Page 28 of Uniquely in Love

“Brady.” He turned around, waving to who I assumed were his parents behind him. “We’re sitting there,” he offered, pointing at the seats only a few rows behind us.

I wasn’t even sitting in this section, so I gave him a smile. “Very nice. Do you come to games often?”

He nodded. “We’rehugefans. I play, too.”

“This is my first game,” I admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Miss?” I turned around, putting my back to the ice at the sound of the voice. One of the staff members wearing a polo from the arena was standing there, looking directly at me. “Are you Ellie Bradford?”

“Y-yeah,” I said, clearing my throat. “That’s me.”

“Can you come with me?” The man asked. “I’ve been informed your seat has been upgraded.”

My mouth dropped open. What did Owen do? “It was?”

He nodded, and I turned to Brady, who was more enthralled watching this than warm-ups. Which was probably fair, considering how many of the players tonight were likely rookies or players who wouldn’t make the actual team. “Have fun tonight, Brady.”

I followed the staff member up the stairs, feeling like a child being taken to the principal’s office. Looking back down at the ice, I quickly caught sight of Owen doing maneuvers with a puck. He looked up and smiled at me. Somehow, for a moment, everything felt like it was going to be okay. Even if I knew it wouldn’t stay that way.

The man escorting me ushered me down a differententrance, and each step down the stairs took me closer towards the ice. I should have guessed that Owen would pull strings like this.

“Your seat, miss. Mr. Harper has arranged for everything.” He waved his hand, like he wasn’t pointing at a seat directly behind the player’s bench. Like this wasn’t a rink-side seat that must have cost a ton of money, even if this was the pre-season.

“I can’t possibly?—”

He shook his head, giving me a nervous smile. “It’s already been done. Enjoy the game.” And then he scurried back up the stairs, like he was afraid I was going to say no.

“Damn him,” I muttered, standing in front of my chair so I could watch the last few minutes before the guys went back to the locker room. Every time Owen skated by the bench—or bounced a puck off his stick—his eyes met mine. I knew he was showing off for me.

My head was spinning. I’d come here tonight expecting to sit up in the three hundred level, but I hadn’t been able to resist watching the warm-ups near the ice. I hadn’t expected this, though. It was a struggle to remember he wasn’tminewhen he did things like this.

He looked so… excited to see me. And I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Because he’dleft. Though part of me knew that if we’d woken up, wrapped around each other in my bed, neither one of us would have been able to leave. We wouldn’t have been able to keep it to one night.

Here I was, months later, doing something I’d never thought possible. I would have done anything for him. And maybe that was the problem. Before, he’d been willing to do anything for me. Watching him on the ice, I couldn’t help but wonder if I would be a distraction for him, even now. His career was the most important thing. I knew how happy he was on the ice.

And god, the way he looked out there should have been illegal. His wrists were exposed between his gloves and thebottom of his sleeves, and something about that was even hotter than it should have been. My panties were damp, and I definitely should not have been turned on at myex-boyfriend’shockey game, but here we were.

Maybe I hadn’t thought out moving here fully, but it felt right. So far, I loved my new school. I had my own classroom, teaching fourth grade, and had already made a friend. Maggie, whose classroom was next to mine, was only a few years older than me and was also single. We hit it off immediately, though I didn’t tell her about Owen or what had prompted me to move from Portland to Seattle.

That felt too personal. So was tonight, which was why I hadn’t invited her along. I needed to do this alone.

Seeing Owen again, well… maybe after the game, we could talk. I could tell him how I felt. That I wanted to try again. That this distance between us was killing me.

That I never should have walked away from him five years ago, but I’dhadto. It had almost killed me, but I’d survived.

I reminded myself that I would survive again, even if he’d said no.

Even if I had to accept that he would never be mine again, I’d find a way to move on. To pick up the little pieces of myself again.

I had to, for both of our sakes.

Cousins Coffee Club

TEXTS

Zachary

So no one was going to tell me Ellie up and moved to Seattle?

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