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TASHA

“ T hey’re just about to hit the ice,” Terry, the usual security guard, called after me as he let me through to the lower-level seats.

“Thank you!” I yelled over my shoulder as I practically ran toward my section. I was running late.

After Mr. Waltham left, I was almost ready to leave but my work phone rang. It ended up being a patient in crisis. There was no way I couldn’t answer. After making sure they were okay, I had less than twenty minutes to get home, change, and make it to the arena.

I looked like shit, not having had time to touch up my makeup, and threw on the first pair of jeans I found, along with Trevor’s jersey.

Weaving around people, I jogged down the stairs and caught sight of Josie. She glanced over at me as I approached. I scooted in front of a few people to get to her.

“Hey.” I greeted, slightly out of breath.

“You made it!” she yelled over the roaring crowd.

“Hey, babycakes.” Mateo, Wyatt’s younger brother, peered around Josie with a grin .

“Babycakes?” I raised an eyebrow at the nickname. “Please tell me you don’t say that to girls.”

“Nope, just reserved for you.” He winked. I shook my head but my lips twitched in amusement.

“Is Mila here?” I leaned close to Josie so I wouldn’t have to yell as loud.

“Yeah, she’s grabbing us drinks. Lydia was going to come but she had to work.”

I took in the ice rink, seeing both teams skating around and warming up. I missed Trevor’s entrance. I searched for his number, grinning widely when I found him next to Wyatt and Bryton.

“Yay, you made it,” Mila said. I turned just in time to see her walking toward us with her hands full of drinks. Reaching out, I grabbed two beers from her.

I ended up giving her my seat and moved around to Josie’s other side with Mateo. With two beers in my hands, Mateo reached out to grab one, but I jerked them away.

“Nope.”

“Babycakes.”

“Your brothers would kill me.” I shook my head.

“Mila said I could!”

I looked at Mila, who just shrugged.

“He’s drinking at uni anyway.”

I mean, she wasn’t wrong. He’s drinking at school and at parties so it really wasn’t that much different. Mateo gave me puppy dog eyes, going as far as to make his bottom lip quiver.

“Fine, but if your brother finds out, it was all Mila.” I handed him the beer with a look.

“Thanks, babycakes.” He grinned, taking a big chug of it.

“Didn’t know you were coming tonight,” I said to Mateo just as the referees blew their whistles to start the game.

“Haven’t been to a game in a while, and I have finals coming up.” Mateo shrugged. “That and the chance to be around three of my girlfriends.”

“Your girlfriends?” Josie and Mila leaned around me to look at Mateo.

“Yep. We can have our own ménage à trois.”

“A ménage à trois is three people. Not four,” I pointed out.

“Four is an orgy,” Mila said.

“An orgy,” he breathed. His eyes widened, and I just knew he was imagining that scenario. Mateo leaned back in his seat, staring straight ahead, but he was lost inside his head.

“You broke him,” I said to Mila.

“It’ll keep him busy for a little bit.” I snorted.

I finally turned my attention back to the ice as the game began. It only took me a second to find Trevor as he skated beside Wyatt, who had the puck.

I swear, every time I watched him skate, he got even more attractive. And knowing what was beneath all that gear certainly didn’t help. I bit my lip knowing he was all mine and everyone here knew it too. I couldn’t help but be a bit smug about that. I really was becoming a possessive girlfriend.

I loved watching him play. There was something so fascinating about watching him fly down the ice. It was intoxicating how powerful and in his element he was. You could just tell hockey was how he was meant to spend his life. I couldn’t see Trevor sitting behind a desk pushing paper. He was supposed to be right there next to Wyatt and Bryton.

As Trevor skated by, I cheered loudly, drawing his attention. Even under his helmet, I could see the grin he sent my way. I tapped my lips twice, a cute signal we came up with a few days ago.

“You two are adorable.” Josie nudged my arm with a wide grin.

“He’s pretty great. ”

“Can’t tell you how happy we all are that you are finally together,” Mila gushed.

“Took you long enough,” Mateo chimed in.

“I still can’t believe you guys bet on us.” I shook my head at my friends.

Mila raised an eyebrow. “How else are we supposed to be entertained?”

“The Bang Bet Club group chat is the best.” Mateo sighed.

“About this group chat…” I looked at all three of them with narrowed eyes.

“We needed a place to talk about you guys and place bets without you knowing,” Mila tried to justify it.

“We placed the bets on you guys back when we had game night all those months ago.” Josie supplied, making me realize just how long it was going on for. So much has changed since then.

“We have a separate one going for Landon and Lydia that you can join now,” Mila added. Well, at least I can join in on the fun for that one.

“Fine.”

“Don’t worry, babycakes, we can partner up.” Mateo threw an arm around my shoulder. “Beat everyone’s asses.” I liked the sound of that. “Welcome to the Bang Bet Club.”

“What the hell was that?” Josie screamed, slamming her hand against the plexiglass.

Someone from the opposing team tripped Wyatt by swiping his skates out from under him. A move that should have gotten the guy put in the penalty box, but somehow, the referee didn’t see it. If looks could kill, the guy would have dropped dead from the glare in Josie’s eyes.

The game was tough. Both sides played defense so well The Knights only scored twice and the other team once. With each passing second, they played rougher, the hits getting harder.

“Pummel him!” Mila yelled beside her.

My hand shot out to grip Mateo’s arm as Trevor chased after the puck, two guys on his tail. The timer ticked down the seconds until the final buzzer sounded.

The entire game I had to watch Trevor get slammed into the plexiglass, cringing after each one. Poor Mateo. His arm was probably going to bruise from how hard I squeezed it.

“Jesus, woman.” Mateo groaned, trying to pull his arm back without success.

Trevor skirted around players, expertly moving the puck. He turned on a dime, making the two players on his ass almost collide.

“Go, go, go,” I chanted.

“Babycakes, I need my arm.” Mateo used his other hand to pry my fingers from him.

“Sorry,” I muttered, barely paying him any attention. Not when Trevor sent the puck toward Wyatt, who skated a bit farther before sending it back to Trevor.

The two of them moved like a perfectly synchronized team. They didn’t need to exchange a single glance before passing the puck to each other.

Trevor neared the net but just as he went to hit the puck, a body slammed directly into his side. Somehow, he managed to stay upright but the guy got right up in his face. Before I could even register what was happening, the guy threw a fist at Trevor’s face.

My hand shot out to grip Mateo’s arm again as I watched Trevor’s helmet fly off. Almost immediately, Wyatt and Bryton were there, as well as the rest of the players on the ice. Someone shoved the guy who hit Trevor, small fights starting to break out all over.

The players separated enough for me to see Trevor standing there, circled by Wyatt and Bryton. They had a hand on his shoulder, but it was clear he wasn’t going to engage in any fights. A gasp left my lips, seeing the blood running down his face from his eyebrow. It wasn’t a small amount either. My heart pounded in my chest, and my vision narrowed.

“Jo. Help,” Mateo wheezed beside me as I crushed his wrist.

I completely ignored him as I kept my eyes on Trevor. He glared at the guy who punched him as the referee yanked a couple of players apart. I didn’t like the sight of the blood running down his face. It was a cheap shot.

Josie and Mila yelled along with the crowd, the boos from the stands echoing in my ears. When the referee pointed to the opposing player and gestured toward their team’s box, the booing turned to cheering. Pretty sure the guy was getting kicked out of the game for a stunt like that.

Trevor looked absolutely livid as he touched the cut on his eyebrow. Wyatt and Bryton were shouting something back at the other team, their faces filled with just as much anger.

When Trevor skated toward the team's box, I found myself standing up. I wasn't sure if I could go after him or if he’d want me to, but the sight of him hurt was making my heart pound. And not in a good way. I needed to make sure he was okay.

He’d been hit plenty of times over the course of his career, and I was certain this wasn’t his first time being punched, but it was my first time seeing it happen. The overwhelming urge to see him grew .

“Go.” Josie touched my arm, drawing my attention to her. “He’ll want to see you.” Mila nodded, agreeing with Josie. Even Mateo gave me the go ahead, although he probably only did it so I wouldn’t squeeze his arm anymore.

Without needing to be told twice, I slipped past them to get to the exit. I marched up the stairs, side stepping a few people. They were barely a blimp on my radar as I headed for my hurt boyfriend.

With long strides, I made it back to where Terry, the security guard, was. He gestured toward the hallway that led to the team's locker room without me having said a word. Sending him an appreciative smile, I took off down the hallway. It took everything I had not to run toward the locker room.

My shoes slapped against the concrete as I nearly sprinted. I may have been down a few levels, but I could still pick up the roaring of the fans. Reaching the locker room door, I didn’t hesitate in flinging it open and stepping inside.

It was my first time inside the Knights locker room, but I didn’t let myself pause to look at everything. There was someone more important that needed my attention.

“Trevor?” I called out when I didn’t see him at first glance.

“Tasha?” Following the sound of my name, I walked around a corner just as Trevor appeared. He was still clad in his hockey uniform, even his skates, as he held a cloth to his eye. As soon as he saw me, his hand dropped in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“You’re hurt,” was all I said as I stepped closer to him. With his skates on, he was even taller, making me crane my neck up to look at him.

“Just a small cut.”

“What if you need stitches?”

I didn’t know why, but my hands started to shake. My mind going a million miles an hour. What if he was really hurt? What if he had a concussion? Where’s their damn team doctor?!

The rational part of my brain was telling me it wasn’t anything serious. It was just a small cut, but it felt like something inside of me switched. I knew hockey players got hurt a lot, hell most of the guys on the team had fake teeth, but seeing the blood on Trevor’s face evoked a foreign emotion in me.

“Babe, I’m okay.” Bringing his free hand up, he softly cupped the side of my face, drawing my focus back to him.

I leaned my cheek into his hand as I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. It wasn’t a big deal, yet here I was, wanting to cry. What the hell was wrong with me?

“Can I…” I wasn’t even sure what I was trying to say, but Trevor gave me a small nod like he knew.

Grabbing my hand, he led us toward a room near the back. Once we stepped inside, I noticed it looked like a doctor’s office.

“Take a seat.” I pointed to the chair off to the side as I went over to the cabinets to try and find something to clean his face with. I had no problem finding a first aid kit. The cabinets were stocked full of anything you could possibly need. Grabbing some alcohol wipes, I walked over to Trevor, who was sitting like I asked.

“Let’s see it,” I whispered. When he pulled the rag away, I winced at the cut above his eyebrow. While it looked like it hurt, it didn’t look deep enough for stitches, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t getting the doctor in here to check later.

Standing between his legs, I ripped open an alcohol pad.

“This might hurt,” I warned. Trevor didn’t say a word as I started wiping at the cut. His hands landed on my hips as I cleaned his face. Every once in a while, he would squeeze if I got too close to the cut, but he didn’t make a sound, keeping those eyes on me the entire time .

With gentle swipes, I cleaned the blood on his cheek. My free hand gently held the side of his face to keep it still as I worked.

Neither of us said a word, but I didn’t mind. I had this unfamiliar swirling in my chest, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. When I looked into his eyes, that feeling grew until I was almost consumed by it.

“What are you thinking about?” Trevor whispered. His fingers slid under my shirt to softly rub my bare skin. The wipe in my hand fell to the ground as I brought both my hands up to tangle themselves in his hair.

I should have been grossed out by how sweaty he was, but as I gazed down into those eyes that became more and more familiar to me, I didn’t care. A million thoughts were running through my head as I pushed his hair back, but one thing stood out the most.

It was right then I realized what it was.

Love.

Somehow, in a matter of weeks, I fell in love with Trevor Hall.

From every small action.

From every smile meant just for me.

From every time he showed up for me the last few weeks.

Trevor came in and completely obliterated the walls I had built around myself. For the first time in my life, I felt seen. Not just the good parts of myself, but the deep, ugly, broken parts. Somehow, Trevor saw that and stayed.

I expected to freak out at the realization but standing there, staring down at Trevor, I wasn’t scared. How could I be? The man looked at me like I was the best thing to ever happen to him.

Mr. Waltham’s words echoed in my head. Even he knew I was in love with Trevor before I could admit it to myself.

“Trevor.” My voice came out shaky .

“Sunshine.”

I had to tell him. It might not have been the right setting, and maybe I should have waited until we were home, but I had to say the words. Had to let him know how I felt about him.

“I love you.”

I think I've loved Trevor for a while now, I just didn’t want to admit it to myself. Didn’t want to let myself believe it was possible.

Trevor went quiet, his hands frozen at my sides as he stared. When he had yet to say anything, nerves poked their way through. Maybe I shouldn’t have said it. Shit. I should have waited.

“I-I—” I stuttered trying to think of a way to take it back.

“You love me?” His voice was thick as his eyes roamed my face.

I nodded, the lump in my throat making it hard to swallow. I was trying my best not to freak out that he had yet to say anything to my declaration. Telling someone you loved them was like jumping off a cliff and hoping they’d be at the bottom to catch you.

“I fell in love with you the moment I met you, Tasha.”

Trevor’s hands left my sides, lifting to cup the sides of my neck. He used his thumbs to tilt my chin up so we were eye to eye.

“You stole my heart the second you started arguing with me about fries and ice cream. I was just waiting for you to feel the same.”

My legs threatened to give out from under me at his words. Trevor Hall loved me. Me. I wanted to cry and cheer at the same time. My heart skipped, and for a moment, the world seemed to pause, as if time itself was acknowledging the weight of Trevor’s words.

“You love me?” I needed him to say it again .

“I love you, Tasha Davis.”

Never did I imagine that the two of us would be here, confessing our love for each other. If someone had told me a year ago this would happen, I would have flipped them the bird.

It didn’t matter that we were in the Knights locker room and that Trevor was sweaty and bleeding. Because this right here was the only thing that mattered.

“I love you too, Trevor Hall.”