My Hockey Alpha by Eve Above Story PDF

Nina

The airport was like a blur of faces-tired, eager, impatient. But there was only one I cared about, one that my eyes searched for relentlessly as I stood by the front door, waiting.

It was Sunday evening, and Enzo was set to be here at any minute now. Truthfully, I had gotten so impatient waiting at home that I showed up at the airport half an hour ago, as if it would somehow make him land faster.

But I was past the point in our relationship of being scared to seem too eager or clingy, because I knew that Enzo was probably pacing the airplane like a caged animal, too.

When I finally caught sight of Enzo's tall, muscular form walking through the arrivals gate, pulling his suitcase behind him, my heart leapt as though we hadn't seen each other in months.

"Enzo!"

I pushed through the crowd, running up to him. The world seemed to fade away as his arms enveloped me, drawing me into the sanctuary of his embrace.

He chuckled and lifted me, twirling me around once before gently setting me back down and pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I breathed in deeply, the familiar scent of him grounding me instantly.

"I missed you," he whispered into my hair.

"Me too," I replied, my voice muffled against the fabric of his coat. "So much."

It was funny to me, knowing how much we missed each other after just a couple of days without one another. But at the same time, it filled me with a sense of dread. What would it be like when we had to spend months apart, only seeing each other once in a while?

In a way, I hoped that we wouldn't get too used to it, either. It terrified me to think that we would get accustomed to being apart, and that eventually our reunions would feel mundane.

I pulled apart and made our way out to

evening sky was brushed with hues of orange and pink as we drove home from the airport. Enzo looked weary but content, his

back with its warm interior and the scent of lavender from a candle that I had been burning, filling me with a sense of comfort. And, unbeknownst to Enzo, I had ordered food from his favorite place in town; it was set to arrive soon, and I was excited to see the

sofa and stretching his legs out on the ottoman in front

looked at him, his eyes filled with genuine curiosity, and felt a lump form in my throat. I could tell

me change my mind. The news could wait, at least for another night. Tonight was for us, for the simplicity of being together without the weight of what was coming

"I'd rather hear about your weekend first. How was

don't even know where to start," he said. "They need a lot of work. But they're all good kids with a lot of potential, and they're passionate about hockey. I'm excited to really get

It was infectious to see him so passionate about something, to see a man who was so genuinely excited about

I said. "I'm

rollercoaster, "I was jotting down some ideas in my notebook. We're going to need to do some fundraising for new equipment and

at the thought of my best friend having the chance to showcase her artwork. "You

team, their personalities, their shortcomings, funny things that happened, the meals, everything. I listened intently to each and

as I looked at him, his face illuminated with the soft glow from

terrified that the news I had to share would throw a wrench

projects for the future-a future that, whether he knew it or not, was on the verge of changing if I dropped this bomb on him. Did I even want to tell him now? Or would it be best to keep it to myself, to go through with my original

Enzo's eyes met mine with a tinge of concern. "You okay, Nina? You look far

my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm

"You sure?"

forcing a gentle smile as I reached over

onto Enzo's skin, into the depths of his warm brown eyes. The world beyond