Page 59 of Rule 5: Never Crush on the Captain

“That’s the plan!” I give an overly cheerful, awkward laugh. “What do you think about that?”

Stella sighs. “Vinnie is much better at telling stories. He even acts in them. You should ask him how he does it.”

I smile. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”

“Too bad you had a fight, though.”

I clear my throat. “So, the story was atruestory. And you’re the real Stella. And I’m the real hockey player. And Vinnie is—”

“The other real hockey player?”

I nod. Maybe metaphors were not the way to break the news that Vinnie and I are in a relationship.

“And we’re going to live happily ever after,” I say. “Hopefully. I guess we never know in the world. But we’re going to try. And we’ll have one another.”

“So, Vinnie and you are no longer fighting?”

“No longer.”

“Is he coming over tonight? Can he tell me a real story?”

“I’ll call him,” I suggest.

“Yay!” Stella bounces on the sofa cushions.

And when Vinnie arrives, thirty minutes later, Stella barrels straight into his arms, and I’m sure that everything will be just fine.

We’ll be a family.

EPILOGUE

Vinnie

One week later

We won again.

Everyone rushes into the locker room, smiles on our faces. We tear off our pads and pile them onto the floor.

The door clicks shut, and I hear a lock. I grin.

“Awesome game,” Finn says.

“Uh huh,” I say happily.

Finn’s eyes widen. “Dude, are you seeing someone?”

“Why?”

“Yeah, you want to volunteer, Finn?” Isaiah teases.

Finn flings his jersey at Isaiah. “He just looks really happy. It’s strange.”

Then I sense Evan’s presence before me. This time, I don’t need to study the floor and school my features into indifference. My gaze flickers to him.

He raises his eyebrow, and I nod.

We’re really going to do this.