After The Win
1107 Words
The final buzzer echoed through the arena.
Frosthawks 4. Rivermen 2.
The crowd erupted.
Blue and silver towels spun through the air as thousands of fans jumped to their feet.
Ava lowered her camera, unable to stop herself from smiling.
It wasn’t because of the score.
It was because she’d just watched Liam Hayes dominate the ice for sixty minutes.
One goal.
Two assists.
A game-winning performance.
Captain, indeed.
The players poured onto the ice, celebrating the victory while photographers crowded around them.
Liam accepted congratulations from his teammates before skating toward center ice.
Then, as if he could feel it…
He looked up.
Straight at the media box.
Straight at Ava.
Her smile vanished instantly.
She looked down at her notebook.
Professional.
Stay professional.
⸻
The post-game locker room was louder than usual.
Music blasted from a portable speaker.
Players laughed while throwing towels at one another.
Someone sprayed sports drink across the room.
Ava waited patiently outside until the media coordinator waved everyone in.
“Five minutes, everyone.”
Reporters rushed toward players.
Questions flew from every direction.
“Liam! Over here!”
“What changed in the third period?”
“How important is this win?”
Liam answered each question with practiced ease.
Then his eyes found Ava.
Again.
She hated that she’d started expecting it.
The other reporters gradually dispersed to interview different players.
Soon…
Only Ava remained.
She switched on her recorder.
“Captain Hayes.”
His lips twitched.
“You don’t have to call me that.”
“I’m working.”
“So am I.”
She ignored him.
“Tonight’s goal was your thirty-first of the season.”
“It was.”
“You also played nearly twenty-eight minutes.”
“I did.”
She sighed.
“Can you try giving longer answers?”
A hint of amusement crossed his face.
“I thought my short answers annoyed you.”
“They do.”
“So why ask?”
“Because my editor expects actual quotes.”
He folded his arms.
“What if I only want to answer you?”
She looked up.
“What?”
“The other reporters ask hockey questions.”
“And I don’t?”
“You ask questions no one else does.”
Her heart skipped.
“Like?”
“You ask how I feel.”
He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
“No one asks that anymore.”
Before she could respond, another reporter interrupted.
“Captain!”
Liam glanced over his shoulder.
“I’ll be there.”
The reporter nodded and walked away.
Liam looked back at Ava.
“Anything else?”
There were a thousand things she wanted to ask.
Why didn’t you fight harder for us?
Did you ever hate me?
Were you happy without me?
Do you still love me?
Instead…
She asked the safest question possible.
“Ready for Game Two?”
His smile faded.
“No.”
She frowned.
“No?”
“I’m ready to win.”
Then he walked away.
⸻
An hour later, Ava finally returned to the hotel.
She kicked off her heels with a groan.
Her feet were killing her.
The suite was quiet.
Liam wasn’t back yet.
Good.
She desperately needed a shower.
Twenty minutes later, dressed in oversized pajamas and her hair still damp, she walked into the kitchen.
Only to freeze.
Liam stood at the counter wearing nothing but gray sweatpants.
His back was to her.
Broad shoulders.
Defined muscles.
A tattoo she’d never seen before stretched across his left shoulder blade.
He turned at the sound of her footsteps.
They both froze.
For one painfully awkward second…
Neither spoke.
Then Liam cleared his throat.
“Sorry.”
He reached for the black T-shirt draped over a chair and pulled it over his head.
“I thought you’d still be working.”
“I finished early.”
“So did I.”
More silence.
Ava opened the refrigerator simply to have something to do.
Still empty.
She laughed quietly.
“I forgot.”
“What?”
“It’s still empty.”
He smiled.
“I ordered dessert.”
She looked at the counter.
A small bakery box sat beside two forks.
“You ordered dessert?”
“I passed a bakery.”
He opened the box.
Inside sat two slices of cheesecake.
Her favorite.
Her eyes widened.
“You’ve got to stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Remembering.”
His smile slowly disappeared.
“I’ve tried.”
“I really have.”
She looked away.
“Liam…”
“I forgot game statistics.” He continued.
His voice was quiet.
“I forgot old teammates’ birthdays.”
He laughed bitterly.
“I even forgot where I parked my car once.”
He met her eyes.
“But I never forgot you.”
The air left her lungs.
She didn’t know what to say.
Because every part of her wanted to believe him.
Every rational part of her screamed not to.
Just then…
Someone knocked on the suite door.
Ava stepped back.
“I’ll get it.”
She opened the door.
Ethan stood outside.
Holding takeout coffee.
His smile widened when he saw her.
“I figured you’d still be awake.”
“Oh.”
She blinked.
“You didn’t have to.”
“I know.”
He held up the coffee.
“Peace offering.”
She smiled.
“Thank you.”
From inside the suite, Liam appeared in the hallway.
His expression immediately hardened.
Ethan looked between them.
“Oh.”
Realization dawned.
“I didn’t know…”
His gaze shifted to Liam.
“…you were here.”
Liam’s voice remained calm.
“I live here this week.”
An awkward silence followed.
Ethan chuckled.
“Right.”
He handed Ava the coffee.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As Ethan walked away, Ava closed the door.
The moment the lock clicked…
She felt Liam’s eyes on her.
“What?”
He leaned against the kitchen counter.
“You smile differently.”
Her brows knitted together.
“What does that mean?”
“You smiled at him.”
“So?”
“You used to smile at me like that.”
The words landed somewhere deep inside her heart.
Before she could respond, Liam picked up his cheesecake and disappeared into his bedroom.
The bedroom door closed quietly behind him.
Ava stood alone in the living room, the coffee still warm in her hands.
She glanced toward Liam’s closed door.
Then at the untouched slice of cheesecake waiting on the counter.
Somehow…
A piece of cheesecake had become the saddest thing she’d seen all night.
- Writer
