Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
I take another deep breath, forcing the panic back into the box where it belongs. I can’t let my fears ruin this.
Not now.
“Hey,” North says, his voice softer now. I glance over my shoulder to see him watching me with a concerned expression. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I say quickly, pasting on a smile. “Just a lot on my mind, that’s all.”
He nods, standing and walking over to wrap his arms around me from behind. His warmth seeps into me, grounding me.
“You don’t have to figure it all out today,” he says, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
“I know,” I whisper, leaning into him despite the tightness still coiled in my chest.
But as he holds me, his arms strong and steady, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m standing on the edge of something big—something that could change everything. And the thought of taking that leap terrifies me.
CHAPTER 25
Farren
The overtime shootout against the two-time Cup champion Carolina Cold Fury couldn’t have been more exciting. It was a glorious save made by Drake McGinn and a zinger of a wrist shot by Stone Dumelin that sealed the Titans’ victory.
Once again, almost the entire team is at Mario’s celebrating. There was no consideration of having a quiet night at Stevie’s bar as this win against a tough and superiorly talented team meant the Titans had to celebrate with their fans.
There are more people here than I’ve ever seen, and it almost feels like that giddiness of Christmas morning when you’re a kid. Given the sweet victory and the fact that the players have tomorrow off, the alcohol is free-flowing in the VIP lounge. I expect Uber will be busy tonight and we’ll all have headaches tomorrow.
The noise level in here isn’t nearly as deafening as it was at the arena, but it’s louder than it usually is after a win. Everyone is joyous, exuberant voices competing to be heard over one another as fans boast and retell certain plays. It’s hard not to get caught up in the energy of the room and I’m keenly aware of it since I’ve been made to feel like so much a part of this Titans family. Obviously, that started with being Rafferty’s sister, but now it’s no secret to anyone that I’m seeing North and I’m fully immersed in the camaraderie of this team.
North is in his element tonight, his easy, outgoing charm extending to fans and teammates alike. He’s crossed the velvet ropes on and off, indulging every man, woman or child who wants a picture, an autograph or even just to talk about his amazing second period goal that had me screaming so loud from the stands, my throat hurts.
I’m not about to rain on his parade tonight and I don’t even complain when he casually drapes an arm over my shoulders. It’s proprietary, an indulgent display of affection that sends a message to everyone watching.
I’m his.
Our current group huddles around a high top and I’ve affectionately come to refer to them as The Gang. It includes the men North is closest to—Foster, King, Atlas and my brother. Willa and Mazzy are in attendance, and Rafferty’s not as blue tonight as he has been, despite missing Tempe. Atlas is his happy-go-lucky self and is spending more time flirting with the pretty women than anything.
“You good?” North asks softly, squeezing my shoulder. His expression says he’s asking for continued permission tonight to be something more than just casual.
Force isn’t needed to lend him a smile. “Yeah. It’s all good.” I pause as I consider his request and amend with confidence, “Really good, actually.”
It’s not a lie. It feels good to be with North, and the three beers I’ve had aren’t hurting to lower my defenses, although they’ve admittedly been slipping further and further each day. Every once in a while, there’s a small voice in the back of my head reminding me I’ve wandered into territory that has historically been dangerous for me, and I wonder how long I’ll struggle with that. It’s slightly concerning that I haven’t been able to fully shake that feeling of claustrophobia from this morning when North handed me that brochure from the University of Pittsburgh, but I continue to push that away, chastising myself for being so silly.
Foster slaps his hand on the table, interrupting my thoughts. “Can we talk a moment about how that new Cold Fury defenseman, Adomaitis, absolutely ate it when Raff knocked him into the boards in the third?”
Atlas snickers. “That was poetry in motion. The guy looked like a baby deer trying to find his legs afterward.”
“Deer?” Rafferty scoffs, shaking his head. “He’s built like a damn moose. Took everything I had to keep him off Drake’s ass tonight.”
Willa grins, resting her chin in her hand. “You’re such a hero, Raff. Do you want us all to slow clap for you?”