Page 35 of The Puck Decoy

“Looks like I will have to make something else dirty instead,” he drawls with a wink, before turning around and skating away.

Maddie blushes, but my focus is now on the other Peters sibling as he skates onto the ice with a face like thunder. I have always loved to watch him play, ever since that first day, and even now, over a decade later, it still feels just as special. This is his home, his comfort, the only place he doesn’t let anyone get to him, and as he whisks around the ice I can’t help but feel envious of the rink. He pours his heart and soul into this game, and I know it’s the only one true love he will ever have.

He flies around the ice twice before he finally spots me, and when he does, he surprises me by breaking from his warm-up and skating over to me. “I didn’t know my wife would be joining me today,” he boasts loudly, causing both his coach and some of his teammates to look our way, and I hear Maddie groan beside me.

“Oh I’m not here for you, I’m here supporting my team, go Flyers,” I reply in the same tone, and his answering grin has my heart thundering in my chest.

“Then I guess I’ll just have to show off for you today huh?” he winks, skating backwards away from me as he rejoins his warm-up. It’s only then I hear a few members of his team that weren’t in attendance of the wedding asking him about it and he snaps, “Yes, I got married, what the fuck has it go to do with you?”

Maddie stifles a laugh. “And there’s the asshole we know and love.”

I watch as Daemon skates up next to him and gently guides him away, saying something I’m sure no one else can hear as I smile, “Yeah, there he is.”

We spend the next thirty-minutes watching them stretch in every manner possible, and I am practically drooling at the end of it. My eyes stay permanently fixed on the number twenty-two spread across his back, and when they finally start practicing, I swear I can feel the blush everywhere. Maddie and I talk back and forth about class, and the disastrous dinner with her parents yesterday, but mostly our focus remains on the ice, and thankfully because this isn’t my first time here, she doesn’t question my interest in it too much.

By the time the boys are sweating and skating off the ice to get changed, I am beyond starving, and even Josh in his jersey couldn’t make me less cranky. I head outside with Maddie to wait with her even though she isn’t coming home with me tonight. Usually I would just head straight home, but just as I am about to do that I remember the role I am playing as his wife and hang back.

Nova, Archer, and Alexander appear first with their other roommate Jake Harper, with Nova moving straight for Maddie and sweeping her into his arms. Jake bids them goodbye then,stating that he is picking his girlfriend up from work, as my best friend turns back to me.

“Hals, do you want us to wait with you?” Maddie asks, smiling inside her boyfriend's arms, and I am already shaking my head.

“No, I’m all good, you guys go, I’m gonna head home with Josh,” I nod my head to the rink behind me, as I blow out a breath in the cold air.

“Mads, I know you don’t wanna hear this, but your best friend is now permanently banging your brother,” Alexander taunts her while eying me with a smile, before Nova knocks him in the back of the head.

“You’re right, Reign, she doesn’t wanna hear that,” Nova snaps, shaking his head at his friend, before moving to leave and dragging the others with him. “Come on and leave the girl alone, see you later, Hals.”

I watch them leave, waving goodbye, and then turn back to the doorway of the rink to wait for Josh. A number of players leave before him, including his housemates Landon and Levi who I smile politely at, until finally, Josh appears with Daemon.

“Hals, you’re still here,” he muses, moving towards me and without pause leaning in to drop a kiss on my head. I force myself not to startle, especially as there are still a few players exiting and lingering around, all with their eyes our way. I guess a quickie marriage while we are still in college can be considered quite the scandal.

Ignoring them all, I focus on Josh only as I reply, “Yeah, I figured we could go grab dinner or something?” I don’t know why I feel nervous to ask him to dinner but I do, especially when we have an audience.

Before he can respond, Daemon takes a step past us and moves to leave. “I’ll see you at home,” he mumbles, but I halt him in his tracks.

“You can join us if you like, Daemon, the more the merrier,” I smile, and he looks at me with a truly puzzled look, as if no one has ever extended such an invite before. It makes my heart ache for him, and I ensure to keep my smile in place to let him know I truly mean it.

“No, but thank you,” he whispers, before turning away from us and pulling up his hood, scurrying away into the night.

I watch him leave, totally confused, until I turn back to Josh and repeat, “So, dinner?”

Josh looks around at a few of the players still lingering, then gently guides me away from them before he starts. “I actually have somewhere I need to be,” he says inconspicuously, and I swear I can feel my heart in my throat as I imagine the worst, reminding myself that our deal isn’t real.

“Oh, okay, no worries,” I grin, my cheeks now aching from smiling, even though I can feel tears gathering at the back of my eyes for some reason.

“Do you want to come with me? And then we can grab dinner after?” he adds, and I look at him in surprise. Even with his ring on my finger I am not used to him actually wanting to be around me. Not when he has spent the last couple of years pushing me away and avoiding me as much as possible.

“You want me to come with you?” I ask in confusion, and his answering grin is blinding.

“Sure, why not? Come on, my car is right over here,” he nods his head towards the direction of his car, and then is moving us towards it before I can even answer.

Tossing his gear bag in the trunk, he rushes to open my door for me, before rounding the other side of the car and climbing in.

I pull on my seatbelt as I question, “Where are we going?”

Josh just looks at me with a smile I’ve never really seen on him before. “You’ll have to wait and see,” he quips, starting the engine and I scoff.

“Joshua, you know I hate delayed gratification,” I remind him, knowing full well that he knows that I hate to wait for anything. Food, traffic, answers, all of them the bane of my life.

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