Reaching out, he cupped her face and whispered, “I’m sorry, Kacey.”

Her eyes widened as she shrugged. “What are you sorry for? It’s not your fault she’s a cunt. You should have let me kick her.”

He wanted to smile, he did, but instead, he ran his thumb along her bottom lip. “I let you down, and I apologize for that.”

Her brow rose. “So you drank?

He shook his head, confused. “No—”

“Then you didn’t let me down,” she said quickly, her eyes holding his. “If anything, Jordie, I’m proud of you. You stood up for yourself, you told her about herself, and you did it with grace. You didn’t lose your temper, you didn’t really cuss her out or even allow me to hit her. You were amazing and I’m so proud of you. And damn it, Jordie, I love you,” she reiterated, her eyes getting misty. His heart sped up in his chest. “In my eyes, you are strong, beautiful, and everything I want in a man. So don’t apologize. Please, don’t.”

He wanted to take her words and run, but he worried she’d said them just to make him feel better. But as soon as that thought came, he knew she wouldn’t do that. Kacey wasn’t a sugarcoating kind of girl. If she didn’t want to be honest, she just didn’t say anything. He knew this, so why didn’t he feel better?

Swallowing hard around the lump in his throat, he whispered, “I shouldn’t have gone.”

“You’re right. But do you feel better, knowing you let her have it and she won’t even be able to hurt you again?”

He did feel better on that aspect, but he was still embarrassed for how weak he felt, for allowing her to hurt him one more time. In the future, it wouldn’t happen. When he’d walked away from her tonight, he was done. The things she said, the pure hatred in her eyes, reminded him that this was not what he wanted in his life. This woman couldn’t continually put him down; she didn’t own him. He had to let her go, and to his surprise, knowing that he would never have to deal with her again was a relief.

Looking up, Jordie held Kacey’s face as he asked, “So you don’t think I’m weak?”

She shook her head quickly, hooking her leg over his hip before snuggling closer to him, her nose touching his. “The opposite, Jordie. I think you are strong.”

“But I keep allowing her to hurt me.”

“Kept, past tense. It won’t happen again,” she corrected him and he nodded, his nose moving along hers.

“You’re right,” he whispered, and her eyes softened as she wrapped her arms around his neck, coming closer to him.

“It’s good you are learning this now. Just don’t forget it when we fight over the last Oreo or something equally silly that couples argue about,” she teased and he smiled, his heart pounding in his chest.

“Deal,” he promised. “But the last Oreo is always mine.”

She scoffed. “Um, I’m carrying your child, the Oreo is mine.”

He held her gaze and then gave in to her. “You’re right.”

“Again, see that’s how I work,” she said, her lips curving as she squeezed him. “But really, Jordie, she doesn’t matter anymore. Let her go. I know it has to be hard, but just let go of that darkness. It can’t haunt you any longer. Not with me being here.”

He wouldn’t admit it again, but she was right. She was his light that would guide him through the darkness. No matter how clichéd and silly that sounded, it was the truth. All he needed was Kacey by his side, and he could conquer anything.

“Okay,” he whispered, his lips brushing against hers. “Then, thank you.”

She smiled as she nodded. “That’s better, and anytime, Jordie. I love you. The thing is, I never thought when I met you that you’d be this important to me, but you are. And I can guarantee you, you aren’t going anywhere without a fight. You’re in this for life.”

His grin spread across his face as his hand slid up her thigh and onto her stomach. “I think this is proof of that,” he teased and she smiled. “But Kacey, really, when I met you all those years ago back in Karson’s dorm, I didn’t know you’d be the best thing that ever happened to me.”

His life had completely altered because of her, and he wouldn’t change that for anything. He loved the man he was now—yeah, he felt down right now, but looking into her eyes, he knew that she’d help lift him back up. When her mouth turned up, his hands wrapped around her, pulling her even closer as their mouths met. As he kissed his woman, he realized that when he got his second chance with her, all he’d wanted was her love, but what he got was so much more.

A life worth living.

Leaning against the boards, Jordie watched as the puck sailed across the ice from Shea to Jayden before he threw it up to a waiting Baylor. The defense was on her though, blocking her pass, but they didn’t get far before Shea was blasting it past them all to the goalie. The Canucks’ goalie batted it away though, their defense grabbing it as the Assassins did a line change. Jordie should have been paying attention, but it was hard.

Because the seat across the rink that was for his mom was empty.

Phil sat there, in his whole Assassins getup, but his mom wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Not that he was looking for her, per se, but the little boy in him thought she’d still come to see him play. He figured he was getting what he asked for and he should be happy, yet it hurt. Why did he care? She didn’t add to his life, so she needed to be out of it, like Benji had said. He needed to let this go.