Page 218 of On the Breakaway

I nod. “Fair enough. I let one moment get the better of me, and it cost me three games. It cost me standing beside you while you fought through the hardest stretch of the season, and trust me…” I shake my head. “Watching from the stands is hell.”

More laughter rings out.

“I spent every shift wishing I was out there with you. But sitting up there was also a reminder that you never needed me on the ice to bring home this win.”

I glance around the room.

“Every single one of you stepped up when you had to. You battled through injuries, overtime, bad bounces, and a Game Seven in someone else’s arena. Watching you guys from the outside might’ve been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I’ve never been prouder to be your captain.”

A few guys clap.

“Nobody expected us to get here. Hell, half the league had us missing the playoffs altogether. Now we’re four wins away from the Stanley Cup. Let’s enjoy tonight, and tomorrow we’ll get back to work. Let’s go kick Denver’s ass.”

The locker room erupts, more beer sprays, and guys start slamming into me from all sides. Coach nods at me from the corner of the room before slipping out with some of the other coaches.

“Well, that was disgustingly inspirational,” Wyatt says, bumping his shoulder into mine.

“Shut up.”

“I’m just saying. It was very captainly.”

“Oh, fuck off.” I grin at him.

“Is it just the win making you all happy or…” Nathan asks.

“My girlfriend may have surprised me by showing up to watch the game with me.”

Liam pretends to gag. “I’ll never get used to you calling Avery your girlfriend.”

“You better figure out how to choke it down.”

“I guess if you’re both happy, I can suck it up.”

Nathan smacks him with a towel. “We’re happy for you. Even if we still can’t quite figure out how it happened.”

“And what happened to the lacy black bra girl?” Liam trails off when I quirk my eyebrow. “God, no. That was Avery? But that was like early February. You kept it a secret for that fucking long?”

“That long,” I confirm.

“Good for you.” Nathan snorts, patting my shoulder.

“I’ve always wondered what kind of bra Avery might wear…” Liam’s words die in his throat when I smack him in the back of the head.

“Well, never fucking wonder again.”

He smirks, and it’s full of his usual cockiness. “Don’t have to wonder at all. I’ve seen it.”

“I’m going to murder you.” I glare at him, only half joking.

“You need me for the Cup.”

“We managed without Nathan. Then we managed without me. I think we might manage just fine without you.”

He throws his hands up. “Okay. Okay. Fine. I will no longer think of Avery in any capacity other than as your girlfriend.”

We all shake our heads.

The rookies start chanting, and the rest of the room joins in. I can’t seem to stop smiling. Less than two weeks ago, I’d walked out of a locker room wondering if I’d ruined everything. Tonight, I walked back into it, remembering that this was never something I carried alone.