Page 50

KATERINA

The arena is crowded to the brim. The crowd roars, the ice glows under the bright lights, and every muscle in my body is wired with tension as I watch Aidenfly across the rink. He moves like he owns it. Like the ice was made for him. Every sharp turn, every pass, every shot—it’s flawless.

I’m vibrating with nerves, my breath trapped in my throat. The final period is down to the last minute. The scoreboard is tied. The tension is suffocating.

“Come on, Aidy,”

I whisper, gripping the sleeve of Alina’s jacket.

She squeezes my hand, her expression tight with anticipation. Aiden steals the puck. The crowd erupts as he takes off, weaving through defenders like they’re nothing, like this is his moment and no one’s going to take it from him. He shoots—

Time slows.

The puck sails through the air— And hits the back of the net.

Goal. The stadium explodes.

Aiden skates toward his teammates, his arms raised, his entire body radiating triumph as they pile onto him, shouts of victory ringing through the ice. They won.

They fucking won.

I don’t think. I move.

Before I know it, I’m pushing through the crowd, slipping past security, Aiden turns—

And his eyes go soft. His teammates are still cheering, still celebrating, but Aiden?

He only sees me and I don’t hesitate. The moment he skates towards me, I launch myself at him, arms wrapping around his neck as he manages to catch me effortlessly, spinning us on the ice as I press my lips to his.

“I’m so proud of you.”

I say between kisses, my cheeks in pain from grinning.

The kiss is fire, desperate and triumphant, all our emotions

crashing into each other at once. He grins against my lips, his arms tightening around me.

“I fucking love you,”

he mutters, voice husky.

I smirk, brushing my nose against his. “Yeah? You sure?”

He growls, kissing me again, and I giggle, feeling the weight of the moment settle in my chest. Aiden’s hand cups my cheek, his thumb brushing over my skin, his lips lingering on mine, like he’s afraid to let go. His voice is quieter this time,

raw.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

My breath catches, because I believe him.Because for the first time in forever, I let myself believe in something good. “I love you to baby.”

I whisper, tugging him tighter. The crowd is losing it, but I don’t care, cause all i’m looking at is him. The boy who drives me crazy. The boy who knows exactly how to push my buttons.

The boy who never backed down when I pushed him away.

I was so scared. So convinced that loving someone meant losing them.

But when I kiss Aiden, when he whispers I love you like it’s something he’s known since the beginning, I realize, that I already lost myself to him.

The team throws a party back at the hockey house, and for the first time in weeks, everything feels right. The music is loud, the house is packed, and people keep shoving drinks into my hands. Aiden is glued to my side, his arm resting casually around my waist, but his fingers trace circles against my skin, like he can’t stop touching me. Maddie and Will are arguing over who gets the last slice of pizza, Grayson is dancing like a lunatic, and Alexei is grinning at me from across the room.

But then I see her, my beautiful best friend. She laughs when she’s supposed to, drinks when someone hands her one, but there’s something hollow in her eyes and I know what it is.

Roman.

She hasn’t talked about it, hasn’t mentioned him, but I see it. The way she glances toward the door like she’s expecting him to walk in. The way she grips her cup a little too tightly whenever his name is brought up. And when midnight rolls around and he still hasn’t shown, she stands abruptly. “I’m heading out.”

I frown. “Alina—”

“I’m fine,”

she says, forcing a smile. “Really.”

She’s lying.

I don’t let her leave alone.

Instead, I pull her back to the house with me, and we crawl into my bed, like we used to when we were kids, whispering about stupid things to distract from the things that actually hurt. She stares at the ceiling, her voice quiet. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

I reach for her hand, squeezing gently.

“You don’t have to figure it out tonight.”

She nods, but the sadness lingers. And as I hold her hand in the dark, I hate that I can’t fix this for her. But I’ll be here. Just like she’s always been here for me.

At some point, Alina falls asleep, and I slip out of bed, making my way to the kitchen.

Aiden is already there, leaning against the counter, arms crossed.

I stop breathing for a second. Because he’s watching me with relief in his brown eyes. He doesn’t speak at first. Just studies me.

Finally, he tilts his head. “You okay?”

I exhale. “Yeah.”

Aiden doesn’t believe me. He pushes off the counter, stepping closer, his hand sliding up my arm, his touch warm, grounding.

“She’s not alone baby.”

I swallow, my throat tight. “I know.”

And I do.”I feel bad for her. She is my best friend, my sister.”

Aiden nods as i step closer. Aiden’s hand cups my jaw, his thumb brushing over my cheek. His voice is soft. “You scared me tonight.”

I frown. “Why?”

“When i couldn’t find you downstairs, I thought—”

He sighs, shaking his head. “I thought you changed your mind.”

My heart clenches. I reach up, wrapping my fingers around

his wrist.

“I’m not going anywhere. I love you.”

Aiden’s breath catches, his eyes darkening and then he kisses me. This time, it’s slower, more deliberate, like he’s memorizing me. Like he’s trying to hold onto this moment forever.

And I let him.

Because I’m done being scared.