Chapter Thirty-Two
Saige
I get the Instagram notification that the password on Aiden’s account has been changed, and after I read what he wrote, I try right away to get back into his account to delete it. I try to guess the password, trying all different combinations, but nothing works. Damn him.
“Come on, let’s get going,” Tedi says, waiting for me at the door of our office.
“I’m not sure if I’m going.”
“No, we’re not playing that game. Get in the car.” She opens the door.
“What game?” I stay seated.
“You love him. He apologized within only a few days. Now go and allow him to woo you.” Tedi waves her hand again.
“I’m not gonna let him woo me after what he did.”
She lets the door shut and stares blankly at me. “Why not?”
“Because he humiliated me.”
Tedi juts out a hip. “So this is about your pride?”
“Stop looking so annoyed with me.”
“Listen, Saige, I’ve known you a long time. And eventually you’re going to go there and sit in the wives and girlfriend section because you love the man and he loves you. So either we drag it out or we just go now. There’s nothing wrong with forgiving him easily.”
“Ugh, you aggravate me.” I stand and grab my sweatshirt.
“Only because you know I’m right.”
I walk by her, and we get in her car and drive over to the arena.
“If Tweetie didn’t leave me a ticket next to yours, he’s in so much trouble,” Tedi says as we approach will call.
Lucky for Tweetie, he did, and we both head inside the arena. The game is already in the first period by the time we show up. I hope we can slide in unnoticed. But as soon as I sit down, the other wives and girlfriends all smile my way, obviously fans of Aiden Drake.
“Holy shit.” Tedi elbows me. “You’re on the Jumbotron.”
I hate that thing. Everyone cheers when they see me, and Aiden and his teammates look around. Somehow, Aiden’s eyes go directly to mine. He smiles and my heart thumps. Then there’s a line change and he goes to the bench.
Except Aiden goes past the bench. The camera guy follows him while we all watch on the Jumbotron.
“What is he doing?” I ask.
“He’s making it up to you. Relish it,” Tedi says as everyone intently watches the Jumbotron. I don’t know if anyone is even watching the game at this point.
Aiden’s walking through hallways to the locker room, takes off his skates in what must be record time, and puts on a pair of slides. Then he sets off in a run and “I’m Gonna Be (500 miles)” by the Proclaimers plays as he runs, the camera shaking behind him the entire time.
He goes through more tunnels, then comes out at the entrance to the arena, but he looks up and realizes he’s in the wrong section. The crowd laughs, and he goes back through the opening. He comes out in two more wrong sections and the crowd thinks it’s hilarious, but I just want him next to me. The wait feels excruciating.
I watch the camera intently, and when he pops on screen again, he’s holding flowers, chocolates, and a big teddy bear wearing a shirt with the number thirteen on it. I sigh, but I search all over for him, unable to see where he is in the arena. Then he taps me on the shoulder, and I turn to see him.
My breath catches in my throat. “Hi.”
“Flowers, candy, a teddy bear, and…” He looks for a place to set them down and the woman behind him takes them. “My jersey?”
He holds it up, and I raise my hands so he can put it over my head.
“I was a complete asshole, and I promise you, it will never happen again. If I don’t have you, none of the rest of it even matters.” He takes my face in his hands. “You are my life. Hockey is just what I do.”
“Kiss me,” I say.
“Every day for the rest of my life.” He places his lips on mine, and all the issues we’ve had to get to this point fade away.
Deep down, I knew it the first night too—this is where we need to be. Once he closes the kiss, the crowd roars and we look over to see that we’re on the Kiss Cam.
“Log into your account.” I hand him my phone.
“Why?”
“Just do it.” He only ever went back onto social media to get me to stick around and I’m not going anywhere now, so this is the least I can do for him.
He types in his password and logs in… then I press Delete Account.
There is no user ID AidenDrake13
Epilogue
Aiden
“So I finally got you into the therapist chair,” Paisley, the Florida Fury psychologist, says when I sit down.
“Yeah, but I don’t really need any help. I don’t wanna brag, but I kind of figured out my shit all by myself.”
“Is that so?” she asks, jotting something in her notepad.
“Yep. Don’t you watch ESPN?”
“Oh, are we talking about your public declaration of love?”
“I suppose you have to keep up with hockey and stuff if you’re going to try figuring us out.” I tap my temple. I lie down on the couch because after the night I had with Saige, I got no sleep. She’s insatiable and I love her for it. “Actually, I do have one question, doc. Do you think there’s a time when it’s too early to ask someone to move in with you?”
“Do you want to ask Saige to move in with you?”
I laugh. “Well, a moving van is showing up at her place right about now.”
It’s been two weeks and I’m still on a winning streak. We may not make the Cup, but we have the points to make the playoffs. Regardless, I’m done waiting. I want Saige with me all the time.
“And you never told her or even asked her?” Paisley asks.
“Well, no. I should have, right? Probably.”
She taps her pen on the paper. “You know what I find amazing with all you hockey players? You think you can just do whatever and suffer the consequences later.”
“We’re professional athletes. Plus, I know Saige wants to live with me. She barely goes home. I thought I was romantic, sending a truck to surprise her.”
“And the fact she now has to pack all her stuff without warning?”
She’s clearly a woman, thinking of all these issues.
“They’ll pack for her. All she has to do is drive over to my house.” My phone vibrates in my pocket. “Should I answer? It’s probably her. We’ll put her on speaker.” Before waiting for a response, I answer and smile, seeing her name on the screen. “Hey, babe.”
“Don’t babe me. Why is there a moving company here?”
“They’re going to take your stuff to my house.”
“Aiden,” she says in that tone I know will make her a great mom to our kids someday. “We didn’t discuss this.”
“Do you not want to move in with me?” I ask. “By the way, Paisley is here if you have any concerns.”
“Paisley? Aiden, what the hell is going on?”