Juicy Rebound (IceCats 1)

“They still have a house there?”

I nod. “Yeah, they have houses everywhere. It’s weird. Chandler says it’s because they want to be comfortable wherever they go.”

“Makes sense.”

“I thought so,” I say, taking a sip of my twenty-four-dollar wine. Ridiculous arena prices.

“So, are you staying with your mom or Chandler?”

I bite my lip. “I haven’t decided yet. If I stay with Chandler, I have to tell my mom about him…and Ryan. Ryan is probably going to freak.”

“Probably.”

“But with Chandler being gone so much, I don’t want to miss any time with him. But then, I haven’t spent much time with my mom either. Ugh. I don’t know.”

“Have Chandler stay with you, then.”

I make a face. “Then I’d really have to tell my mom and Ryan about him.”

Shelli grins. “Well, once they see y’all together, they’re gonna know. Even if you aren’t touching, they’ll know. He’s always got this dreamy look on his face when you’re around, and you look at him like he’s the Stanley Cup.”

My face breaks into a grin as I look over at her. “Not a good example since the Stanley Cup means nothing to me.”

“Blasphemy,” she groans, rolling her eyes.

I’m still grinning as I shyly admit, “He told me he loved me last night.”

Shelli rolls her eyes again. “About time.”

I giggle softly.

“He’s been in love with you for, like, ever. About time he grew some balls and told you. How’d he take it when you didn’t say it back?”

I bite the inside of my cheek. “I did say it back.”

Her eyes widen as she smacks me, causing my wine to slosh around. I try to keep it from spilling on my jersey as she cries out, “No way! I mean, I always thought you did, but I never thought you’d tell him! Oh, Amelia, you’re finally okay.”

I give her an exasperated look. “I’ve been okay.”

“No. Like truly back to amazing, wonderful Amelia. Not fake Amelia. Aww, you love him.” When she wraps her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly, I just blink. I’m not sure what to say, but maybe she is right. Maybe I am finally back to me.

And it’s all because of Chandler.

“I’m so proud of you,” she whispers by my ear, and I smile as I lean into her.

“It’s not a big deal.”

She scoffs. “Amelia, this is awesome.”

I shrug. “I haven’t told him about Drew, though. So I’m worried he’ll unlove me when I do.”

She pulls back, giving me a dark look. “He won’t. He loves all of you, even the chipped-away parts you’ve done a great job rebuilding. Don’t worry about it.”

“I sort of don’t want to tell him. He always reminds me that the past is the past, but I don’t know. I feel like since he shared his shit with Lana, I should share the clusterfuck that is Drew.”

She tilts her head in a nod. “Yeah. I mean, I think you should tell him just to make yourself feel better. To get it off your chest.”

I look out toward the rink. I somehow missed Chandler leaving the ice, and now there is a little pregame show going on. The crowd is into it, and everyone is having a great time. On the other hand, I am wondering how I could even attempt to relive what Drew did to me.

Especially to the man that I love.

“Do you think I’m dumb for falling for Chandler? Wasn’t he supposed to be my rebound?” I yell in Shelli’s ear over the noise from the rink.

Shelli grins knowingly. “Yeah, but sometimes a rebound turns into a goal.”

I blink. “You’re going to make some hockey-loving dude a real happy guy.”

Her grin widens. “It gets Nico so hard when I spit off stats.”

I roll my eyes, knowing I could have lived without that little tidbit. “I don’t know, Shelli. Chandler’s just amazing, and I feel good with him.”

“Am, you don’t have to convince me. He’s great, and y’all are happy. That’s all that matters.”

I bite my lip. “What will the family say?”

She makes a face. “Who cares? I know they’ll be glad it’s not Drew.”

She is not wrong, and when she waggles her brows at me, we dissolve into laughter as the boys hit the ice to heavy metal rock and the announcer introducing them.

“And defensemen, number twenty-three, Chandler Mooooooooooooonnnnnnn.”

When the whole crowd says his name along with the announcer, I grin. “That’s cute.”

“It is,” she agrees. When the announcer introduces Nico and the crowd loses its shit, she grins over at me. “I hit that.”

Nerd. But then, I feel the same about Chandler.

Once the game starts, I’m completely engrossed in it. It’s so fast-paced, and I forgot how much I loved this. I spent most my life either in the gym or at the rink for Ryan. I was a constant presence in my uncle’s box at the Assassins games, and then I moved on to watch Drew play. I lost my love for the sport then, but watching Chandler move with ease up the ice, smack dudes into walls, and shoot like a sniper, I feel my love coming back.