Page 71 of Your Pucking Mom

She was my friend, I repeated to myself as I looked out the window, wondering if I’d see her, even a glimpse before the game tonight.

Ah, fuck.She was my drug, and I was her addiction.

36

auburn

I woke up from a nap and realized there was another piece of paper with the same scribbly handwriting next to me.

Auburn—

One ticket to a glass seat so I can “bump” into you during the game.

Love, your favorite captain

Holy shit. Front row, rink side tickets? I grabbed the ticket, and my mouth dropped in disbelief.

This was the second time Ledger signed his note with love, and weirdly enough, it didn’t freak me out as much as I thought it would. It also slightly weirded me out that he was here writing me notes and giving me the best ticket to the game while I snoozed away.

I stretched, clasping the note in my right hand as I closed my eyes.

Nothing could be better than how I felt. For the first time in my life, I was at peace in my own skin. All the turmoil I’d endured had led to this moment.

My eyes drifted back to the nightstand, where the soft glow of the clock reminded me I had less than an hour before I needed to be at the stadium. With a hesitant touch, my fingers traced the edges of the ticket. I lifted it to my nose, a faint hope whispering in the back of my mind that I might catch a trace of his scent lingering on the paper.

Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes, allowing myself to indulge in the fantasy. To my surprise, a subtle hint of his detergent greeted my senses, igniting a rush of longing within me. It was a foolish gesture, yet it felt like a connection, a tangible link to the man who had somehow captured my heart.

For the first time in as long as I could remember, a spark of excitement ignited at the prospect of companionship. The idea of sharing my burdens, of having someone to lean on, filled me with a sense of warmth and hope. Despite the whirlwind nature of our connection, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the universe had orchestrated our encounters, guiding us back to each other time and time again.

We’d had plenty of opportunities to run away, defying the odds of our encounters, yet something kept bringing us together. I wasn’t a big believer in karma, but it seemed as though the world conspired to bring us together and understanding why became my goal.

* * *

It was too late to meet Austin as he arrived in the van at the stadium, so as I went around the back where the players entered, I tried to see if I could spot a familiar face.

I walked quickly down the dimly lit hall and suddenly I ran into…

“Nova?” I asked, relishing the familiar face.

“Oh, hi, Ms. Hart.” I smiled, appreciating that she didn’t assume I was a missus.

“I almost didn’t recognize you with your new haircut. It looks stunning.” Her longer brown hair was cropped short in an angular bob around her cheekbones.

“Oh, thank you so much.” Her cheeks flushed to the same color of her outfit. “Are you lost? Can I help you find something?”

I laughed. “No. I wanted to say good luck to Austin before I headed to my seat. I figured I could sneak in, but they’re not in the locker rooms?”

She shook her head before gesturing with her small fingers. “No, but follow me.”

I nodded, unsure of where she was taking us, and followed along in a practical sprint down one of the dark concrete tunnels into a back hallway.

“Squat here,” she demanded.

Furrowing my brows, I wondered if she’d lost her ever-loving mind. “What?”

She giggled. “This is Mary. She’s the team photographer.”

I looked down, realizing someone was already squatting below us. “Oh, shit.”

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