Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Halfway through the third, the score is tied at three.
“How does overtime work?” Anthony asks.
“It’s different in the playoffs. If they go into overtime, it’s sudden death—five on five. The first team to score wins.” I only know this because Rylan explained it to me.
“Jesus,” he replies.
“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen,” Anthony adds.
Time ticks by, and despite the numerous shots on goal, both goalies are doing their job and no one scores. I’m thankful Mads is a badass, but could the Edmonton goalie fuck up, please? That would be great.
There’s two minutes left in the game when Tremblay gets the puck. He pulls his stick back and shoots. Time freezes while I hope and pray that it goes in, but the small black disk bounces off the post and right to one of the Edmonton players. He turns and flies down the ice toward Mads. Rylan goes after him, but just before he checks him, he passes the puck to another player. Stevens is on him, but it’s not enough, and before Rylan can make his way there, the guy shoots.
I hold my breath, everything going by in slow motion as the disk shoots between Mads’s legs and goes into the net. The light over the net lights up just as the time clock expires.
The game is over…and the Rebels lost.
My heart sinks. Tears fill my eyes. Somehow, I had it in my head that they would win, that they would go all the way.
Julia grabs my hand, squeezing it again. Mads falls to his knees, head in his hands. Rylan goes down beside him, comforting his friend and losing himself to his own misery.
I’m sick to my stomach, so fucking sad for Rylan. We have excellent seats, and passes around our necks, courtesy of my boyfriend, so when Julia says, “I’m going to see if I can get closer,” I figure that’s normal and okay.
I nod, aching to go down there too, wanting to support him.
“Come on. You should go too.”
I want that, so much. “I’m not sure if I should…”
“He’ll want you, Hayes. He’ll need you.”
Good. Because I need him too. We squeeze around Mace and the others and head for the ice. Security blocks us, but then we show our passes and they let us by. When I look toward the net, Rylan isn’t there anymore. My heart stops. Where is he? Did he go back to the locker room?
But then suddenly he’s there, right in front of me, face streaked with sweat and tears. “Can I…?” he asks, and I know, somehow I fucking know, that this is it. He needs me, and I want nothing more than to be there for him.
“Yes. God yes.”
The second the words are out, he wraps his arms around me, pulls me to him, lifts me up, face buried in my neck. People around us are seeing it, and I don’t care. Or maybe I do, but not in the way I would expect. I want them to see. Want to claim him and I want Rylan to claim me. More than that, I want to support him because he’s done it for me so much over the last six months.
“I’m so sorry.” I can’t help feeling like I failed him. “So much for good pucking luck.”
He tenses against me, pulls back and looks me in the eyes. “You’re the best pucking luck. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m upset about this game, but still so fucking happy I have you. There’s always next year, baby. I might have lost tonight, but I’m walking out of this arena a winner.”
And then…he kisses me. We’re all clinging hands and tongues. There’s no way anyone can miss what’s happening, that Rylan Pierce has a boyfriend. I’m sure cameras are pointed in our direction, and it won’t take long before they realize who I am…Jilted Exes’ Club and proud…but not as proud as I am of being with Rylan. Everything else will work out, as long as we have each other.
EPILOGUE
Rylan
Summer
“Cannonball!” I shout before running and jumping into the pool at Donovan’s house.
Water splashes everyone, and as soon as I break the surface, I hear Donovan say, “Your boyfriend is like a large child.”
“His boyfriend is fun,” I add. “And fucking hot.”
Everyone snickers around us.
“Me too!” Eric, Donovan’s best friend, runs and jumps in as well, splashing us all again, but because I’m a good boyfriend, I pull Hayes close and let him bury his face in my neck so he doesn’t get water in his eyes.
“Your bestie is like a large child,” I tease Donovan, who grins at me.
Anthony swims our way, then dunks Donovan, Ana laughing from where she’s sitting with her feet in the water. She works with Hayes, and apparently, she’d been trying to get him to hang out with her for a long time, but he always said no. Lately, he’s realized the importance of friends, and that he has to be willing to put himself out there, which he did. The two of them haven’t hung out a lot, but she’s met up with us two or three times.