ETHAN'S POV
The game had officially ended nearly twenty minutes ago.
The final buzzer had sounded, the ice was clearing, and the crowd was filtering out into the cold night.
People were leaving in massive, noisy waves.
The arena was slowly emptying, turning into a hollow shell of concrete and plastic seats.
But Ethan remained standing perfectly still near the section exit.
Watching.
He wasn't watching the players skate off.
He wasn't watching Ryker.
He was watching Lila.
She was smiling.
Actually, genuinely smiling.
The kind of radiant, effortless smile he hadn't seen on her face in months.
Not after the breakup.
Not after everything Jason had put her through.
It was the rare kind of smile that completely reached her eyes, crinkling the corners and making them light up from
