his head, sandy hair tousled. They’re fighting their way through the jubilant throng, eyes locked on mine.

My heart pounds against my ribs as I start pushing through the crowd, dodging leaping fans and dejected opponents. We’re inexorably drawn towards each other, the pull growing stronger with each step. The din of the arena fades away until there is only the thrum of my pulse in my ears.

As we close the distance, I see the intensity burning in their eyes, the set of their jaws.

And then, in a moment I know will be forever etched in my memory, Tyler drops to his knees before me, right there on the ice. DJ comes up behind him, resting his hands on Tyler’s shoulders, his full lips quirked in that signature cocky smirk. Tyler’s cheeks are flushed, his blue eyes full of nervous hope and yearning.

“I’d get on my knees too,” DJ says, “but…” He glances down wryly at the brace around his leg.

The roar of the arena fades into a dull hum as I stand on the ice, the world shrinking until it’s just me, Tyler, and DJ, our faces flushed and breaths coming fast in the chilly air.

DJ catches my gaze, his dark eyes soft and vulnerable in a way I’ve never seen before.

“I wasn’t at the game tonight because Tyler helped me realize I needed to put my own health first for once. Rest up my bum knee before I wreck it for good.” He shakes his head ruefully. “Apparently I can’t be there for you guys if I’m not there for myself first. Who knew?”

My chest tightens. I want to reach out, to pull him close, but I hold back, still frozen in place.

“I want to be the kind of man who can be real with you, Syd. The kind who’s not too proud to lean on you when I need to.”

Tyler shuffles closer on the ice. “We want to be there for you too, Sydney. With your job, figuring out what comes next...” I swallow hard at the raw emotion in his voice. “That’s what love is. And we...we love you.”

The words hang in the air, far more exhilarating and terrifying than anything else that happened on this ice tonight.

“If you’ll have us, we want to be with you,” DJ adds softly. “However you want this to go.”

I look back and forth between DJ and Tyler, my eyes stinging with unshed tears.

Then I launch myself forward, throwing an arm around DJ and hauling Tyler up into our fierce embrace. I end up with my face smashed into DJ’s shoulder, Tyler’s hair tickling my cheek. I’m shaking.

Shaking, and laughing, and crying all at once.

“You’re crazy,” I say, my voice muffled. “You planned all of this for me? And I’m guessing Selena was in on it?”

The sheepish looks on their faces is enough to tip me off without them saying a word. And suddenly I realize something with stunning clarity.

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