Page 59 of Icebreaker
He wound up and fired the puck at the net. The goalie lunged to his right, but he missed by inches. The puck sailedpast him into the goal. I joined my teammates, rushing in and surrounding Quinn with a celebratory huddle.
"You're flawless out there," I shouted. My voice was already hoarse, and we had nearly half a game to go.
Quinn beamed during the shift as we returned to the bench. Coach Fraser nodded his approval. "That's the way to keep them on the ropes."
When the third period arrived, we were up by three goals, and the game's result appeared a foregone conclusion. The Kraken attempted to fight back, but we won the battle of wills again and again.
With five minutes left, I knew it was time. I signaled to the bench to take me out and skated off. I felt Quinn's questioning eyes on me, but I didn't stop. He would know what was going on soon.
After a quick pat on my shoulder by Coach, I headed to the locker room, my skates clacking against the concrete floor. I barely had time to strip off my sweat-soaked jersey and pads and change into the suit one of the staff helped me hide in a janitorial closet.
My hands trembled as I knotted my tie. Glancing at myself in a mirror, I barely recognized the man staring back at me. I had transformed from a grumbly, distant defenseman into a lovesick fool.
For once, I didn't care about my appearance. Quinn was worth every ounce of my vulnerability, every twinge of fear.
While I was on my way to the press box, the game's final buzzer sounded. The announcer gave me a thumbs up as I sat and tried to settle myself before a camera.
From my viewpoint, I could see the arena below. The lights suddenly dimmed, and the opening chords of "Can't Help Falling In Love" boomed from the speakers. Quinn was too faraway for me to see the details of his facial features, but he looked up, and I imagined his blue eyes opening wide in surprise.
The announcer's voice echoed through the arena. "Don't go anywhere, folks! There's a man here who has something to say."
The jumbotron flickered to life, and I took a deep breath. I was larger than life for everyone in the arena to see. My heart pounded hard against my ribcage. The fans fell silent while looking at me on the giant screen. I stared down at Quinn, watching as he removed his helmet.
"Quinn, what can I say?" The volume of my voice startled me, but it was too late to stop now. "From the moment you walked into my life with those pink skates, I knew you would change things forever."
A rolling wave of laughter filled the arena, and the announcer clapped me on the shoulder.
"You are an incredible man. Your infectious smile, steadfast optimism, and kind heart have touched me deeply. Before you, I'd forgotten that was possible."
The fans and my teammates greeted my opening words with applause.
"But loving you took me to an entirely different place. It has been so much more than a fairy tale romance. We've gone on a journey of learning to trust, open up, and be vulnerable with each other. It might sound cliché, but you found the key to my heart."
I reached to my right and grabbed the single red rose I'd broughtwith me. When I held it up to the camera, the red petals glowed on the jumbotron like a vibrant beacon in the darkness.
"Quinn, this rose symbolizes my love for you, but it goes beyond that. It's a sign of my trust in you, too. After my checkered past, I thought I would never find someone worthy of that. You walked into my life, broke the ice, and changed the game."
Quinn's hand rose to his heart, and even from the distance, I could see his fingers splayed wide. It was hard to believe that he was my man, but there he was, steadfast like he'd been since the beginning.
"I know I haven't always been the easiest person to love. I've made so many mistakes and let the past hold me back.Still, through it all, you've been mysafehaven, where I could repeatedly return for support.You've shown me what it means to love unconditionally."
I twirled the rose in my fingers and leaned forward to inhale the sweet scent.
"I once told you that I worried I wasn't worthy of thiskind ofrelationship. I was too broken and scarred. You pushed that aside and helped me heal. To you, trusting me with your heart wasn't a risk; it was a gift."
"So, tonight, I'm returning that gift. You have my heart, trust, and love—now and forever. I can't imagine spending a single dayof my lifewithout you by my side."
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, but I barely heard them. I was busy racing down through the back hallways of the arena toward the ice. It was nearly impossible to believe what I'd done. I, Axel Karlsson, had poured my heart out, naked and unprotected, in front of thousands of people.
I reached the locker room. In seconds, I tugged on skates, and when I appeared, Quinn had his hand pressed to his mouth while his shoulders shook with sobs.
A spotlight found me, and the crowd rattled the arena's foundation withtheircheers. Their approval resonated deep in my bones.
Finally, I could see every detail of my love's face.I could see his tousled head of blondhair,rosycheeks from the cold, and his blue eyes shining, glassy with tears.Something inside made him glow. He was more radiant to me than ever.
When I reached Quinn at center ice, the rest of the world was irrelevant. The crowd faded into the background, and it was just the two of us, our hearts beating as one.
I handed him the rose, and our fingers brushed as he took it from me. Reaching out, I wrapped my arms around his waist. "I love you," I whispered. "Now and forever."
