Page 100 of From Ice to Grace
“So that’s the guy who broke your sister’s heart?” I ask, taking a good look at Axel’s eye as we skate right by him. It’s no longer bruised enough in my opinion. “You should’ve hit him harder.”
“No argument there,” EJ says with an edge of surprise in his voice. “She told you what happened?”
I nod. “She did. The guy’s a moron if you ask me.”
EJ hums in agreement, his eyes burning a hole in the side of my head.
“What?” I ask.
He shakes his head as we go for another round around the rink. “Nothing, just didn’t think you two were that close,” he says. “Avah doesn’t really talk about what happened, that’s all.”
Unable to help it, a small smile tugs at my lips. The relationship that’s formed between me and Avah has surprised me, to say the least. I didn’t think we’d get along this well…we certainly haven’t before. But this past week we were in our own world, leaning on each other, and it felt good. I never knew honesty and partnership would result in something like this.
Last night when she fell asleep in my arms may have been the best feeling in the world. Seeing her hand clutching my shirt, her breathing even out as she snuggled against me struck closer to my heart than I’d care to admit. Instead of waking her to go to our separate rooms, I switched off the TV, placed a kiss in her hair and leaned back to close my eyes too.
“Hasn’t been easy with him here,” EJ says, pulling me back to reality. “Also hasn’t been the hardest thing in the world.”
I shrug, hating that I get it. “You grew up together. You know each other’s rhythm.”
“True,” he says, nodding. “He also broke my trust and betrayed my sister. This year hasn’t been the easiest for Avah. Watching her having to go through that…” he trails off as we come to a stop on the ice.
His words strike a cord in my chest. I didn’t know what Avah was going through when she first got here. Thinking back, she never struck me as a woman who got deeply hurt. She carried herself with the same grace and fire she does now. The only difference was back then she aimed her fire at me, and I gladly met her in each and every fight.
Would I have acted differently had I known she was seeing her cheating ex every time she looked at me? I’d like to think I would have.
He looks at me, eyes narrowing. “Look, I don’t mean to make this weird but as far as I know, the two of you got hitched so she wouldn’t have to go back home and face Axel. And now he’s here…” EJ trails off, leaving the words that have been bothering me this whole week hanging in the air between us.
I nod. Now that the guy is here, Avah has no reason to stick to her part of the agreement. Her reasons are basically null and void. If he actually manages to outplay me, and Harry decides to trade me after all…then my reasons for stepping into this marriage also disappears.
My eyes find Harry where he’s sitting in the viewing gallery watching like a hawk.
“Why hasn’t he sent him packing yet?” I ask EJ. “Is he that good?” I hate the slight worry creeping into my voice, because I know what I saw when I watched his game.
EJ follows my gaze to where Harry is now watching Axel go through warm-ups. “He’s solid, Dec.”
I swallow a curse, hoping I can still show Harry, Coach, and the rest of my team that I’m more of an asset than the new guy. If I keep my position…I also keep Avah. Because then this guy would have to crawl back into the hole he came from.
I might not be the best candidate for husband of the year, or even boyfriend of the year, but losing Avah is not something I want. I know that much.
But if Harry decides to offer Axel Boqvist a contract…
I’ll not only lose my position, but my wife.
The whistle blows. “Alright ladies, let’s get going! D-pairs. Three on two,” Coach calls. “Boqvist, you’re with Kade for now. Murphy you’re back with Mitch.”
I skate into position, taking my place next to Mitch to get started on our drills. This is his last year with the Rangers, and then Lucas will probably wear the ‘C’.
“Tell me you missed my pretty face,” I say, patting him on the helmet.
“You know I did, Murphy,” he says with a grin. “It’s been a bit dull without you.”
I watch as Axel slides into rotation across from us. Seeing him in the Rangers colors stokes the fire inside of me. I’ve always welcomed a challenge, but this feels different. Because of what he did to Avah, the challenge feels personal on a deeper level. The fact that he’s here in New York, trying out for the Rangers, just shows that he’s after more than just a spot on the team.
Anger simmers beneath the surface, my fists balling inside my gloves. EJ should’ve hit him harder. He still has all his teeth.
Axel catches my eye and smirks. The kind of smirk that tells me he knows who I am, he reads the headlines.
Avah’s words echo in my mind: ‘You can’t touch him, Declan. He’s not worth it.’
