Page 76 of The Sweetest Risk

“They’re cheering for you, you know.” Bradley bumps my shoulder. “They’re rooting for Brooke to show up. As if you couldn’t steal their hearts anymore than you already have.”

My brows furrow a little. “What if she doesn’t show, man?” My heart feels like it is going to burst out of my chest, from excitement and a sense of preemptive despair. I swallow the huge lump in my throat.

Bradley looks at me so earnestly. “All I have to say is that no matter what happens tonight, you are still my best friend. I know things are complicated between you and my sister, but honestly, when has it evernotbeen complicated between you and Brooke?”

I smile at his comment because of the truth behind it. It’s always been complicated with us. Since day one. The only difference between now and then is that I love her even more.

Bradley pats my shoulder. “You shot your shot, bro. It’s her turn to respond. Good luck, man.”

I make my way to the center ice and the timer starts counting down. I keep my eyes on the tunnel, waiting and hoping and praying to see a pink knotted headband appear out of the darkness and for Brooke’s face to illuminate in the spotlight that is inevitably going to be shining on her. I sway to keep myself in the moment and try not to focus on the seconds ticking down.

The timer is already down to one minute and there is still no sign of Brooke.This was a stupid idea. You should’ve never listened to those dumbasses in the locker room the other day. She probably ignored the video altogether and stopped following the Dallas Storm on Instagram. Shit, did she even follow us in the first place? I should’ve checked that before I even went along with this plan.

Thirty seconds remain on the timer. The crowd is as loud as ever and they start chanting my name. This time it isn’t because I scored a goal or because I slammed someone into the sideboards. This time it is personal.

“C’mon, Cupcake,” I whisper to myself with five seconds left on the scoreboard. My heart sinks all the way down to my stomach as it finally reaches zero.

Cold, stark zero.

Fuck. She didn’t come.

A hush falls around the arena as reality sets in. I lower my head in defeat. As much as I was trying to prepare myself for the worst, deep in my heart I really thought she would show up. She had to have known it took a lot for me to admit all of those things in a very public way. I wanted to give her a grand gesture because that’s what she deserves. I just hope the next man whocomes into her life spoils her like I planned to. I guess I’ll never have that chance again.

Disappointment rushes through my body and leaves me with a heavy pit in my stomach. This is worse than losing this game. I lost the one person who challenged me more than anything else in my life.

Suddenly the crowd goes wild. I glance around and see everyone pointing to the tunnel. My heart leaps.

There she is. In my jersey. Wearing a green knotted headband this time.

The most surprising thing of all is that she is actually skating out toward me. In all the countless times I imagined this moment, I always pictured me skating toward her when she showed up at the tunnel entrance. I was ready to lift her in my arms and never let go. I never imagined my girl on the ice, skating out to me. She is still a little wobbly, but she doesn’t look down once. She keeps her eyes on me with the biggest smile on her face.

Brooke has the ability to drown out everything else around me. Even a crowd of twenty-thousand people going crazy before the championship game. I know from that moment on that she will be my touchstone. My rock that will forever keep me in check and ground me. She took a chance on us by showing up.

She’s almost made it to me when she loses her balance. I reach out and catch her hands. God I’ve missed these hands. I’ve missed her smile. I’ve missed her caramel hair. I’ve missed her hazel eyes. I’ve missed everything about her.

When she regains her balance, she wraps her arms around my neck. I finally snag her around her lower back and tug her toward me so that her gorgeous body is flush with mine. I don’t care if twenty-thousand people are watching us. I am going to kiss my girl.

I trace my thumb along Brooke’s jaw and take every inch of her in. I lean down slowly but her lips crash into mine, and my body relaxes for the first time in weeks because Brooke is in my arms. From the second her mouth covers mine, I know that she missed me too. It isn’t a quick brush of our lips. It is an all-consuming kiss, loaded with years of wanting and needing. And now we finally have each other.

I tug her closer to me as she tightens her grip on the hair brushing the nape of my neck. She opens her mouth and I sweep my tongue over hers and she moans. I try to tear my lips away from her, but Brooke kisses me harder. I laugh against her lips. She finally breaks our kiss and looks up at me, smiling with her whole face.

“You came,” I murmur.

“Very risky move, Hot Shot.” She continues gliding her fingers along my neck, her eyes landing on my lips and back up at my eyes. “Betting that I would come here tonight.”

I tuck some hair behind her ear and smile. “You gotta take risks if you want things to change, Cupcake.”

It’s a damn shame I have to play this hockey game because all I want to do is throw her over my shoulder and take her home to my bed. Show her how much I missed her. “You learned how toreallyskate, Cupcake. When did you take lessons? I know I didn’t teach you.”

“Bradley may have helped a teensy bit.” She squints her eyes and almost presses her thumb and index finger together.

I look over at Bradley and he is smiling like a fool.Why the hell did he not tell me he was teaching Brooke?

Almost as if Brooke can read my thoughts, she whispers in my ear, “Because I told him not to say anything to you. Tristan, I was so hurt by what you did and I wasn’t sure I would ever see you or talk to you again. I wanted to prove to myself that I could follow through on at least one of the risks I took, especiallysince you were out of the picture. I thought that I was afraid to fall on the ice, but I think the real reason I was afraid to skate was because it was so closely linked to you and I was terrified of letting you in at all. I was afraid to fall, but despite my best efforts to keep you out of my head and out of my heart, I ended up falling for you, Hot Shot.” She brushes a kiss on my lips again. “I’m still in love with you, Tristan. But I’m so terrified of letting you in again after everything.”

I take her face in my hands, “Look I know that I did that stupid bet with Hastings, but I can’t say I regret it. Because if it wasn’t for that bet, I wouldn’t have really told you how I feel and we wouldn’t be standing here right now. I’m still in love with you, too. My love for you is the only constant in my life. I’m just so happy you are taking another risk being here tonight, Brooke. I promise you that I won’t make you doubt me or my intentions with you ever again.”

She nods. Tears are rolling down her flushed cheeks and I wipe them away. I know how much she is putting her heart on the line with me. I am not going to screw this up. If I have to make it up to her for the rest of my life, I will.

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