Page 101 of Play Your Part

Those words came without a second thought, and they were true. In three months, my feelings for her changed my approach to the rest of my life. Not only about what was best for me and my career, but what was best for us. If she would let me.

“I’d hate myself if I ever make you feel less important than you are. You are my priority. I love hockey—it’s where I escape and have my best moments, and it challenges me like nothing else. But it’s a game, and it can’t give me everything I want.”

“What do you want?”

I placed my hands on her waist, drawing us closer together. “You to come home to. To tell you about my day and hear about whatever true crime show you’re watching. I want you cheering me on while wearing my jersey. I want to belong to you. I want a future, something we’ll decide together.”

Her face split into a grin, the sight of it tightening my chest. I wanted to spend my life earning more of those from her.

“A lot of your wants revolve around me, huh?”

My grip on her waist tightened, the desire for her pounding in my gut. “Don’t be an ass.”

“I would never,” she said, reaching to place her hands on my jaw. “I don’t want a life without you either. I’ve hated not seeing or talking to you these last couple weeks.”

I pulled Kennedy to me until her body melded against mine and her head tucked under my chin. “Please come home with me tonight,” I said.

“Well, only because you begged.” She pulled her face back to show me her smirk.

I backed her up until she hit the wall. “I love you and your sarcastic ass too,” I said before pressing my lips to hers. Kissing Kennedy had the dizzying effect of being exactly what I needed and not nearly enough of what I needed.

“Once could never be enough for me, Kennedy,” I whispered, resting my forehead against hers. Our fingers threaded together at our sides.

“Good,” she said, pushing onto her tippy-toes to say the words into my ear. “Becauseoncewasn’t even close to what I had in mind.”

Epilogue: Four Months Later

ALEXEI

Iarrivedfirstatthe Wolves practice arena. Today was an off day, coming home from a four-game road trip. We had two days before our next game, a generous break for us, especially in April. Miraculously, the Palmer City Wolves were on pace to clinch a wild card playoff spot, shocking the entire hockey world.

Just got here. Heading inside, I texted Kennedy.

I watched the screen, waiting for her response. A week without seeing her felt like an eternity. Normally, she would have waited at my house for me to return, but she had a paper due today. Moments later, my phone dinged.On my way.

My heart beat faster, knowing I would see her soon, but Kennedy was in class a couple of towns over.On my waycould mean another twenty minutes. I grabbed my gear out of the trunk and headed inside. The arena was blissfully quiet, and only the sound of my skates across the ice filled my ears. Until I heard another pair.

I stopped, leaning against the boards. “I didn’t know you’d be here,” I said to Briggsy.

“Kennedy invited me,” he said, skating in my direction until he playfully rammed into me. It had become a tradition of ours at every game, something the Wolves filmed and posted on their social media accounts. “Didn’t she tell you?”

“I haven’t talked to her since I got back. She had a paper due.”

“Right, the econ one.” Zach skated backward, away from me, toward center ice. “She looked stressed when I got in last night. I went right to bed, and she was still asleep in the morning. No idea how long she stayed up finishing it.” He slipped a puck from his pocket and waved it at me. “Care for a game?”

Zach dropped the puck. I didn’t know how long we played by the time I spun around him and buried a goal in net and heard cheers from the bench. Relief flooded through me at seeing Kennedy skate my way, arms outstretched. She hurled her body into mine, the force moving us backward on my skates.

“I missed you,” she said against my chest, her arms wrapped tightly around me. “I couldn’t watch the game last night because of my stupid paper.”

I lifted her chin, then crashed my lips against hers. Her soft lips met my quick movements. Kennedy tilted her head to the side, deepening the kiss. The sound of a hockey stick pounding several times against the ice made her jump and look toward the noise. I dropped my head back because that kiss wasn’t enough to satisfy my need for her, but there would be plenty of time later.

“Shit, sorry, Zach,” Kennedy said as she wiped her fingertips against her mouth.

Zach waved his stick in the air. “I would have been fine with just about anything to shut this guy up from Kennedy this, Kennedy that, all freaking week, but I have to draw the line somewhere.”

I shrugged one shoulder. “I might have missed you too.”

Kennedy grinned. “I would have preferred to welcome you home properly last night”—Zach made a gagging sound—“rather than writing my paper, but I’m free and clear tonight. All yours.”

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