My Hockey Alpha by Eve Above Story PDF

Chapter 0479

Nina

The air was thick with laughter and clinking glasses, everyone ecstatic over the end of another grueling semester.

Lori, Jessica, and a handful of others from our pre-med program had gathered in my living room to celebrate our triumphs, academic and otherwise. The room was a vibrant mixture of color, laughter, and flashing smartphone cameras capturing a moment we would hopefully all remember.

Just as the laughter reached another crescendo, I slipped into the kitchen, my eyes darting over the array of chips, cookies, and assorted finger foods spread across the counter.

As much as I loved my friends and their vibrant energy, I felt an inexplicable pull toward solitude, even if only for a moment. I reached for some chips, contemplating how this room had morphed into a sanctuary from the noise and mirth that filled the living room.

Suddenly, callused hands covered my eyes, plunging me into playful darkness. "Guess who?" a familiar voice whispered.

A chuckle escaped my lips. "Hmm, let's see...Ryan Gosling? Chris Hemsworth? Oh, wait, it must be Zac Efron!"

The hands lifted, and I was spun around to face my grinning husband. "As much as I wish I had the abs of any of those guys, sorry to disappoint."

"Never a disappointment," I shot back, feeling a warmth spread through me, soothing the jagged edges of my unsettled thoughts. I playfully ran my hand along Enzo's midsection, feeling the muscles beneath his shirt. "Your abs are even better."

Suddenly, Enzo pulled one hand from behind his back to produce a small box with a lid. He held it out to me with a sheepish grin on his face like a child who had just picked his mom a flower, roots and all.

I asked, my heart skipping a

case to reveal an intricately designed locket, a swirl of silver that seemed to capture the moonlight. When I popped it open, inside were pictures of us-a selfie of us taken overlooking the cliff behind

eyes watered as I studied the tiny pictures closely. "This

I?" he asked, gesturing to put it on

my hair to give him access to my neck. I felt the delicate chain slide around me, followed by his fingers expertly fastening the clasp. His

said, his eyes meeting

lips meeting in a fervent kiss. For a moment, I considered taking

the kiss

I murmured, leaning my cheek against his chest to hear his

replied, his arms enveloping me in a

to see her standing over by the bar in our living room, holding a tray above her head while people cheered in response to

grinned and patted my shoulder, nudging me away gently. "Have fun," he said, before grabbing a beer from the fridge and slipping out into the backyard to be with Matt and the rest

shots, but as the liquid warmth cascaded down my throat, a

intermittently sick. It must have been food poisoning, but it

peeked in, his eyes immediately narrowing in concern. "Hey," he said softly, sitting down

smile. "I just needed

eyes searching mine. "Nina, I've seen you pull all-nighters, down energy drinks like water, and still be the life of the party. This doesn't

"I know, Enzo. I just feel a bit off, and it doesn't feel like normal food poisoning. I'm almost

do it. But if you're still feeling like this in a couple of days, promise me you'll go to the doctor." I nodded, appreciating the

glow of the moonlight streaming through the large windows. Something felt different. My senses were heightened; I could hear the rustling of leaves outside, the distant hoot of an owl, even Enzo's soft, gentle breathing next to me. And