Alex (Cold Fury Hockey, #1)(95)

I start to realize something isn’t quite right when Glenn goes still and is no longer yelling. Even as I peer hard at my cell phone, I can see his body turn to look at me, so there must be something wrong if he’s not focused on the ice action.

Then I hear a rapping sound…it’s one I’ve heard before…a stick beating on the glass. And if I thought my heart rate had been racing before, now I can hear the thunder of its beat pulsing deep within my eardrums.

The rapping sound comes again, quicker…more insistent.

Against my better judgment, against the pledge I made earlier to myself not to do it, I drag my eyes slowly upward and look at Alex Crossman standing on the ice directly in front of me.

His gaze is soft and his brow is furrowed just enough for me to know that he is worried. About seeing me, about communicating with a “fan” rather than warming up…I’m not exactly sure, but he looks ill at ease.

He just looks at me, in such an intimate way, that the sounds of the arena seem to die out and there is only blessed silence cocooning the two of us.

I have no clue what he wants. I search the emotion on his face and I try to figure it out, but I just don’t get it. He’s an enigma to me, bewildering me so profoundly, I can do nothing but return his stare.

Movement to the side causes our gaze to break and I slide my eyes over to see Garrett skate up and come to a stop a few feet from Alex. He rests his arms on top of his stick and looks at me with a sly grin.

Then Alex moves and my attention is back on him. He throws his stick and gloves down to the ice and bends down at the glass, doing what, I have no clue. For a brief second, he’s gone from view and then he stands back up. He skates backward a few feet and I’m stunned to see he’s holding a stack of poster boards in his hand.

He smiles at me and my face flames red as I realize that he’s getting ready to do something in a very public arena in front of several thousand people. I look quickly left and right, and sure as shit, everyone in the vicinity is looking right at Alex in curiosity.

A brief look at Glenn shows him grinning like a fool, and I realize that I’m probably going to murder my little brother later. My gaze slides back over to Alex, and it’s clear he is patiently waiting for my focus to remain on him.

Holding the boards up in front of this chest, he pulls the first one away and tosses it to the ice, revealing a board underneath with writing on it.

It says, I’m sorry for letting you go.

My eyes shoot up from the board to meet Alex’s and I can see the apology swimming there as well. He pulls that board away, slinging it to the ice, and I read the next board underneath.

I stole this idea from the movie Love Actually.

My eyes rise again to meet his, and now I see him grinning at me. I can’t help it that my lips curve upward in response.

He reveals the next board to me, and my smile gets even bigger.

Garrett—big girl that he is—had seen the movie and recommended this as an idea to win you back….

Laughter from the fans who are watching this breaks out around me and I have to chuckle too. I look over at Garrett and he’s glaring daggers at Alex, who returns a sheepish grin to him before turning back to me.

He pulls that board away and drops it.

My heart slams inside my rib cage when I read the next message.

I love you and I was a fool to let you go.

I can’t even raise my gaze to meet his, reading the board over and over again, hungrily soaking in the message and vaguely aware of the fans starting to clap.

Alex takes the board away, revealing the one underneath.

I will do whatever it takes to get you back.

The clapping gets louder and people start cheering. I don’t even have time to read the message a second time or look up at Alex before he reveals the next board.

I’ll fight hard for you.

And the next board.

I won’t give up.

And the next board.

Because you are the most important thing in the world to me.

The cheering has now started to make its way around the arena as everyone is now watching what is going on. I look over at the players’ bench and the coaches are watching, none too happy about this display, but they don’t stop him.

Alex throws that board to the ice, and I’m looking at what I believe is the last message he’s got for me tonight.

Please say you’ll give me another chance.

Before I can even comprehend Alex’s request, Glenn is diving under his seat and he pulls out two poster board cards, slightly smaller than the ones that Alex has on the ice. I take them from his hands, noting that his smile is lit up with excitement.

“You’re in so much trouble,” I growl at him, but he just grins wider.

Looking down at the cards, I see one says “Yes” and the other says “No.”

I do a slow look around me, and most of the people are smiling at me as they clap. A chant starts up, Yes, yes, yes, yes.

Standing up from my seat, and looking down at the cards, making sure I have the right one, I hold it up for Alex to see.

Yes.

His face breaks out into a smile filled with relief and happiness. I can tell by the look he is giving me that this is a choice that I will never regret.

Surprising me further, Alex pulls his last message away, revealing another underneath.

Do you still love me?

Tears start to fill my eyes. I nod my head as I hold the Yes card up again, and the crowd roars in approval.