Page 30 of Damsel in Defense
And for the first time, I wonder if maybe…
“Okay,” Sabrina says, breaking the moment.“As much as I’m enjoying the show, I think the kids are about to riot.Better get out there, Warren, before the hockey moms are able to pull out their phones and start the gossip train.”
Oh.
Oh.
Had he done that for a publicity opportunity?Is it possible I wasn’t reading the situation right because…well, my feelings are starting to get in the way?
Shit.I’m so confused.
Mason presses one last, lingering kiss to my forehead before finally pulling away.“We’ll talk later,” he says, like a promise.
And I nod.
Because wehaveto.
He dashes away, flying across the ice to a group of skaters who greet him with loud cheers.Mason hits gloves with all of them before starting whatever it is he’s about to teach.
“Well, damn,” Sabrina says, nudging me away from the boards and toward the closest empty bench.“You’re the real deal, huh?”
I blink.“What?”
She nods toward Mason across the rink.“I’ve known that man a long time.And I’ve never seen him smile like that.”
My stomach flips.
“Oh, it’s—” I start, but Sabrina cuts me off with a wink.
“Look, I’m a sports analyst, so my job is basically to take the numbers in front of me and the live action of the game and make my own predictions.When Mason mentioned you a couple weeks ago, I had my suspicions.After his last breakup, he was determined to be single for a long while and wait forthe one.Then you two started dating very quickly.”
I’m struggling to find something to tell her but come up with nothing.
“Relax,” she continues, giving me a small knowing grin.“I know it’s fake.That’s the story, right?You’re both helping the other out.”Her smile softens.“Just be careful.Sometimes fake starts feeling real.And that can get…complicated.”
“Tell me about it,” I murmur.
“Mason is a really great guy, but he has shitty luck when it comes to love.Just be careful.”
I nod, still not having the words to adequately tell her the depth of my feelings or just how confused I am.
“Right.”Sabrina claps her hands, breaking the seriousness of the moment.“Let’s go get some popcorn and settle in to watch our men mentor children and have our ovaries explode because of the cuteness.”
A laugh bursts out of me.What?
“Sure,” I agree, thinking that stuffing my face with buttery goodness sounds brilliant right now.“Let’s do it.”
***
For the first time in a long time, I don’t feel so alone, trapped in my own head and struggling to mask what I’m truly going through.I didn’t expect to find kindred spirits at a hockey charity event—but Goals for Good has changed me.
Hearing Sidney Crane speak about his battle with anxiety and why starting this charity was so important has moved me to tears.I had no idea the pressures these men face both on and off the ice.
Thank God I’m in the back row, out of view of the cameras and reporters that are here.The last thing I would want to do is take the focus away from how amazing this day has been with my blubbering.
I’m no athlete, but I recognize the importance of a charity like this for the health of younger generations.Talking about our struggles shouldn’t be stigmatized—it should be shared so that no one feels alone or isolated.
If I’d had something like this when I’d first gotten into the music industry, how my career turned out may have been a lot different.I can think of a couple of choices I made in the midst of a panic attack that weren’t the best.If I’d had more support, more awareness of what I was really battling—
