Page 125 of Pucking Forbidden

The fuck? I open the envelope, pulling out a certified document from the Clark County Clerk’s Office in the State of Nevada. It has a gold foil seal at the bottom, my signature on the right, and her signature on the left.

A marriage license.

“Wait…what?” I stammer, my brain completely short-circuiting as I look from the paper to her face. “This is real?

Hadley just bites her lip, her eyes wide and pleading as she looks at her father, who has gone rigid.

“Yep…Vegas,” she replies. “I got it the same time I got my scholarship letter. I was going to tell you at the rink, but…it didn’t seem like the right time. We, uh, got married the night before Skyler and Carson’s wedding…apparently. Turns out we went to that little chapel in the hotel ourselves. It’s, um, very real.”

The lobby goes dead silent for half a second.

Then, the world explodes.

“Married?” Grace shrieks.

“Were we there for that?” Sutton asks with a laugh.

“Maybe?” Carson shrugs. “I literally remember nothing.”

“Had to lock it down, huh, Hads?” Rylee chuckles.

“I’m not even mad,” Skyler smirks. “I remember my wedding, so that’s cool.”

“Are you all just eavesdropping on our conversation?” I demand to know, exasperated.

Hadley’s dad looks like he needs to sit down. He closes his eyes, his hand coming up to rub his temples as he mutters something that sounds like a prayer under his breath.

I look back down at the paper, and then I look up at Hadley. After the last twenty-four hours of hell, the sheer, beautiful absurdity of this moment hits me all at once. I search her face to see if she is happy about this. Dating is one thing, but being stuck with me for the rest of her life. Hadley has nothing but love and joy shining through her eyes, and all of my fears fade away on the wind. The love of my life. She's not only it for me…she's mine.

Hadley is my wife.

A loud, booming laugh breaks out of my chest. I drop the paper onto the floor, reach out, and grab her around the waist, lifting her straight off the ground. I spin her around as she shrieks with laughter. Everyone around us cheers, yells, and hoots over each other.

Keeping her body pressed against mine, I kiss her with every ounce of love I have in me. It’s a deep, joyous kiss that seals this deal. When I finally let her feet touch the floor, I rest my forehead against hers.

“Well then, sweetheart,” I whisper, my voice thick with happiness. “I guess I better get my wife a proper ring.”

Hadley laughs through fresh tears, her hands coming up to cup my jaw as she pulls me down for another deep, heart-stopping kiss.

EPILOGUE: HAPPILY EVER AFTERTER

JULIAN

My skates feel as heavy as lead. The horn that just echoed through the rafters of the arena wasn’t ours, and the deafening roar currently tearing the roof off the building belongs to a stadium full of fans wearing a different jersey.

The Night Hawks made it all the way back to the Stanley Cup Finals…but this time, we lost.

I stand frozen, my hands resting on the top of my stick, my chest heaving beneath sweat-soaked pads. All around me, gloves and sticks are being tossed into the air by the Kingsmen, an ecstatic blur of celebration that I can barely bring myself to look at. The silver trophy we fought through eighty-two regular-season games and three brutal playoff rounds to defend is being wheeled out onto the ice, but it’s not coming to us.

The loss stings more than I expected it to, but still not as badly as other losses in the past. It’s a bitter, metallic taste in the back of my throat, and a physical ache in my ribs that has nothing to do with the checks I took during the third period. It’s a hollow weight, especially looking across the ice at the roster currently hoisting each other into the air. I watch Riot scream toward the rafters, my jaw tightening as he hugs Cruz. It’s bittersweet, because I am glad to see Cruz so happy, especially since he got signed mid-season and finally gets to play hockey again. We’ve battled the Kingsmen all year, and deep in my gut, I know this isn't a one-time collision. This rivalry is officially set in stone.

Even with the disappointment crushing down on my shoulders, as I look around at my teammates, things feel fundamentally different now.

Last year, a loss like this would have driven me straight into the dark. I would have locked myself in my apartment, counted my bruises, and convinced myself that the universe was just punishing me for trying to win. Today, as Jensen skates over and slaps his heavy glove against my shoulder, his face grim but his eyes steady, the dark doesn't come. Carson nods at me from across the zone, and Owen is already skating toward the handshake line, his head held up. Truthfully, this loss doesn't land as hard because for the first time ever, I actually feel like I belong. With the team, with my friends, and with Hadley. I thought I was replaceable, but it turns out I’m anything but.

The loss doesn’t feel like the end of something. It just feels like the beginning of a new chapter. We aren't broken…now we’re hungry.

I glance up into the stands and find the girls in the media box. Hadley is sitting between Skyler and Rylee, and she gives me a small wave and sympathetic smile. Waving back, I follow the guys through the standard, grueling ritual of the handshake line, my hand meeting the palms of the men who just beat us, offering a tight, respectful nod to each one. Once the ice is finally cleared, we trudge down the concrete tunnel back to the locker room. The silence in the room is heavy, the smell of sweat and stale ice filling the air as guys silently begin unlacing their skates.