Page 52 of Breakaway to You

“I don’t have any memories of them. So, no.” I shrugged. “I learned at a young age to not expect anything from people. Threw myself into the game instead, and it became my whole life.” I flipped the salmon, the scent of butter and garlic filling the air. “And now…now I don’t know what my life would look like without it.”

She turned toward me, leaning her hip against the counter. “It makes sense that you’re scared,” she said. “Hockey has been everything to you for so long. But just because you’re not playing professionally doesn’t mean it has to disappear from your life. There’s so much more you can do with it.”

“Like what?” I gave her a skeptical look.

“You could coach. Mentor younger players. Work with kids who need hockey the way you did. And beyond that”—she gestured around my apartment—“there’s a whole world outside the rink. You could travel, try new things, maybe even…I don’t know, find a life that makes youhappy.”

I was quiet for a moment, watching her. Her face was so earnest. She truly believed there was more for me once I was done playing hockey, like maybe there was something that wasn’t just an escape but something I could find happiness in. I wasn’t sure what that was or if that was truly possible, but she was the first person who’d made me think—really think—that maybe there was a future for me outside of hockey. That maybe there was more to life than chasing the next contract, the next season, the next game.

I remembered Crew saying something similar to me—about how his life had truly started after he retired—but at the time it hadn’t made sense to me. I’d figured it had to do with him reconnecting with Addie and being in love, which I was sure was a big part of it, but he’d also found joy and fulfillment in coaching our hometown’s peewee hockey team.

For me, there was no love of my life with whom I wanted to rekindle a relationship, no youth team that I could coach. Those had seemed like great options to someone like Crew, but I wasn’t him. Although if anyone knew what I was going through, it was him. After his breakup with Addie when we were young, he’d thrown himself into the game just as much as I had. He’d struggled at the beginning of retirement too, but thankfully things had lined up for him in a way that helped with the transition.

I didn’t see that happening for me. Like I said, there was no woman and no team just waiting to be magically handed to me to provide some amazing life. My future had always felt empty and bleak. But with Piper here, looking like I had a world of options yet to explore, I was starting to believe that maybe she was right.

And maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t have to go through it on my own.

I swallowed hard and turned off the stove, plating the salmon. Thinking about having options after hockey was one thing, but imagining Piper by my side as I figured it all out was something else entirely.

“I’m sorry if I overstepped,” she said. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I have no idea what it’s been like to be you, and I shouldn’t have assumed it was easy.”

She must have mistaken my prolonged silence as me being upset with her, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I faced her and smiled. “Piper, you have nothing to apologize for,” I reassured her. “I was only thinking about what you said. I think you’re the first person to crack the ‘not playing hockey is terrifying’ wall I’ve built over the years.”

She blinked, clearly surprised by my response. “Really?”

“Yeah.” I handed her a plate, our fingers brushing. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m still anxious about retiring, but maybe I can start opening my thoughts to what else I can do. I like your idea of working with kids who need hockey like I did. Maybe start some kind of organization to give opportunities to kids who want to play. I don’t know what exactly, but I like the idea of thinking about it, of helping kids so they don’t end up like me.”

She set her plate down on the counter, then grabbed my plate from me, setting it next to hers. Then she was standing in front of me, her hands coming up and resting on my chest as she looked up at me, my hands naturally going to rest on her waist. My pulse picked up at her closeness, and I wondered if she could feel it underneath her hand.

“Zeke,” she said, her voice coming out soft but bold. “There is nothing wrong with you. Anyone who heard your story would understand why you feel the way you do, why you have the fears you do. Don’t think for a second that ending up like you is a bad thing. You are strong, courageous, hard-working, someone kids can look up to.” One of her hands slid up my chest and neck to rest lightly on my jaw. “Over the past few months, I’ve gotten to see lots of different sides of you, and every single one of them, I admire. You are an incredible person. Whether you choose to help kids who are experiencing hardships like you did or you decide to do something that has nothing to do with hockey, it’s okay to give yourself a chance to find happiness, to let yourself be free.”

I stared down at her, her green eyes looking at me with so much sincerity and affection that the pricking sensation behind my eyes caught me off guard. In my entire life, no one had said anything like that to me. No one had ever cared about me enough to help me see myself in a better light. But this woman? This brilliant and beautiful woman in my arms seemed to understand me, to know exactly what I had always hoped to hear. My heart swelled in my chest, a warmth spreading through me as we continued to look at one another, sharing an intimate moment—a type of intimacy I’d never shared with anyone before.

My eyes dipped to her mouth, and soon my lips were following. Our lips brushed once, twice, before settling into a slow rhythm. Her hand slowly moved from my jaw up to my hair, her fingers sliding into the curls. The kiss was gentle, infused with a tenderness that sparked a deeper connection than I had ever known.

My hands tightened on her waist, pulling her against me. A soft moan escaped her, fanning the fire building inside me. Our slow kiss deepened, but before it could go any further, I pulled away. Her eyes lazily fluttered open, and I wanted to go right back to kissing her, but I didn’t want this moment to be about the kiss. It was about showing her how grateful I was to her, for how much it meant to me that she saw me for more than just a hockey player.

I rested my forehead against hers. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Her voice came out so soft, it was almost a whisper.

“For seeing me,” I said, speaking as softly as she had. I lifted my head and stared into her beautiful green eyes. “For helping me feel not so alone.”

She gave me a soft smile. “I definitely see you, Zeke Lawson.”

The air around us was heavy and full of meaning, as soothing as it was frightening. I liked Piper, so that wasn’t a problem. Buthow muchI liked her was the scary part.

I gave her a cheeky grin. “How do you think your sister is going to feel about that?”

She lightly smacked me in the shoulder, shaking her head at me but with a smile on her face as she stepped out of my arms. “Okay, fine. We can be done pretending it was my sister who had a crush on you.”

I laughed, not able to stop myself as I reached for her and pulled her back into my arms, placing a kiss on her cheek. “Good. Glad we got that cleared up.” I released her and grabbed our plates to head to the table. “Now let’s eat before our food gets cold.”

We ate, we laughed, we talked, we teased, and it was one of the best nights I’d ever had. And when I thought it couldn’t get any better, we cuddled on the couch to watch a movie. During the movie, we enjoyed moments of talking, commentating, and, at one point, tickling. But sprinkled into all that were some amazing kisses that neither of us could seem to stop from happening. All of it was so perfect, so right.

But the best part was how she was now cuddled against my side, her head resting on my chest as she slept. I wasn’t sure when she had fallen asleep, but staring down at her like a total creeper had me wishing for every night to be like tonight.

---