Page 160 of Suck My Puck

The wall I always put up whenever my dad is around feels softer now. It’s not that things between us are magically better because he said all that to me. They’re not. I still feel so hurt at so many of the things he’s said and done. But he knows he messed up. He apologized. And he seems like he wants to change.

I don’t know if we’ll ever have a normal father-son relationship. But I want to at least try.

He glances down at the floor. “I should go.”

He starts to walk off, but I stop him.

“Dad, wait.”

He stops and turns to me, his eyes wide with surprise. And hope.

“You threw a lot at me just now. I’m going to need some time to process it all,” I say. “But I want to try having a relationship with you.”

His eyes widen the slightest bit. He blinks and for the first time in a long time, I see warmth in his gaze when he looks at me. “Thank you, son.”

“Thank you for coming here, for telling me all that.”

“I’ll let you get some rest. Can I call you in a few days to check on you?”

“I’d like that.”

He flashes a small smile at me and Bella, then leaves.

Bella turns to me, tears in her big golden brown eyes. She squeezes my hand. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I just…that was a lot. Hearing him say all that. Things will probably be weird between us for a while. But I think it’s worth trying to have a better relationship with him.”

She nods and smiles. “I think so too.”

I scoot to the side of the bed and pat my hand on the space next to me.

She quirks her eyebrow up. “Is this allowed?”

“I don’t care. I want you with me.”

She cuddles beside me and I kiss the top of her forehead. I instantly relax with Bella by my side. My heart tumbles around my chest, feeling so damn happy and so damn lucky.

Chapter 56

Braden

Nerves crash through me while I stand in the tunnel of the arena in Denver.

It’s my first game back since donating bone marrow to Lucas, and I’m about to hit the ice with my teammates.

I take a few deep breaths to calm myself.

It’s the middle of January, and I’ve been out for just over two weeks to recover from my surgery. I’ve also been easing back into training and practice to prepare myself to play again.

An excited, restless energy courses through me. My muscles twitch with the urge to hit the ice. But I’m also nervous.

Yeah, I’ve only been out for a few weeks, but that feels like an eternity in the hockey world. We play three or four games every week. Every game is crucial—it’s one step closer to the playoffs. And the championships.

Fans notice when you miss games, no matter the reason. Will they hold it against me for being gone?

I’ve stayed off social media and sportsnews since I’ve been away, so I have no idea what hockey fans even think of me right now. I didn’t want to stress myself out, reading about all the speculation in the news and social media about me.

Alanna assured me that she and the PR department handled all the sports media when news of my bone marrow donation leaked.

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