Page 127 of Uniquely in Love

We lost the game. Maybe it was because I’d been distracted, but I waspissedat myself. I’d missed an important pass in the third, one that would have gotten us the game winning goal. Instead, I’d fumbled the puck, and they’d scored on us instead.

I felt defeated. And knowing we were only half done with our road trip made everything feel even more exhausting. All I wanted was to go home and curl up with my dog and my girl, but I was in a hotel tonight, alone in a strange city.

And I didn’t even know if Ellie would be there when I came back.

“Owen.” It was Rhodes, of all people, following behind me as we headed to our hotel rooms for the night. “You’re playing like shit, bud.”

“Fuck.” I thrust my hands in my hair, pulling at the strands. “I know.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, quirking an eyebrow. “If you know, why do you keep doing it? You’re sloppy on the ice. We can’t afford sloppy, Harps.”

“Tell Coach to scrap me at the next game.” I shook my head. “I’m not any good to the team right now.”

“No.” He gave me that look. And while Rhodes Larsen might have been a grump, he was also a damn talented hockey player. He’d been with the Seals his entire career, and I had no doubt he’d finish it out here, too. “You’re going to go back to the hotel, fix your shit, and then at the next game, we’re going to kick some ass.”

I shook my head. “What if I can’t fix it? What if it’s too fucked up?”

“This is why I told you that love is too much work.” He sighed, and then patted me on the shoulder. “But if anyone can make it work, I know it’s you, Owen. You love that girl too much to let whatever’s going on break you apart. Alright?”

“Thanks, Rhodes. That was surprisingly… nice?”

He frowned. “Don’t get used to it. I have a reputation to uphold.” And then he walked away, leaving me trying to figure out what had just happened.

But he was right. I loved Ellie more than anything else in the world. Fighting with her before I left had fucked me up. All I wanted was for her to be here, to talk to her, to hold her.

Only… she was thousands of miles away.

And I still had to make it through the rest of this away series.

We were playing a back-to-back,and even though I’d told Coach Donovan to leave me off the line-up for tonight, worried that I’d fuck up and let more shots in, he’d refused.Win together, lose together,he’d told me.

It wasn’t your fault, Owen.Words I hadn’t realized how much I’d needed to hear. Because maybe last night’s loss hadn’t been my fault, but my overreaction with Ellie had been.

I’d thought about texting her, but what would that do? Would she even respond? I’d been an ass. Something I neededto remedy as soon as I got home. A home that I hoped she’d still be in when I returned, that is.

“Hey, Harps. Isn’t that your girl over there?” Brooks asked as we settled onto the bench after our first shift of the game.

My neck snapped up, looking to where he was pointing behind the penalty box. And sure as fuck, two heads of blonde hair were right behind it. My girl. Standing next to Sophia.

“Ellie?” I blinked. “What is she doing here?”

She wore that jersey she’d been gluing rhinestones on the other week, and it was impossible to miss her because it caught the light every time she moved. She fuckingsparkled, and I loved it.

My girl smiled at me, and I was pretty sure I was hallucinating.

“She’s really here?” I asked him. “I’m not seeing things?”

“Nope.”

I noticed someone else had stopped on the ice, staring at the same place I was. Rhodes.

Ellie unrolled a piece of paper, holding up a sign.

#8, I love you.

Fuck. “I was supposed to be the one to do the big grand gesture thing,” I said to Brooks.

He smirked. “Well, looks like she beat you to it.”

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