Page 16 of Over the Line

GARRETT

My visit with Chris had been amazing. I was glad he’d accepted the idea of me moving to Pittsburgh; otherwise, I’d have been a mess flying home tomorrow. As it was, on our way to tonight’s game, I couldn’t shake the disappointment that the trip was coming to an end. I hadn’t even met his girlfriend yet, and I still didn’t buy that she just happened to be out of town this week. We’d get to that, though, especially since—as I reminded myself repeatedly—I’d be back soon. I’d be living here soon.

Still, it would be hard to leave.

We also hadn’t been able to spend every waking minute together. That was fine, and I’d expected as much. I attended his practices, and he took me to some restaurants he liked, as well as a couple of museums. We’d always loved going to museums when he was a kid—Chicago was a gold mine for that—and Pittsburgh had some incredible ones, like the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Heinz History Center.

When I couldn’t be with him, I’d done some exploring on my own. I’d checked out the Duquesne Incline, one of the funicular railroads that took people up and down Mount Washington. That had yielded some incredible views, not to mention some fascinating history about Pittsburgh. One afternoon, when Chris was tied up with a charity event, I took myself out to the Carrie Blast Furnace, a relic of the city’s steel heyday.

As the week came to a close, I honestly thought I might’ve moved out here even if Chris and I hadn’t been patching up our relationship. It was a nice city, and I was already looking forward to exploring more of it when I lived here.

Tonight, though, was my favorite part of Pittsburgh—watching Chris play hockey with the Phantoms.

Same as we’d done the first time, we walked in from the player’s garage to the locker room. While Chris got into his pregame routine, I went up to the owner’s box with Gil, the general manager.

And I couldn’t lie—I was disappointed that Liam St. Clair wasn’t here.

I hadn’t seen him in the locker room. He wasn’t in the owner’s box. Even as the pregame montages started, there was no sign of him. Chris had mentioned some of the injured players preferred to watch from the press box, which was high above the nosebleed section. Maybe that was where Liam was tonight.

And why did that bum me out almost as much as my impending departure?

Because I was ridiculous, that was why.

As much as I wished I could be quietly drooling over the team captain and bantering with him about the game, it was what it was. I was here to watch Chris, not ogle or fantasize about someone who could have any man he wanted.

The opening montages ended, and the Phantoms skated back out onto the ice. The announcer’s voice boomed through the arena as he read off the starting players, and the fans roared with so much enthusiasm, the whole place shook.

And this was just a regular season game. Chris had told me the vibe in the place would be off the charts during the playoffs.

“They’re loud at every game,” he’d said as he’d driven us in. “When it’s the playoffs? Holy shit, when we won a postseason game in overtime last year, my ears were ringing for the rest of the night.”

“That must’ve been incredible,” I’d said, and I’d just stopped myself from saying “I hope I get to hear it myself.”

I didn’t want to pile more pressure on him, both for his team to make the playoffs and for him to want me at those games. Though we’d had a great week together, I was going to be walking on eggshells with him for a long, long time.

Below me, the starting players stood on the blue lines for the national anthem.

“If you are able,” the announcer said, “please rise and remove your hats and helmets.”

I stood, and as I did, I sensed movement behind me. Without really thinking, I twisted around and⁠—

Ooh, wow.

Liam.

He was jogging down the steps, a bottle of water in hand, and of course he was wearing a gorgeous suit again. Dark brown this time.

When he saw me, he flashed me a smile, but there was no time for hellos because the anthem was starting. I moved over one seat, letting him take the aisle, and we both stood for the duration of the song. I didn’t even hear it over my stupid pounding heart.

He’s my son’s teammate. Why am I getting so starstruck over him?

Starstruck? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

Oh my God, he’s pretty…

The anthem ended, and we took our seats. As the game kicked off below us, Liam turned to me. “Hey, good to see you again. Have you been enjoying Pittsburgh?”

“Yeah, yeah.” I smiled despite my stupid nerves. “Gorgeous town. I swear it’s got everything I like about Chicago, minus the traffic.”