“You only said that because I forced you back into a corner.”
“I never would’ve said anything like that about you.” His thumbs continue to rub soothing circles along my eyes. My tears continue to fall faster, hating how much I messed things up between us.
I know it’s been years, but looking into his eyes, I can see he’s telling the truth. Normally when he lies, his eyes start to squint just slightly and he bites his top lip, but he’s either gotten better at lying, or he’s standing right in front ofme, telling me the truth. I’m more inclined to go with the latter.
He really only said those things because I forced him into a situation where he had to lie about us to protect me. Jake was the only person to ever hold my trust in that way, and when he needed me to trust him the most, to fight for us, I let my insecurities win only to protect myself.
“I’m so sorry, Jake.” I sob, burying my face into his chest.
He stands over me, holding me in his arms as my body shudders with the force of my sobs. It’s because of me that everything happened the way it did.
His anger from the night we broke up makes so much more sense now. Why he felt hurt that I was ending things abruptly and running away without an explanation, ripping his heart out in the process.
“Why didn’t you come talk to me?” He whispers into my hair.
“I was so hurt by your words, that I let my insecurities drown out my logic. It didn’t even register that I should until I was already gone.” My voice sounds shaky even to my own ears.
“I hate that you didn’t have enough trust in me, because I thought what we had meant more than you running away.”
I pull back slightly, seeing the tears shining in his brown eyes, knowing that I’m the reason for his hurt. “I did trust you.”
“But not enough to stay and talk things out, because if you did, we’d be in a very different place right now.”
His words hit me right in the gut, because he’s right.
Instead of talking to him, I ran and let myself believe that I was protecting myself, when all I was doing was hurting both of us in the long run.
Knowing the full truth of his words settles something inside of me, but not fully. I know there’s so much trust to rebuild between us and prove that this time I’m here to stay and fight. I just hope that he gives me the chance to, because I’ll follow his lead on this one
We sit in silence for a few moments, soaking in everything that’s transpired over the past half an hour.
After a few calming breaths, I ask the one question that could change the course of our future. “Where do we go from here?”
I slowly pull away from him, but his hands find mine, holding me close to him for a brief moment.
“I’m still angry about how things went down.” He pauses, taking in a few deep breaths. “It’s going to take a lot of work on both sides to rebuild any sort of trust or relationship because there’s so much history between us. I’m also not blameless in this. Honestly, I’m not sure what the next move is.”
“So, we take things slow and one step at a time. You’re right. There’s a lot of history between us, and I feel like there’s so much more to be said. Despite what you think, I haven’t gone a single day without thinking about you for ten years. I hate the part I played in all of this, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to earn your trust again.”
He nods at me, a small smile crossing his lips that tells me we’re on the same page for the first time in years.
I made a huge mistake when I left. I know that my actions put us here, but I’m not going to let them dictate my life any longer. It’s time to fight for what I want, and that starts now. I’ve landed a great job with so many opportunities ahead. I’m home and close to my family, who I missed more than anything. And I’ve already made a new friend. I thought there was no hope, and after Friday, I was surethere wasn’t any. But after today, I have to believe the universe has intervened for a reason, and we were always meant to reconnect in this way.
Hope may only be a four letter word, but it’s the best damn thing I’ve had in a long time, and I’m not giving it up for anything.
Chapter 8
Jake
It’s the first official game of the season.
The roar of the crowd, the lights, and the atmosphere always make me emotional. They send shivers up my spine and a smile on my face. Even after being a professional player for the last five years, this feeling never gets old. It’s a great feeling to be out on the ice, the rush of adrenaline helping to calm me right before puck drop.
They’ve just announced the opposing team, and the crowd boos as New York skates onto the ice. Then, the lights dim. The jumbotron plays our opening video and song, and before I know it, we’re out on the ice, skating along the boards and cheering with the packed arena.
All the players from both teams skate to the benches as the starting lineups are set. We go through the national anthem, and then the lineups are announced on the jumbotron, with New York’s first. And then it’s us.
The booming of the announcer causes the crowd's cheers to amplify throughout the stadium, making this aneven more special moment as we kick off the 2025-2026 season.