Page 81 of The Roommate Remodel

When I skate off the ice, I slap Vale on the shoulder and glance into the stands, where Jaz gives me a small wave. I wink at her before taking a swig from my water bottle.

The last week has been nothing short of amazing. We’re spending more time together—not just as a couple, but as partners in home renovation. While she paints the downstairs in soft grays and pale yellows, I’ve been chipping away at her massive repair list. A hole in the roof that needed patched. A cracked windowpane. The team even tore out the overgrown landscaping, boosting the house’s curb appeal.

She wants to remodelRose & Thornone room at a time, starting with tearing out the wall between the kitchen and dining room. But she’s also trying to take care of her sister. While she takes care of Sloan, I’m taking care ofher.

“I see you have your own cheering section,” Lucian remarks, nodding toward where Jaz now leads a group of enthusiastic Crushers fans in a cheer.

“When she’s focused on something, she’s a force,” I marvel.

“Or when she’s focused on you,” Leo adds.

“The Ice Queen is here,” Vale notes as Alex takes her seat.

“Nice of her to show up,” Leo mutters.

When Jaz sees Alex, she abandons her cheering and sinks into her seat.

“We lost our cheerleader,” Tate grumbles.

“Let’s give them a reason to cheer,” I say, thumping mystick on the floor.

Leo taps me on the shoulder. “What happened to Jaz wearing a team jersey?”

I glance at Jaz and notice she’s wearing a Crushers sweatshirt.

Maybe this is the reason Alex doesn’t like players and staff dating. It creates tension when one player is favored over another. I never asked her to give Lucian’s jersey back. But secretly, I was hoping she would.

I wrap my gloved hands around my stick.Forget playing fair.I compete at a sport where men throw fists to prove themselves.

I want her to wear my jersey, no matter what Alex thinks about it. That means at some point, we’re going to have to deal with Alex’s disapproval of our relationship.

“Brax, get ready,” Coach Thompson calls.

At that moment, Jaz looks at me, and I point to my jersey, then to her sweatshirt.

Her head discreetly nods toward Alex, who’s busy chatting with Tom.

Our boss shouldn’t dictate what Jaz wears, but like it or not, she has that kind of power. I’m determined to convince Jaz that we need to show the Ice Queen that she can’t control us. That no one can keep us apart, even when they threaten us.

By the time we hit the last few minutes of the third period, sweat is dripping down the back of my neck. We’re tied three to three with Vale, Leo, and I each having scored once.

My eyes flick toward Alex, who’s watching the game with a dissatisfied frown.

Alex isn’t my business.Winning is. I’m doing this for the fansand for Jaz. If we win, that will make her fundraising efforts so much easier.

When I search for her sweet face, only an empty seat remains.

I’ve never relied on having my family or friends in the crowd, but there’s something about Jaz that’s different.

I need her here.Her enthusiasm is like a shot of adrenaline, the extra pump of energy I crave to push harder on the ice.

Even though I keep things professional when Alex is around, I can’t wait to get home and flirt with her until she turns flustered and pink-cheeked in front of the guys.

It’s hard to keep my hands off her, and I look for every opportunity, whether it’s stealing a touch while cleaning up dishes or rubbing her shoulders when she’s tensing them at her desk.

It’s even better when those little touches turn into full-on tickling matches where we end up in a cat-and-mouse game of chase, laughing until our bellies hurt.

I glance again at where she should be sitting.Where is she?

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