Page 162 of Rookie Attraction

“Why don’t you stay, join us for dinner? There’s plenty of food.”

Cody cocks his head.

“Really?”

Finn’s eyes widen comically but I give him a reassuring nod. Time to change tactics across the board. At first we downplayed our friendship, but now our teammates know Finn and I are tight. I just admitted we’re best friends to a staff member. It’s the truth. Not all of it, but still. It’ll be a lot easier if we’re as comfortable in front of others as we feel with each other, minus the PDA of course.

“Definitely,” I offer with a smile.

“That’d be awesome!”

Awesome. That’s one way to put it.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

FINN

WEEKS LATER, BEFORE CHRISTMAS BREAK

My boyfriend’s back in forty-eight hours and and I’m counting down every minute. We’ve only got one night together, then I’ll be heading home to Nebraska and Sel’s off to California. I’m bummed that we can’t spend the holiday together, but we’re both anxious to visit family and we still have New Year’s. Sel’s exhausted from work and travel, and I’m still being careful with my shoulder, even after a lot of physiotherapy. It doesn’t matter. When I get to hold him, even if it’s only for a few hours, I’ll be happy.

The Rush had a long road trip, splitting their wins and losses fifty-fifty. It’s not the result we were hoping for. Tensions are high on the team, and it shows. I’ve analyzed every game, and while Sel’s playing has kicked up another notch, Brady looks like he’s tuned out, leaving Sorensen without protection. Our good-natured goalie lost his temper with Brady in the last game, and when a player of his caliber gets pissed at one of their own, you know it’s bad.

All this hasn’t gone unnoticed by the fans or the media, and given what Sel told me about his confrontation with Brady the night after my injury, it’s not surprising either. I’m worried Brady’s going to undermine Sel, or worse, physically confront him. My boyfriend reassures me that he’s handling the situation and there’s nothing to worry about.

Speaking of “situation,” my recovery didn’t go as fast as I thought it would. Athletes aren’t exactly the patient type. That first week, before Sel left, the pain in my shoulder got worse before it got better, which made me question whether I’d be back on the ice when I hoped. When Sel wasn’t playing or practicing, he was there to join me at physio, and when I felt down, to reassure me that with time it would get better. The day he headed out on the road, however, I moved back upstairs. I didn’t want to, but after a week of our teammates dropping by his place, I couldn’t spin the repair story any longer.

So, with Sel’s help, I packed up my stuff, including the last remaining tulip he’d given me. Yeah, it turns out this hockey player is into romantic gestures like flowers, especially when Sel told me what they represent.

True love, passion, and devotion.

I didn’t know I was capable of swooning—have I ever used that word?—but fuck, did I swoon. And that wasn’t the only time. I remember the day he left…

I walked Sel to the door, and he dropped his bags and turned around, reaching into his jacket pocket.

“I want you to have my spare key.” Sel placed the fob in my palm and closed my fingers over it, pulling my hand to his lips and kissing it. “Come here anytime you want, sweetheart.”

I could hardly breathe. “What are you doing to me?”

“What?”

“First the flowers, now a key to your home?” I sighed. “You’re being all kinds of romantic and shit⁠—”

“And shit?” he chuckled.

“You know what I mean. No one’s ever—” I paused. “I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that you’re my boyfriend, and now this. I don’t even know how to process it.”

“Too much?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I more than like the romance⁠—”

“What about the shit?” he teased.

I unwrap my fist and give him a romantic finger. Well, it’s romantic to us.

“Summer seems like a lifetime ago,” I explained. “I never thought we’d end up like this, and now you’re leaving. It’s going to be a long couple of weeks without you.”

“The longest.”