Page 101 of Penalized Love

Before I can fully register what’s happening, he steps off the ice through the open gate, his skates crunching slightly against the rubber mats as he approaches me. He stops in front of me, his eyes locking with mine.

Confusion and excitement swirl in my brain as I watch what’s unfolding. Why is he coming here? He should be celebrating with his teammates, not coming my way.

His pace slows because he doesn’t have blade guards on his skates as he walks across the rubber mats. When he reaches me, I put down my camera and manage to close my mouth. I lift my head, struggling more than usual because our height difference is even greater when he’s in his skates.

He reaches out, his gloved hand brushing against my cheek. I go back to my musing about whether this moment is a dream I’m about to wake up from.

“Isla,”he says,“I couldn’t have done this without you.”

I blink once and then twice. I swear my brain still hasn’t caught up with everything that has happened.“Me? But I did nothing.”

A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.“Just having you in my life again has changed everything for me in the most positive way. That is more than I could ever thank you for.”

Tears form in the corners of my eyes, and I do my best to hold it together.“I could say the same about you.”

“I love you more than anything else in this entire world.”

“And I love you even more than that.”

His stare holds mine, and there’s no way I could look away even if I wanted to. There’s an intensity in his green eyes that reminds me of the determination he showed throughout the whole game. The roar of the crowd fades into the background,and for a moment, it’s just us, and the rest of the world ceases to exist.

I instinctively lean into his glove-covered hand because it’s currently our only physical connection. But that doesn’t last for long.

We close the remaining distance between us, and my eyes drift closed as his lips meet mine. As cliché as it sounds, I swear fireworks go off behind my eyelids. I melt into him and almost forget where we are as my hands land on his shoulder pads as he pulls me closer. In this moment, nothing else matters. Not the game nor the cheering crowd that now sounds like a murmur in the background. All that exists is the feel of his lips against mine and the unshakable knowledge that this is exactly where we’re meant to be.

The crowd’s reaction barely registers at first, but when I hear more cheers, it triggers something in my brain that it might be toward us. When we break apart, I come back to reality, and I realize what just happened. Did we just kiss in public for everyone to see?

I glance toward the bench, catching Dad’s expression. He looks shocked, leaning more toward stunned. But then he gives me a small smile. The last thing he probably wants to see is his daughter kissing one of his players, but it seems as if he’s accepting of what he just witnessed.

I look back at Asher and say,“Well, that was a surprise.”

He tosses a grin back at me.“Yeah, it was.”He briefly looks over into the stands before looking back at me.“Speaking of surprises, did you invite my mom and Avery to the game?”

I nod because the jig is up, and I’m so happy that my plan worked out.“You wanted them here, and it’s something I wanted to do for you. It took a little maneuvering, but we made it happen.”

“Asher!”

Both he and I turn to see who called his name. We find his mom and sister making their way toward us. I glance up at Asher and watch his face light up. I can’t help but smile because I know how much all of this means to him.

Once they reach us, Avery launches herself into Asher’s arms, nearly knocking him off balance. He laughs as he catches her easily, but I’m slightly concerned they both might fall down, given that he’s still in his skates.

“You were amazing out there!”Avery exclaims as she playfully hits him.

“Thanks,”he replies as he puts her down.“I can’t believe you’re here.”

Asher’s mom, Clara, steps forward, and I can see the tears in her eyes. I’m convinced that she’s going to be the one who makes me cry. She pulls Asher into her arms, and a tear slips from my eye at that beautiful moment.

“I’m so proud of you, sweetheart,”she whispers.“You played your heart out.”

Asher hugs her back and buries his face in her shoulder. I swear I can see the tension leaving his body, even if it is just for this moment.

When they pull apart, Clara’s gaze falls on me. She smiles warmly and opens her arms to hug me too. I’m this close to full-on sobbing as I step into her arms, and she says in my ear,“Isla, thank you for making this happen and for being there for him. This means the world to us, and he’s happier than I’ve ever seen him. I know it’s because of you.”

When we pull apart, I do my best to swallow the lump that has formed in my throat.“It was my pleasure. I know how much Asher wanted you both here, and I’m happy that we could make his wish a reality.”

Asher reaches out to me and pulls me into his side. He bends down and says,“This is everything. Thank you, sunshine,”before placing a quick kiss on my hair.

Avery’s eyes dart between us, a knowing smile playing on her lips.“So, when’s the wedding?”

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