Page 86 of Shattered Hate

“What does love mean to you?” I repeat.

“To me, love is the person I’d run to if I knew we had only one more day on Earth. It’s the person I’d want to lie with when everything crumbles around us—no fear, no tears, just us because that’s what it would be. Being content with them on my last day in this world.”

We sit there in silence. Staring at each other, and then I say, “If I ever figure out what it means for me, I’ll let you know. But don’t hold your breath.” I then wink at the camera. “Over and out,” I say before it cuts off.

Suddenly, a shower of Polaroid pictures cascades from the ceiling. “What the hell,” I mutter as they land softly on the ice and among the fans. Everyone’s eyes widen in amazement as the photos gently drift down. I crouch to pick one up and burst into laughter—it’s Becketts flipping off the coach when his back is turned. I tuck it into my pocket, planning to tease Becks with it later.

“Oh my god.” Brayden laughs loudly, flashing the picture he snagged. It’s Cope, naked in the locker room, arms out wide, facing the camera, but Daxton has his hand in front of the camera, hiding his dick. Our laughter echoes around us as we gather more photos. Some capture us goofing around, while others are more serious. Kal is rarely smiling, which is not a surprise.

These pictures show us in our truest form, unguarded and real, beyond the seriousness of the game. They reveal the deep bond we share as a family.

Then banners unfurl from the high arena ceilings, revealing huge watercolor paintings. One features our logo, another an incredible portrait of our coach. There’s a stunning watercolor of all of us on the ice, smiling, with Daxton crouched down in the middle beside someone else.

Another Brayden? No, it’s Bex, with a halo and white wings, smiling brightly at the camera, cheeks full, like the way he used to look, holding a peanut butter cup. Brayden breaks down in sobs beside me, and Kal and I hold him tight.

“It’s perfect,” he manages to say through his tears.

Another drops: it’s one of me, Bray, and Kal, all with our arms around each other’s shoulders smiling, and then there’s a picture of Dax, frowning at me as I frown back at him, and then written under it “The Scum to my Sewer.”

When we hated each other.

I spin on my skates to find Daxton, who is beaming up at the banners. I can’t believe he pulled this off. It’s absolutely incredible. Gasps surround the arena, voices picking up as people look at all the Polaroid pictures and laugh. I dread to think what other ones are floating around here. And then the screen flickers again, and I take a deep breath.

I grin and glance at Daxton, who’s sitting there with a flushed face, probably embarrassed from all the attention. His brows areknitted together as he stares at the screen, like he’s desperately trying to remember if he’s seen this before.

He hasn’t. This is new for him. I turn to Cope, who beams at me, and we both focus on the screen.

“I think you have to press that button at the top,” my voice crackles through the speaker as the camera wobbles a bit.

“How the heck do you work this thing?” Cope groans, and the camera flips upside down while I sit there. “The top button, hit that.” Laughs filter from the surrounding fans.

“It’s already pressed,” he replies and then steadies the camera. “Oh shoot, it’s recording.”

I frantically gesture to stop, slicing my hand across my throat, yelling cut.

Cope steadies the camera, and I shoot him a look through the lens, wondering why he didn’t stop recording.

I glance over at Cope as he wipes away tears of laughter, and then my eyes shift to Daxton, who’s looking up at the screen with the most dazzling smile. That’s when I know I made the right decision.

“I’m not a fucking director, Trayton, you can’t cut,” he says, and I frown at him.

“Surely we can cut this bit, right?” I ask.

“Just say what you gotta say, Trayton.” Cope sighs. I give him a lingering frown, then turn to the camera. My shoulders drop, and I smile, imagining Daxton sitting right in front of me.

That’s what I pictured.

“Hi, Dax,” I say. “So, I kinda hijacked your project, and I’m sorry, but my interview was a mess. That was on me. So I thought I’d continue it.” I pause, wiping my palms on my jeans because, for some reason, I felt nervous.

I don’t get nervous. Ever.

“Daxton Rivers,” I say, my smile brightening with his name.

“I once asked you what love meant to you, and you said love can mean so many different things. It might be one thing for you and a thousand things for me. You then turned the question on me, and I replied that I’d let you know once I figured it out. But don’t hold your breath.” I pause, drawing a deep breath.

“Well, I’ve figured it out.” I gaze into the camera, imagining it’s Daxton’s eyes.

“It wasn’t hard to discover, and I think I’ve known the answer since I was eleven.” I smile warmly. “You see, I met this boy on the top of a lighthouse when I was going through a really tough time in life. And so was he. We became each other’s light in the nights we sat up there, looking at the stars. My Quiet Boy didn’t have to say many words. His presence was louder than anyone had ever been in my life. I fell so hard for him. It was like he was my air, and I couldn’t live without him. I don’t think I ever stopped falling, and I don’t think I ever stopped chasing that air I needed so desperately.” I smile at the camera. “I can breathe freely now.” I take a deep breath. “Dax, you said love for you is that person you’d run to if you had only one day left on this earth. I’d like to think you’d come over if it’s our last night. I’d hold you. I’d hold you to the end of time.” My lip trembles as I struggle to hold my emotions in check. I rub my hands down my jeans again as I look down, and then my eyes meet the camera. More determined than ever. “Love might mean many things to others, but for me, love means one thing.” I pause, my smile fading as tears well up in my eyes. I never thought I’d feel love again or believe in it, but he made it possible. I glance at Daxton, already looking at me, his eyes glistening. As I speak those words on the video, I mouth them to him as well.

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