We’d fought like hell to get here all season. And we’d lost. By barely a second.
Because of me.
41
ALANA
Iwas sure the last person Eden wanted to see after a huge loss like this was me.
While I didn’t understand a thing about ice hockey, I still knew that the Frozen Four was the NCAA’s hockey holy grail. Every team wanted to win it.
It must’ve felt awful to have had this very win within reach, and then someone else snatched it before they could.
Over these past months, I’d noticed that Eden was big on family and he loved spending time with his. He’d called his parents after every game, and when they lost, he’d sometimes spend the night back at home with his family. So, when I said that I was the last person he wanted to see, I truly believed it.
Eden’s parents wouldn’t get back home until the next evening, though, so instead of them picking Eden up from the arena when the team got back at three in the morning, he’d find me waiting for him.
It was slightly past three already, and still, the bus wasn’t in sight just yet.
I stood there, shivering in the cold night air, not knowing what to say once Eden stepped off the bus. Congratulations werefar off the table, but saying “Sorry for your loss” seemed like I was ripping open a wound the guys were trying to close for hours.
Louisa stood beside me, surprisingly chatty for such a huge loss. She hooked her arm into mine, smiling at me. “Are you okay?” Louisa asked, her breath misting in the frigid air. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I managed a weak smile. “Just worried about Eden. I know he’s hurting right now.” At least, I assumed he was. Surely, the loss affected him.
Louisa nodded in understanding. “Yeah, it’s tough.” She glanced at her watch and then back toward the road, squinting to see if she could spot the team bus in the distance. “Is Eden your first hockey boyfriend?”
I sighed. “Yeah.”
“So, this is the first major loss you experience?”
“Yup.” And the last. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I wanted there to be a second. Each loss was painful, and I was sure of that, but again, losing the Frozen Four must’ve hurt a whole lot more.
Louisa leaned her head on my shoulder. “Lucky and I never talk about it,” she told me. “Once he gets here, it’s like the game never happened. I mean, I can always tell when he’s upset about the loss, but he still never lets it out on me. Thankfully. Tonight will be slightly different, though. I’ll have to cheer him up a little bit more than usual, but we still won’t talk about the game itself. I’m really glad that he doesn’t ever want to talk about it and insists that his hockey career should never interfere with our relationship.”
I nodded. It must’ve been a relief to have that boundary set in place. No matter what someone does for a living, it shouldnevergain so much importance that it stands above their relationships.
“Well, it’s good to have rules, I guess,” I said, unsure of what else to say. While Lousia and I got along just fine, I was still a little hesitant about how to navigate my sort of friendship with her.
I didn’t want to get too close, knowing she wouldn’t stay my friend forever. Once Eden graduated and our relationship ended, Louisa would’ve left with everyone else. There was no doubt in my mind that Lucky and Eden would’ve stayed friends even after college, but Lousia had no loyalty to me.
“Definitely,” she replied, lifting her head off my shoulder. “Oh, are you coming to the post-season banquet on the first?”
My eyebrows rose as I turned to look at her. “Banquet?” Eden hadn’t once mentioned a banquet, no less one that was hockey-related.
“Yeah, well, you know? They always get together after a season to celebrate and reflect on their achievements. It’s super cool. They usually hand out fun ‘awards’ too, like…best locker room DJ, orbest dressed, and much more. Obviously, they’re gonna have dinner, too, which is usually a formal dinner. Super fancy andsodelicious. As far as I know, they’re going to Rêverie this year. They booked out theentirerestaurant months, if not a year ago. The team always goes all out for this post-season banquet. They book thebestrestaurants for a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience. Two years ago, they even managed to get some NHL players to stop by and say a few words. I think they’ll do it again this year. Lucky said something about Grey Davis and someone else showing up.”
“Isn’t that Eden’s dad’s restaurant?” It seemed kind of rude to me to host the team’s banquet at one of the player’s parents’ restaurants. It wasn’t anything special to them, was it? “And isn’t this Grey Davis guy Eden’s dad’s best friend?”
Louisa nodded. “Oh, yeah. I guess so.”
“But then it’s not a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Eden, is it? I mean, he literally grew up inside that restaurant. He’d probably seen Grey Davis daily since the day he was born. He could call him up any time he wants. It’s not special. Shouldn’t the team consider making it a special experience foreveryonebefore setting the plans in stone?”
At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if she told me that whoever was planning this banquet even asked Eden for his help. Bet if he asked his dad to keep the restaurant closed for everyone but the team for that day, he would do it in a heartbeat. Perhaps the team even got a discount or something. And let’s face it, if Eden asked Grey to show up to this banquet and say a few nice things, he’d also do it.
I could also imagine that “someone else” who was going to show up was one of the other two famous players Eden saw daily.
It just wasn’t fair.