Page 184 of Cold As Ice

“I mean, I would have liked to be there for him. To celebrate with them. But she wouldn’t have understood.” I glanced toward Imogen, curled up on Jeremiah’s couch fast asleep. She refused to go to bed, insisting on watching all the post-game analysis.

“But at least now you’ll get to go watch him in Pittsburgh.”

“I hope so.”

“If you need money—”

“I appreciate it, I do. But it’s not necessary.” If I managed to take Imogen to Pittsburgh it would be because I’d worked for it.

“As stubborn as always.” He chuckled. “I’m going to take out the trash.” Jeremiah headed down the hall and I finished drying the dishes.

“Mads, come here,” he called, and I made for the hall.

“What’s— Austin.” I stopped dead in my tracks. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be with the team, celebrating.”

Jeremiah gave me a knowing wink as he headed back into the apartment, and I moved toward Austin.

“I-I don’t understand.”

He reached for my sweater and tugged me toward him, wrapping his arm around my back.

“Funny story,” he said. “We were all in the locker room celebrating and I looked around at my teammates, some of the best friends I’ll ever have, and I realized something…”

“Yeah?” I gazed up at him, so deeply in love with this man that my heart felt ready to burst.

“Yeah, pretty girl.” He smiled. “I realized there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than here.”

EPILOGUE

AUSTIN

“Well, here we are,”Aiden said as the five of us sat on the ice after our final practice of the season.

“Five minutes,” Coach Walsh shouted, and Aiden gave him a thumbs up.

“Is it me or does he seem more of a miserable asshole than usual lately?” Noah said.

“Probably sad he’s losing his bestie,” Connor gave Aiden a pointed look, and Dumfries flipped him off.

“I didn’t want to say anything because it’s not my style,” Mason said. “But I think I walked in on him and Emerson having a moment a couple of weeks back.”

“No shit, Coach Walsh and the team’s PR manager,” I said. “That has disaster written all over it. What says you, Aiden?”

“Seriously? You think I want to sit around gossiping about who Coach may or may not be fucking when we’re on the precipice of the national championship final.” He gave us a look that rivaled the ones Coach Tucker and Walsh regularly aimed in our direction.

“I never thought this day would come.” Connor changed the subject.

The lighthearted atmosphere of our last session with the team before the final game tomorrow turned somber.

“Four years, and it all comes down to this moment.”

“Jesus. Don’t go getting all sentimental on us now.” Noah grinned. “Besides, some of us will still be here next season.”

“Nobody asked you to be here, Holden,” I teased.

“Yeah, right. Like we’d let you have this moment without us.”

“I can’t speak for Holden but I’m sure as fuck going to miss you guys,” Mason said.

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