Page 127 of Hockey Boy

My skin itches at that word.Normal.What even is normal? Whatever it is, I know I’m not it. But I do want Winnie to know that she’s not alone.

“It’s not normal, Lex. That’s why it’s called a disorder.”

She frowns. “You’d be surprised. A lot of people suffer from depression. You’re not abnormal, Aiden. You’re just in tune enough with your emotions to seek help. And now, because of you, Winnie will be too.”

She curls her body into me and relaxes. Within minutes, she’s asleep, but I lie on my back, staring at the ceiling, replaying her words long into the night.

THE HOCKEY REPORT

“Good Morning, Boston. I’m Colton, and this is my co-host Eliza. We’re here to bring you the Hockey Report.”

“How is it already November? This season is flying by.”

“It absolutely is, and although the Bolts have suffered their fair share of growing pains, the guys are looking good,” Colton surmises.

Eliza hums. “The new center is something else too. I know we always say Aiden Langfield is Boston’s lucky charm, but Andrew Keegan is showing us that the future is bright for this team.”

“Yeah. I’m sure Coach Langfield is thrilled with how both his first and second strings look, especially when Aiden has an off game like he did last week.”

“He was a little slow against LA, but they had been on the road for ten days?—”

Lennox slamsthe radio dial in the back of the limo, and the car goes silent. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

I affect an easy smile. “They aren’t wrong. I was slow. And Keegan is awesome. We’re lucky to have him.”

“Aiden Langfield, you are the best center the game has ever seen. There is no comparison. Keegan is good because you’ve been putting hours in on the ice with him, training him, working out with him, studying with him. All so your team will be better.”

I grip her thigh and squeeze, chuckling. “Love when you get all protective of me, Princess, but I promise, my ego can take a little ribbing from commentators.”

She doesn’t want to let it go. She’s assessing me, a line between her brows, trying to surmise if I really am okay. Since we’re headed to her birthday bash right now, and because I have big plans for afterward, I focus on those things, keeping my thoughts light, hoping she can sense it and let this go.

It’s been one hell of a month since I proposed on the ice. Our friends were supportive, and my family was ecstatic, but her parents were ambivalent. So tonight will be interesting.

We’ve been too busy over the last few weeks to focus on them. To focuson anything but all the good in our lives. When Lennox told me about the job offer from Beckett, I couldn’t help the surprised chuckle that left me. My brother, always making things happen for his family. And this move wasn’t just for me—though I’m grateful he’s giving her this chance. No, this was for Lennox. My brothers have welcomed Lennox back into the fold without so much of a blink of an eye, and that means everything to me. For so long, I’ve felt like I was making my way alone. That I was merely here for their entertainment. But as always, Beckett showed me that he’d been watching.

He showed up, and along with the pure joy the rest of my siblings exuded when I proposed to Lennox, it’s clear they’ve all got my back. So despite the mounting pressure in my chest over her parents’ disapproval and the commentators take on my performance, I’m choosing to keep the positive at the forefront of my mind.

Lennox loves her new job. When she gave her notice to her boss, she was at peace. For the first time, she realized she wasn’t running from one job to the next. Instead, she was settling into a career. She seems calmer now. Happy.

When the two of us aren’t working our asses off, we’re together. The way it should be.

I squeeze her hand. She’s glowing tonight. There’s some type of shimmery blush on her cheeks, her hair is twisted back in a long pink braid, and she has on a deep pink gown that hugs all her curves.

“Do you remember our first date?”

Lennox’s face scrunches adorably in confusion. “The pizza shop?”

I laugh. “Not when we were kids.” I squeeze her thigh again. “Though I love that you remember that. No, I’m talking about at the park.”

“That wasnotour first date,” she huffs.

“Oh, it was. You just didn’t know it yet.”

“We were planning your wedding to another woman.”

Her annoyance shouldn’t make me smile. “No,youwere planning my wedding to another woman.Iwas envisioning you walking down that aisle to me.”

The limo comes to a stop in front of the club, which means I only have a few minutes more of her all to myself. So I cuff the back of her neck, pulling her to me.

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