Page 22 of Uniquely in Love

NOW

Four months later…

There was something calming about being in the rink, the cool bite to the air and the smell of the ice invading my senses. The feeling of my skates gliding across the freshly frozen ice only heightened the experience. It had always been one of my favorite places. Even now, at the tail end of my fourth training camp in professional hockey, it still was.

Here, everything else faded away. I barely even took a breath as I kept my eye on the puck. Every muscle was finely honed for this. Coach Donovan had us playing a scrimmage game, and even though this wasn’t my first year with the team, I still felt the pressure to perform. As a defenseman, my primary role was to keep the puck away from the opposing team and prevent them from scoring on us. I’d garnered more assists during my career than I had goals, but that was perfectly fine with me.

Skating up the ice towards the other team’s goal, one of my teammates passed it in my direction, and seeing the opening,I didn’t even have to think. I just moved. My stick collided with the puck, and I sent it sailing.

“That’s our boy!” Brooks Hendrix, the other half of my defensive pair, cheered as the puck hit the back of the net. “Look at that beautiful one-timer.”

I pumped my fist in the air as the other guys on the ice came around me, surrounding me in a group huddle.

Our team captain, Stefan Kovac, a left winger, slapped my back. “Way to go Harps!”

“Fuck yeah.” I grinned. “It’s gonna be a damn good year.”

“Hell yeah it is.” Maverick Hendrix—right winger and older brother of Brooks—exclaimed as we all skated back to the bench. Him and Brooks weren’t twins, even though they looked so similar, with their light brown hair and light eyes, though Brooks had a good two inches in height on his older brother.

Rhodes Larsen, who played center, was the only one who wasn’t smiling, though we were all used to his broody behavior by now. He was the tallest guy on our team at six foot seven, and he was an absolute beast on the ice. Despite his size, he often snuck in and scored when the other team didn’t even see him coming.

Mav, Stefan, and Rhodes all made up the first line of the team, and watching them together was likemagic. Though the lines were constantly getting moved around, especially during camp, I knew they’d be a top-scoring line in the league this season. We’d all been training hard, preparing for the season, and the pre-season would start soon. I was looking forward to getting back to it. Last year, we’d made it to the playoffs, but had lost in the first round. This year, we were ready to fight our way to the top.

All of our assistant coaches were also on the ice, working with their respective groups, including Victoria Monroe, who was in charge of the forwards. She was our newest assistant coach and had a pretty spectacular career in the PWHLbefore she came to us. We were damn lucky to have her. Our goaltending coach was over at the net, working with Reid MacKenzie, our goalie, and Matthias Farkas, our alternate goalie, as well as the other goalie recruits.

Brooks fist-bumped me as we sat on the bench, catching our breath. He took his helmet off, smoothing down his brunette hair, before pulling it back on. “You’re playing even better this season, man.”

I scratched the back of my neck before guzzling down water. “I don’t know about that.”

He hummed. “Sure, you do. Something’s different. What changed?”

Her. I shut my eyes, trying not to think about Ellie or how I’d snuck out of there while she’d been sleeping. How even though I still missed her like fucking crazy, I felt almostlighternow. Like there wasn’t this heavy weight resting on my shoulders, dragging me down.

“You’ve been more relaxed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so calm on the ice before.”

“He probably finally got laid,” Maverick joked from my other side. He was a hopeless flirt, and I knew how much he loved women. That wasn’t like me, though.

Rhodes, sitting next to him, slapped his helmet.

“Grumpy old man,” Mav muttered, staring down at his skates.

The worst part was he wasn’t wrong.

Shrugging, I turned back to the ice, watching as the scrimmage match continued. We didn’t have long before we had to go back out there and do it all over again. “I guess I had a nice summer. There’s nothing else to it.” I definitely would not admit that I had, in fact, slept with someone.

Brooks’s lips tilted up in a knowing smile. Of all the guys on the team, I’d spent the most time with the two brothers, and a few of us had a group chat. “You saw your girl, didn’t you?”

“She’s not my girl,” I muttered, rubbing the spot in between my eyebrows under my helmet. She hadn’t been mine for a long time. I thought about what it had been like seeing her in the stands at my games. Knowing that the last name on her back was mine. Thinking that one day, it would be hers too. We’d never talked seriously about marriage, but from the very first date, I’d been able to see a life for us.

And when it was all over, it had felt like nothing was left.

“My sister graduated college,” I said instead. “I went home for her graduation party.”

“Sure. Still, tell me about it. What was it like, seeing yourfirst loveagain?”

I was saved from having to answer him as we were signaled back onto the ice. Hopping over the ledge, we quickly immersed ourselves back in play.

What was it like? It waseverything. And damn if I didn’t want a repeat of that night. I’d gladly do it all over again. But I had to remind myself that wasn’t happening. She’d been perfectly clear on what she wanted from me. It had given me some strange sense of closure. Maybe all I’d needed to move onwasto get her out of my system. The next time a pretty girl flirted with me at a bar, I’d flirt back. And I wouldn’t be thinking about who I’d rather be with. Hopefully.

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