Page 38 of They All Puck Me

He gives a curt nod and resumes his march to the car. I watch him go, feeling a mix of worry and irritation. This isn't like him. Liam usually has it all together, especially when it comes to hockey.

As he reaches his car, he fumbles with the keys for a moment before getting in and slamming the door shut. The engine roars to life, and he speeds out of the lot without a backward glance.

I stand there for a moment longer, trying to piece together what could be bothering him so much. The tension between him and Olivia? Something else? Either way, it's clear he's not ready to talk about it.

With a sigh, I turn back towards the rink. There's no use in forcing it. Liam will come around when he's ready. He always does.

But as I walk back inside, I can't shake the feeling that this time might be different. I guess time will tell when the puck drops tomorrow.

We barely, and I mean just barley skimmed the win over the Raptors. Someone had to have had some kind of magic horseshoe up their ass to compensate for our less than stellar performance tonight, especially Liam's.

I pack up my gear and set out to find Olivia. She's the only person who can make me feel better about the embarrassment that was tonight. I can't help but laugh as I think of what kind of positive accolades to describe the game that Olivia must be trying to come up with right now for her article.

If I were the reporter, and thank God I'm not, my headlines for tonight would be something like, "The Wolves played like some mutts with rabies from the animal shelter tonight, not the well-trained pack that they are" or "Breaking news: Someone pissed in Captain Liam Makars cornflakes this morning."

The press area is almost empty when I find her. Olivia’s hunched over her laptop, looking like she’s just had a fight with it and lost. Her hair’s in a messy bun, and there’s a look in her eyes that makes my chest tighten.

“Hey,” I say, leaning against the doorway. “You look like you’re plotting your laptop’s demise.”

She looks up, startled. “Noah, hey. Just... tough night.”

“Tell me about it.” I drop into the chair next to her, the adrenaline from the game still thrumming in my veins. “Barely scraped by tonight. My heart can’t take many more games like that.”

Olivia tries to smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah, it was bogus.”

“Bogus? That’s one way to put it,” I chuckle. “I thought I’d have to scrape Liam off the ice at one point. Guy was playing like he had a death wish.”

Her expression darkens at the mention of Liam, and I file that away for later.

“You alright?” I ask softly.

She sighs, closing her laptop with a click. “Just... everything. The game, my article... personal stuff.” She waves a hand vaguely.

“Want to talk about it?” I lean forward, elbows on my knees.

She hesitates, then shakes her head. “Not really.”

"And that's okay, just know I'm right here whenever you need to vent." I respond with a cheesy smile.

We lapse into silence for a moment, the sounds of the arena faintly echoing around us. Despite the win, there’s an undercurrent of something else between us.

“You know,” she says quietly, breaking the silence, “I didn’t expect this job to be so... complicated.”

“Complicated how?” I ask.

She looks at me, green eyes searching mine. “Balancing professional boundaries with... everything else.”

Ah. There it is.

I nod slowly. “Yeah, it’s not easy.”

Her gaze drops to her hands resting on her laptop. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm cut out for this."

I move closer, the tension between us palpable. “Hey,” I murmur, lifting her chin with a gentle hand. Her eyes are a storm of emotions, and all I want to do is take away her pain. “You’re doing great, you know that?”

Olivia’s eyes search mine, looking for something, maybe reassurance or a lifeline. Without thinking, I lean in, closing the gap between us. Her lips part slightly as she tilts her head up.

Before I know it, we’re kissing—deeply, intensely. My hands slide to her waist, pulling her closer as our mouths move together in perfect sync. Her fingers tangle in my hair, sending shivers down my spine.

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