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I want Astrid to feel cherished, understood, and secure.
I want her to understand that I know that she deserves the world, and that I’m prepared to give it to her.
As the evening unfolds, I realize that rebuilding trust is a slower and more deliberate process than I thought.
Several times, I catch her glancing over at me, that familiar fear in her eyes, as if she’s still waiting for me to run away any minute.
This is going to require consistency, patience, and a genuine commitment to change. But tonight is a step in the right direction, a promise that I won't let her down again, and I pledge to demonstrate through actions, not just words, that I am dedicated to making things right.
CHAPTER 44
ASTRID
As the game starts, the tension on the ice is mirrored in the stands. The fans cheer louder than the music that plays as both teams take the ice. It’s a crucial game, and Sean, fueled by his newfound determination after returning from his injury, is all smiles on the ice.
I catch his gaze as he glances up in the stands before putting on his helmet. The intensity of our eye contact alone is palpable. I can feel his attention heat my body. I swallow, my cheeks hurting from the smile on my face.
I can’t believe he’s mine.
I watch Sean's every move, my heart pounding with each close call and near miss. The passion and skill he displays is mesmerizing, and I can't help but feel a surge of pride for the man I’ve chosen to be with.
The clock ticks closer to zero. We’re down to the final minutes. I can feel the cheers in my bones. I look at Heather, who’s hiding her head in her hands, too overwhelmed to watch.
We’re tied.
Sean gets the puck, and my heartrate accelerates. He moves right, around some big guy who tries to push him into the wall. But Sean is faster. He passes it to Mike. Sean gets around a defender as Mike moves towards the goal, but at the last minute he passes it back to Sean, who seizes the opportunity and shoots, and scores.
The crowd erupts in cheers, and I jump to my feet, grabbing Heather with one hand and yanking her up.
“We’re going to win,” I scream.
Her head pops up and she cries out. “Oh my god.” Her applause blends in with the jubilant roars around us.
Sean raises his arms in triumph, a victorious smile playing on his lips. He skates around the boards, fist pumping in the air. And then he slides towards me. Lifting his stick and leveling it in my direction before the rest of the team piles on top of him in celebration.
“Oh my god,” Heather screams.
I cover my ears too late. “What?”
“We’re on the jumbo screen.” Heather dances and waves her arms in the air, soaking up every second of attention. Unlike me, she doesn’t seem to mind becoming a mini celebrity.
“Stop it.” I groan, sliding lower in my seat. Why does he do this to me? He knows how I feel about this.
Reporters are going to want to know who I am. Maybe at least now they’ll stop posting old pictures of Sean with random women and stop claiming that I’m a gold-digger.
Not that I particularly want them posting pictures of me either.
But I’m less afraid of that now. Sean promised me this time would be different, and that he would make it very clear that we are together and there’d be no reason to doubt that going forward. His words feel like a layer of protection as I pretend that the spotlight isn’t on me, and I wait to kiss him before I leave the arena.
I get home before Sean, so I change into my comfy clothes and wait for him downstairs. They won, so hopefully the coach doesn’t talk to them too long tonight. I pull the blanket off the back of the couch and wrap it around my shoulders, yawning as I stretch out along the cushions. It is nearly eleven o’clock. He can’t be gone too much longer.
I begin to fade in and out.
Then, a warm hand is on my shoulder. “Astrid, wake up.” Sean leans down and places a kiss on my forehead. His fingers linger on my face before he pulls back. “Let’s get you in bed, sleepy girl.”
I stand on shaky legs.
I move on muscle memory alone and turn left down my hallway.
