Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 130275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
When I broke from her kiss, breathless and so fucking grateful for my girl, I whispered, “Thank you. Thank you so much, baby.”
I took the ticket, which was safe inside a clear plastic envelope, and placed it in my pocket. I had it back. I had a piece of my brother back with me again. The relief was overwhelming.
“This is it,” I said to Savannah.
“What?” she asked, leaning into my side, her head on my bicep. I couldn’t resist dropping a kiss to her head.
“The start of our forever,” I said and felt hope run through my veins. It felt so good that it was heady.
“Forever,” Savannah echoed.
“We’re here, at college together. I get to see you every day. I get to play hockey, get to be myself again. And you … you get to be a doctor, baby. I get to be your guy …”
“I get to be your girl,” she said, happiness in her tone.
“And we get to live life together.”
Life. The strangest ride of ups and downs and heartache and loss. But also, a life with the world, the stars and the sun, joy and love.
And of course, love. Love above most.
Honor Laps and Hopeful Stars
Savannah
Harvard College
Seven weeks later
THE STADIUM WAS PACKED. I STARED, WIDE-EYED, AT THE CROWD, ALL dressed in red. Music was blaring, and the excited shouts of students were deafening. I clutched on to Cara like my life depended on it.
This was Cael’s world. The scrimmage was nothing compared to this. Being on the trip had made this part of who he was so distant, almost conceptual. But this was his arena. My nerves were high, and I had to take long breaths to settle them down. When we reached our seats, we had a perfect view of the rink. Lights danced on the ice to the rhythm of the song playing.
An announcer spoke stats as I waited with bated breath to see Cael take the ice. He was feeling anxious about this game. I’d had to meet him behind the stadium an hour ago …
“I’m nervous,” Cael said and ran his hand through his hair.
“You’re going to do great,” I said, trying my hardest to quell his nerves.
Cael closed his eyes and tipped his head back to the sky. He was focusing on the stars, and I knew he was fighting back tears. His eyes were shining when he met my gaze again. “I just always thought he’d be here, you know. In this moment.” Cael sighed. “I suppose it just hit me again that he’s not.”
I pointed at the stars. “He’s here,” I said, and his face softened.
Cael wrapped his arms around me. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Peaches,” he said and kissed my lips. His team taking to the ice to warm up sounded behind him. “I have to go.”
“I’ll be in the stands,” I said, and Cael nodded his head. He gave me a small smile, and I prayed he would get through this first game …
I blinked back to the here and now, and a million thoughts ran through my head. All about Cael. Enough so that, in what felt like no time at all, the music lowered and the announcer began to speak.
I focused on that tunnel where they came out. Then suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the announcer said, “Tonight, this game will be played in honor of Cillian Woods, our former star center who sadly passed away. Here to take a lap in remembrance, in his honor, is his younger brother and newest center for the Harvard Crimson, Cael Woods.”
Everything seemed to stop in that moment—the music, my breathing, my heart. My stomach turned, and a heady mix of sorrow and pride swirled within me. The crowd got to their feet, clapping in support as Cael, without his helmet and gloves and wearing a black arm band around his bicep, took to the ice and began to skate for Cillian. For the brother he loved so much, but had lost so young, so tragically …
I gasped when Cael skated in the opposite direction, and I was given a view of his back. Because the boy I loved, who I had given my whole heart to, was no longer wearing number eighty-seven on his jersey. Now, number thirty-three was printed on his shirt.
Cillian’s number.
He was skating for Cillian.
He was honoring his brother in the best way Cael knew how.
A quiet sob ripped from my throat as I watched him slowly skate around the rink, his stick held in the air, a tribute to his big brother, a man who should have been here to skate beside him. This was why Cael had been so nervous earlier. He was going to honor Cillian on the ice that they both adored so much.
I believed Cillian was here, right now, chilly wind flowing through their hair, his arm around Cael’s shoulder like I’d seen him do in that picture so many months ago.