Left With Liam

Chapter 37

Liam

It's crazy how time can move faster or slower from one day to the next. The two weeks when things with Mel were up in the air were some of the longest days of my life. They seemed to take forever to end.

That's how it goes sometimes. The things you want to savor fly by, and the things you want to end drag on and on. That's probably why the last two months have sped by.

It seems like only yesterday; I was visiting Justin's grave, telling him how I felt about Mel, making promises to keep her happy and make sure she always feels loved.

Since then, Mel and I have cleared the air. We've been very open about where we want things to go, what we feel, and how fast we want to take things. We've spent as much time together as possible, talking, kissing, and just being in the moment.

Almost every night, we share a bed. We haven't done anything physical beyond kissing, but it's been amazing nonetheless. I can't describe how happy it makes me to fall asleep with her in my arms and wake up next to her in the morning. It's something that seemed like an impossible dream for so long. Now, it's my reality.

When the team plays at home, Mel and the girls come every time. They sit in their usual section, representing me, T.J., and Chase, and cheer their hearts out for us. Seeing her out in the crowd, wearing my name on the back of her jersey, sends a huge swell of pride through me.

That's where they are now, finding their seats amongst the crowd as the boys and I get ready to play another home game. Tonight we play Dallas, so it should be a clean game. Though, I heard rumors that Tatum Charles got cut from Florida and tried to get Dallas to take him on.

Hopefully, the rumors are false, or if they aren't, I hope they had the sense to tell him to get lost. That guy is bad news.

A tap on my shoulder shakes me from that train of thought as Chase catches my attention. "It's almost time to hit the ice. You ready?"

I stand from the bench with a smile on my face. "Hell yeah, I'm ready. Let's do this!"

I hear Rob and Drew on the other side of the locker room psyching each other up as Damien shouts, "Wooooo, let's do this, boys!"

A rare smile crosses our team manager's face as he exchanges a look with our coach. "Alright, you all know what you need to do. Let's get out there and warm up so we can play our game and bring home another win!"

With that, we all head for the door, heading in the direction of our rink. The crowd's chatter is loud as we march down the hallway toward the ice. The closer we get, the louder the noise becomes.

Cheers erupt from all around us as we skate out to the ice to begin our warm-up. I see Chase and T.J.'s lips curl up as we all exchange a glance. They're thinking the same thing as me- time to see our girls.

The three of us skate over to the section where they are sitting with Dan and Tyler's wives. When we get close, all three stand up and move closer to the glass. Chase and T.J. zone in on Lindsey and Taylor while my eyes find Mel's.

Shit, she looks incredible!

When I reach the wall that separates us, she's beaming at me, looking sexy as sin in a pair of tight black jeans and my jersey. "Hey there, beautiful. How you doing tonight?" I ask.

Mel blushes at my compliment as she places one hand on the glass. "I'm doing amazing. Excited to watch you guys kick ass out there and win this game."

Her confidence in us is inspiring. I let out a low chuckle as I watch her through the barrier. "I'll try my best. If I score any goals tonight, I'm dedicating them all to you."

At that, Mel's blush deepens. "Really?" She asks with wide eyes.

"Of course. You give me a reason to show off. Gotta impress my girl," I tell her with a dazzling smile.

Mel's matching smile, paired with a heart-stopping stare, sends shivers down my spine. She bites her lip before replying, "Your girl, huh?"

I move impossibly closer to the glass, leveling her with my best panty-dropping gaze. "That's right. For as long as you claim the title."

Her throat bobs as she swallows hard, her eyes glazing over at my words. "Well, then. I think I'll hold on to that title indefinitely."

Something sparks between us the moment she releases those words. I feel a new heat flowing through her gaze as the crowd, noise, and arena fade away. The only thing stopping me from lunging at her, from taking her into my arms and kissing her senseless right now, is a protective layer of glass.

As Mel and I stay locked in our heated stare, Chase shoves me, saying something about getting to work. I slowly peel my eyes from my gorgeous redhead as my team captain reminds me there's still a game to be played. I give him a curt nod before chancing one more look at Mel.

I send her a message with my eyes, promising to revisit our moment later- in the privacy of my bedroom. When Mel licks her lips in response, I feel she's understood, and only then do I skate away, eager to finish this game.

~

The first three periods flew. We found out quickly that our old rival, Tatum, wasn't able to snag a spot on the Dallas team. It was still unclear if the rumors he'd tried were true. Either way, we were all happy to find his face wasn't amongst those of the team we were up against.

By the end of the second period, we were up 4-3. I managed to score two of those goals and was waiting to nab a third to round out my hat trick. Halfway through the third period, we were trailing by one.

The seconds were ticking away, and we were all hungry for a win. With twenty seconds left on the clock, I found an opening in the Dallas defense. I caught the puck from Chase and whipped it toward the net. Their goalie missed by just an inch, letting the puck sail to the back of the net, making it a tied game and earning me a hat trick.

Overtime lasted nearly four minutes when Ben got possession of the puck and barreled down the ice, looking to end the game. He sped passed the Dallas team and slid the puck into the corner of the net, giving us another win for the season.

~

After an energetic post-game celebration, Mel, Tay, T.J., and I headed home. We were still oozing with joy from the win as we walked into the apartment. It took less than two minutes for Tay and T.J. to wish us goodnight and speed off to their bedroom, no doubt planning a private celebration with just the two of them.

As soon as their door shut, I spun to face Mel, still very aware of the heat we exchanged prior to the game. With my hat trick puck in hand, I strolled up to her. "I believe this is for you." I placed the puck in her hand as I brushed a long lock out of her face.

She stared between her hand and me for a moment before protesting, "But you earned this, Liam. It's yours."

I leaned closer, telling her, "I told you I'd dedicate my goals to you, babe. This," I held up her hand, still cradling the puck, "is all for you."

Mel looked at me with awestruck eyes, curling her bottom lip into her mouth, making my heart beat faster. She opened her mouth to say something, stopping as we heard the creaking of wood from the room behind us.

I watched as Mel's eyes widened, knowing what was happening behind that door. To save us both the trauma of hearing Tay and T.J. go at it, I steered Mel into my bedroom, firmly shutting the door behind us.

Once inside, she set the puck down on my dresser and pulled me toward the bed. I recognized the heat in her eyes from earlier and immediately felt my mouth go dry in anticipation.

She shoved me backward onto the bed, positioning herself between my legs. Her mouth sent shockwaves through me as she whispered, "Let's have our own celebration."

I think I stopped breathing when she pulled my jersey up and over her head, tossing it to the floor behind her. Then, my heart stopped as she crashed her lips against mine, more demanding than she'd been before.

The only thing I could think was, holy fucking shit!