Page 100 of Play Your Part

41

ALEXEI

KennedyColestoodagainstthe wall, fiddling mindlessly with the sleeve of her jersey. A jersey sporting my number.

My breath burst from my lungs at the sight of her. Seeing her before puck drop had given my heart stupid hope.

“Hi,” she said, glued to the wall.

I took a step forward to allow Connor to enter the press room. He glanced at me then at Kennedy before clapping my shoulder as he passed.Good fucking luckwas what that gesture said.

“So eating dirt wasn’t all that appealing, after all?”

Kennedy’s eyebrows rose in confusion.

I gestured to the jersey she swore she'd never wear. “You have no idea what it does to me to see you wearing my jersey.”

A smile graced her lips as she looked away. “Did you mean what you said? That you were trying to impress me?”

“Oh, I wanted to impress you all right. Those goals were all for you.”

Kennedy pushed off the wall, taking a step forward. “Don’t let the real fans hear that,” she whispered, pitching herself toward me and cupping one hand around her mouth.

“You are a real fan,” I said, tugging a hand at the end of one sleeve before letting my fingers rest on her bare wrist. The contact stoked my need to be close to her, a closeness I worried I might never have again. Kennedy’s sharp intake of breath at this barest of contact was the best sound I’d heard in weeks.

“Is that why you came?” I traced my thumb back and forth on her wrist, watched her follow the movement. “Love of the hockey?”

“Yes,” Kennedy said. It took a moment for her to wrench her stare from her wrist to my face.

I sucked in a breath as her eyes met mine. She looked so fucking good standing there in my jersey, in the color I enjoyed best on her.

“But there’s also the whole love of you thing.”

My fingers stilled against her wrist. I watched her, waiting for her to continue, too scared to open my mouth and shatter the moment.

“You were right about me wanting to make the easy choices. Or what I thought were the easy choices. I chose what I thought wouldn’t hurt me, but it does. It does because it’s caused me to miss out on so much. But I… I don’t want to miss out on you. Ican’tmiss out on you.”

Neither of us moved an inch. A big part of me wanted to scoop her into my arms, take her home, and not leave my room for the next twenty-four hours. But I couldn’t ignore the voice in the back of my mind. She didn’t know what it was like to be with me.

I loved her, but it didn’t mean I wouldn’t fuck it up.

“It won’t be easy being with me.”

Kennedy’s shoulders visibly relaxed. “Don’t I know it.”

“I’m serious, Kennedy. I’m selfish. I get a one-track mind.”

“Because sometimes, that’s what you need to do to be the best. I get that.”

“And I only have a one-year contract.”

She nodded. “I know.”

“What if I move to another team?”

“Is that… what you’re thinking of doing?”

“No.” Palmer City had become my home, because of her, because this organization gave me an opportunity no other would. Erik pushed me like no coach in my career had. I wanted to play well for him, for these fans. “And I wouldn’t, not without talking to you.”

---