Page 92 of Shattered Hate

He looks at me and Dax, beaming. “BB for life.”

A few hours later, everyone is happily drunk—no more tears, just joy. Karaoke is blasting, and I realize everyone in the Stiles family is unbelievably hot. It’s very weird. Cash Stiles’s wife is stunning and has a personality to match. Though I’m pretty sure she’s here to steal my man. She’s been talking to Daxton for the last hour. I swagger over, tipsy from my fifth beer, and drape my arm around Daxton’s shoulder.

“Uh, Rylee, can I have my man back, please?”

“Tray, it’s been an hour, you caveman,” she says, rolling her eyes with a smirk.

“And I’ve got ten years to make up for,” I say, grinning at him. “I want to make every moment count.” I wasn’t planning to tell him until we got back, but my drunk self can’t hold it in anylonger. I dig into my pocket, pull out a set of keys, and place them in his hand.

“What’s this?”

“Our apartment keys.” Daxton’s eyes dart from the keys to me and back.

“What?” His voice cracks.

After our last game, two NHL teams approached me. I told Daxton. It was Ice Rapids, in Detroit, just an hour and a half from Hawksview, or Blizzards in Winnipeg, Canada. Who also approached Kal as well as Washington Shards. And Brayden had a few teams approach him. None of them being near Hawksview, but Washington Shards, which is near here. Near Bohdi’s family. Cope got approached by Ice Rapids, too, and he told me the other day he signed the contract. Dax has anxiously been waiting to hear what teams we are going to. Kal and Bray haven’t decided what they are going to do, and I know wherever they are in this world, they will always be my brothers, and they will never leave me. I truly know that now. But I already made my decision. It was an easy choice.

“I signed the contract with Ice Rapids.”

“But Blizzards? That was your dream team,” he says, staring at me with shock, disbelief, and maybe sadness. I look down at him, frowning.

“It was once upon a time. Then you came back for me,” I say with a smile. “Everyone left, but no one ever came back. You did.” I breathe, kissing him.

“Shit,” he chokes out as Rylee sniffles beside us.

“Sorry, this is sweet, but I need to hug you both.” She pulls us in, whispering to Daxton, “Life’s too short. Don’t ever let him go.”

Rylee steps back, tears in her eyes, and walks away. I look at Daxton. “Say yes.”

“You’re doing this for me?” he asks, looking at the keys in his palm.

“I’m doing this for us. For the life we owe each other. You’re my dream now. Our future is my dream. There’s no dream without you.” Tears fall, and he closes his hand around the key.

“Fuck yes.” He breathes the words.

“Fuck yes.” I grin, and Daxton laughs as we kiss.

“I love you, Daxton Rivers.”

“I love you, Trayton King. Always have.”

“The parrrtaaayyy is here!” a girl yells from the doorway. I turn, still grinning because Daxton said yes.

“Toni!” Rylee screams, running to the door and jumping on the blonde. A tall, blond guy follows, holding a little girl no older than two.

“Why does she look so familiar?” I whisper, my mind scrambling as fleeting images spike behind closed eyes until—snap! Recognition strikes. “It can’t be.” My gaze darts around the room until it fixes on Kal, motionless in the crowd. His pale face locked on her. A surge of panic has me sprinting toward him.

“Bro.”

“It’s her,” he murmurs, voice low, resolute; his eyes are glued to her as she greets everyone with a beaming smile.

“What’s happening?” Daxton interjects, arriving with a beer that I immediately shove into Kal’s hand—it feels like his lifeline right now.

Words falter on my tongue. “I don’t even know where to begin. I’ll explain later,” I manage to say, entranced by the scene unfolding. As we stand rooted to the spot, Kal steps forward. “Bro.” I try seizing his arm, shaking my head in silent alarm. He hesitates—a brief, pregnant pause—then continues, halting as her gaze finds him.

In that moment, her entire demeanor shifts as if a chill wind snuffed out the spark in her eyes, replacing her radiant smilewith sheer, haunted disbelief. Her mouth parting, she utters, breath catching, “Ka—Kaleb.”

A collective quiet crashes down on us; even Rylee’s gasp booms like a warning. “Oh my god, I knew I recognized him,” Rylee says, holding her hand to her mouth.

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