Page 116 of My Pucked Up Enemy

His brow lifts slightly. “Which part?”

“All of it.”

He leans against the wall, arms folded across his chest. “Yeah. Same.”

There’s another pause. The hallway hums with the echo of distant skate blades and muffled locker room noise.

“You played incredible in Game 6,” I say, softer. “That diving save?”

He smirks faintly. “You liked that?”

“It was hot. Objectively.”

That earns a real smile. “You know, you were the first person to call me reckless and brilliant in the same breath.”

“I stand by that assessment.”

He steps a little closer. Not enough to touch, but enough that I can feel the change in the air between us.

“So what’s going on, Nina?”

I look down, then back up. “I’m trying to figure out if I’m walking toward something or running away from it.”

He nods slowly. “And I’m trying to figure out if I’m supposed to wait… fight for it or let it go.”

My heart twists.

“I haven’t made my decision yet,” I say.

“I figured.”

“I talked to the league again. The job’s big. It’s career-defining. But…”

“But it’s not here.”

“Exactly.”

He takes a long breath. “I don’t want to be the reason you don’t go.”

“And I don’t want to leave because I’m afraid of staying.”

He studies me. “Then what do you want?”

“I want you,” I whisper. “But I also want to be proud of my choice. Not just because it’s safe. Or comfortable. Or expected.”

His jaw tightens. “You think this is comfortable?”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s anything but.”

He chuckles bitterly. “Good. Then we’re both suffering.”

“Alex.”

He looks at me. Really looks. “I’m not mad, Nina. I’m just… tired of guessing what I am to you.”

“You’re not a question mark,” I say. “You’re the only thing I’m sure about. That’s what makes this so hard.”

We stand there, emotions twirling in front of our faces. And still, I can’t bring myself to say the final words.

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