Page 131 of Puck Struck
"Complications?"
"The best kind of complications."
I sit up carefully, ignoring the twinge in my shoulder, and cup his chin with my good hand. "I need you to know something."
"What?"
"Before you, I thought love meant sacrifice. Giving up pieces of yourself to take care of other people. And I was okay with that because it gave me purpose." I brush my thumb over his jaw line. "But with you, love feels like addition. Like you make me more than I was alone. Does that make sense?"
"Perfect sense," he whispers.
"I don't know what comes next for me career-wise. I don't know how long this shoulder will take to heal, or if it ever will completely. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with myself now that hockey's over."
"And?"
"And none of that scares me as much as it should. Because whatever comes next, we'll figure it out." I wink at him. “Because we’re a team.”
"I like the sound of that."
I kiss him then, slow and deep and full of promises I fully intend to keep. When we break apart, he rests his forehead against mine.
"So," he says. "Any thoughts on what you might want to do? Post-hockey?"
"I've been thinking about that, actually." I settle back against the couch cushions. "Dr. Raja mentioned that the hospital is looking for someone to run their new sports medicine outreach program. Working with young athletes, educating them about injury prevention, that kind of thing."
"That sounds perfect for you."
"Maybe. It would mean going back to school, getting a master’s degree in sports medicine and physical therapy. Probably two years of classes."
"Do you want to do it?"
"Yeah, I think I do. It would be a way to stay connected to sports without the pressure. Help kids avoid the mistakes I made."
"What mistakes?"
"Playing through injuries. Prioritizing short-term performance over long-term health. All the shit that led to this." I gesture to my shoulder. "If I can help even one kid make better choices, it’ll be worth it."
"That's not a second career," Cam says. "That's a calling."
"Maybe." The idea feels right in a way I didn't expect. "It would mean going back to my student days. Never thought I’d end up in a classroom again. But it’ll be a lot of work, and you’re still setting the groundwork for your NHL career. We’d be spending a lot of time apart. Are you okay with that?"
"Logan, are you seriously asking if I'm okay with you doing something that makes you happy?"
"When you put it like that, it sounds stupid." I chuckle.
"It is stupid. Of course I'm okay with it. I'm proud of you for even considering it. Besides, I think Professor Shaw has a nice ring to it."
I laugh. "I'd just be a graduate student. Not looking to become a PhD."
"Student Shaw, then. Still sexy."
"You think everything about me is sexy."
"Because everything about you is sexy. Even your color-coded sock drawer."
"That's just efficient organization."
"That's obsessive-compulsive behavior that somehow makes you more attractive." He kisses my temple.
