Page 68 of Just My Puck
I shake my head in confusion. “Wait. Why? I should be the one who’s anxious that you got your memory back. That you’d want to leave me and go back to the old you.”
“Caleb,” she says, taking my hand in hers. “Don’t you get it? Ihatethe old me. I hate that I had a streak of bad luck that lasted most of my life, but more than anything, I hate how it got to me. How I honestly believed that was all my life could ever be. That I wasn’t worthy of something better. When something bad happened to me, I was almost happy, Caleb. That’s how twisted I’d become. Misery was my comfort zone, and if things started to go well, I felt uneasy, waiting for the other shoe to drop. And strangely enough, I was always relieved when it did. Because once again, my beliefs were proven right. See how messed up I was? It was a vicious circle. But the accident, and meeting you, broke that.” A spark of determination blazes in her eyes. “There’s no way I’m going back to being Dawn, not when being Aria saved me.”
I try to keep my composure, but my heart has shattered into pieces for this girl who thought she didn’t deserve love and happiness. My girl. “Aria, you deserve every good thing in the world, and of course I still want to be with you. I can’t imagine my life without you.”
“Are you sure?” she asks, doubt lingering in her gaze.
“Of course I am.” I lean forward to cup her chin, capturing her beautiful lips. I kiss her with every emotion that’s swarming through me—with relief, with devotion, with the certainty that no part of her past could ever change how much I want her in my future. She melts into me, her fingers threading through my hair, pulling me closer. The kiss deepens, slow and meaningful, as if we’re sealing a pact between us, something unbreakable.
We pull apart slightly, and I grin. “You haven’t killed anyone, though, have you?”
She laughs against my lips. “Not as far as I know. Although, you might be in serious danger. No other guy has made it to the first kiss before.”
“That’s because they weren’t me,” I say, kissing her again. “And either way, I’ll take my chances. I’m a hockey player. Risky moves are kind of my thing.”
Especially when the reward is as sweet as Aria. I’ve never felt this light before. The unbearable weight of her getting her memories back and leaving me has dissolved, and I can’t wait for my story with Aria to unfold.
30
“Wait . . . you never rooted for the Sharks, did you?”
Aria
Caleb and I are driving to the arena, holding hands over the center console. Not gonna lie—I’m pretty stoked for my first road trip with the team. Since the away game falls on New Year’s Eve, they exceptionally arranged for the whole gang to come along. Yesterday, I told Dr. Stuart about my memories returning, and I’m planning to continue seeing him for a while as I work through this transition. After my appointment, Caleb took me to the police station to meet with Detective Wright, and they were able to confirm my identity. Now, a long administrative process is underway to get all the paperwork sorted so I can replace my documents that were stolen or lost in the fire.
The rest of the afternoon, Caleb and I just talked. For hours, we shared childhood memories, funny anecdotes, embarrassing teenage moments—guess who won?
Now, I have to face the last big challenge linked to that accident, and I’ll finally be able to put it behind me. I feel a tiny flicker of doubt about telling everyone. I know we’ll still be friends, but I can’t help but wonder, will they treat me differently now?
As we step into the staff parking lot, having parked near the buses waiting to take us to the airport, a sea of red and black greets us—players and staff members in team jackets, caps, and other Raptors gear, a pile of duffels stacked beside them. I spot our group of friends right away, clustered together in deep conversation.
Caleb’s warm hand settles on my back, a grounding touch. “It’s going to be fine,” he murmurs, his voice steady and sure. “Don’t worry about it.”
I nod, chewing my lip.
Everyone is here except Wally. I thought he was coming with us, but there’s no sign of him. Maybe he had another transportation issue. The group is talking hockey when we arrive, and we barely get our ‘hellos’ in before I blurt out, “Guys, I have to tell you something.”
Conversations screech to a halt. Heads turn. Eyebrows arch in confusion.
“What’s up?” James asks, glancing between me and Caleb. “Are you two pregnant? Married?”
I shoot him a pointed look. “No.” I inhale a breath of courage. “My memories came back.”
Eyes fly wide, gasps ripple around the group, and at least a few swear words are thrown in.
“When did that happen?” Emma asks.
Max shakes his head in disbelief. “How?”
“I saw a meme on my phone, and I realized that little girl in the photo was me. That’s when it all came back to me.”
James lets out a strangled noise. “You were a meme?”
Hayley frowns. “Wait, what’s your real name?”
“Well, my name is Dawn Russell, but I think I’m going to file paperwork to change it to Aria. It feels more me now.”
“Wow,” Aaron says, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “And where are you from? Do you live in New York?”
