Page 42 of Pucking Snowed In With My Ex

“I’m just wondering…if you consider me a sister and you’re knocking boots with Cal, does that mean you two are committing incest,” she asked. The couple in front of us turned and looked over their shoulder, increasing my mortification level to supernova.

“Shut up, you’re such a jerk.” I gave her a little shove.

“It’s a valid question,” she teased as the couple in front of us laughed.

“Shut up, I mean it. How am I ever going to get that image out of my head now?” I crossed my arms.

“Oh, I’m pretty sure the moment he takes his shirt off, you’ll be just fine,” she said, earning more giggles around us.

“I swear….” I rolled my eyes and wanted to hide in a hole.

“Suck it up and consider this payment for keeping things from me. If you ever do again, I want you to remember this moment and how much worse I could make things.” I looked at her, and she smirked as her grey eyes glinted with humor.

“Fine, I’ll remember.”

“Good. Now that we have that solved….” She showed our tickets to the guy standing at the top of the row and immediately waved over the man wandering around with his neon shirt and beer bag over his shoulder. “Two tall boys.” I reached into my pocket to give her money as she tapped her card. “Don’t be ridiculous. This round is on me.”

“Thanks,” I said as we walked down to our seats.

Now that we were here, I was crazy nervous. I couldn’t even say why. It wasn’t like I hadn’t attended a game to watch Cal play a thousand times already, but this felt different. This was the NHL. He was really here. It was all he ever talked about. He used to wake up crazy early to attend an extra skills practice every morning before school. I’d never seen anyone work so hard to achieve their dream, which made me proud, but more than that, I was happy for Cal. He really freaking did it.

Music was blaring, and lights were already flashing as I took off my jacket and sat my bag down. Cal had given me his jersey up at the cottage, and even though it was way too big, I was wearing it proudly.

“You look adorable in his jersey.” Hales sighed. “This feels right. It was weird when you two weren’t together. I always felt a little stuck in the middle. I so badly wanted to talk to you about him and him about you like old times.”

I hated that I made her feel that way. I’d just been so thankful she didn’t hate me when the rumors circulated that I broke Cal’s heart. I never thought about how any of this affected her.

The opposing team stepped onto the ice and skated around in a circle as they warmed up. This was it. A smile spread across my face as I stared at the entrance for our team and, of course, one specific individual on that team. The lights shut off and came on with a bang as smoke rose dramatically. We jumped to our feet and screamed like two crazies.

The crowd cheered and clapped as the home team filed out onto the ice one at a time, and there he was, number seventeen. I smirked as he skated past the glass and winked as I waved. When I asked why he’d chosen seventeen, Cal said it was because his birthday was on the first, and mine was on the seventh. Put them together, and they made seventeen. How, after all this time, he found ways to make me cry and feel like the most special girl in the entire world was mind-boggling.

The music quieted, and I stood with Hales, waiting for the announcement of the national anthem, but instead, the side door opened, and a small red carpet was rolled out. I’d seen this whenever they were doing awards and watched to see who it was that was here.

“Good evening, everyone,” the announcer’s voice boomed through the arena. “Tonight, we have a special request.” All the players lined up, including the other team, and I craned my neck to get a look at who was ready to walk in. “But, before we can get started, Skye Windsor, please make your way to the arena door.”

I watched the announcer point and smile before it hit me that he’d said my name. A spotlight turned on, and my face was all over the screens above the rink.

“What the heck is going on?” I looked at Hales, who shrugged.

“Yes, I mean you,” the announcer said, and it felt like every person in the arena turned to look at me at once. What the hell was happening? My heart hammered like a caged animal as I slowly stood. “Make sure to bring the box.”

I paused and looked at the announcer and then Cal, who was smirking. My hands shook as I unzipped my bag and pulled out the Christmas present that Cal insisted I bring with me tonight. It was too quiet, and I could feel sweat forming on the back of my neck as the terror of being center stage set in.

“You swear you don’t know what’s happening,” I asked Hales.

“Not a clue, but I’m happy it’s you and not me.”

I pulled out the pretty box and stared at it, wondering what the heck could be so important. My brain raced as I made my way to the worker waiting by the door. He unlocked it and let me in before helping me across the short expanse of ice to where the announcer was standing.

As soon as my foot touched the carpet, Cal skated over and stepped onto it in front of me. He seemed so much taller on his skates, and with all eyes on us, I felt like an insect.

“Cal, what is happening,” I whispered. My eyes flicked around to the glass and all the people, their eyes trained on me.

He handed off his stick to the announcer and dropped his gloves onto the ground. I swallowed hard.

“Open your gift,” he said, far calmer than I felt. My insides were shaking, and so was my hand as I pulled on the red bow. The ribbon fluttered to the ground as I pulled off the lid and looked inside, but there was a bunch of stuffing. I looked up at Cal. “It’s in the middle,” he said.

Digging through the tattered red and gold paper, my hand wrapped around a much smaller box that felt like velvet, and my heart stopped as my eyes locked with Cal’s. No, this couldn’t be. He said he’d gotten this gift for me the summer before his senior year.