Page 131 of Puck Yes
But life is surprising. When Aubrey’s done, I stand and then give her a hug. She lets go first and shoos me to the door. “Go. Report back tomorrow.”
“Promise.” I leave Aubrey’s salon, fueled by confidence and great hair. When we returned from Los Angeles the other night, the guys told me not to make a decision about the job right away. To take my time.
I told them I would.
But really,I knew. I didn’t need to run to my grandmother when I landed. I didn’t need to wring my hands and ask her plaintively what to do. I didn’t need to wander along the water or walk across the city or play emo music until the answer came to me in a bolt of lightning from the heavens.
The answer’s been inside of me since the night the guys and I went to Kana’s and Brady’s house and declared ourselves together. I knew then, somewhere inside me, what I wanted. It just took a few more weeks for that voice to grow louder, to turn into a Greek chorus in my heart, to become its own anthem, guiding me to a wide-open door.
That door leads to The Great Dane tonight. I suppose it’s fitting. Stefan wasn’t here the night I spotted Hayes, but I learned later that he’d swung by a few hours after. He told me that he’d come here, stared off in the distance, and plotted a course to reach me. So, it seems fitting that we’d meet here now.
I arrive early. Mid-December is not rooftop weather. The warm fall has burned off, and the chilly temperatures have rolled in. I’m wearing jeans and a sweater that slopes down one arm, my waves curling over my shoulders.
Right on time, two handsome hockey studs walk toward me from across the restaurant. I spot the vulnerability in their eyes, but the confidence too. I also notice the planner under Stefan’s arm and give it a funny look.
When they reach me, Stefan dips his face and brushes a kiss onto my cheek. It’s a kiss that saysyou’re mine. Hayes does the same, his lips sayingthis was meant to be.
They sit across from me at our table for three.
Yes, this is what I want.I know. But I am curious what they have. “Is that a planner in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”
“Both.” Stefan slides it across the table.
Normally, he sets the agenda, but Hayes jumps in. “We made you something. Open it to today.”
With excited fingers, I open the book to December, finding the date. They filled in dinner at The Great Dane. Then tomorrow’s home game. A few days from now, there’s a night in at Stefan’s house. Then Christmas together. But January gets more interesting. They’ve filled in their hockey schedule, where they’ll be, and when they can get away to see me in…Los Angeles.
And when I can fly up here.
Wow. They’ve done it for every month through the end of hockey season. When the summer months come, they’ve blocked out all their days and nights in Los Angeles.
My breath catches.
I’m floored by their declaration. By their plans for me.
“Ivy, if you want that job, we’ll make it work,” Hayes says, intensely serious, his eyes locked on me.
“We plotted it all out,” Stefan adds. “How to see you. How to do this.” He’s calm but full of emotion. “Whatever you need, we’ll make it happen.” Then, he grabs my hand, squeezing it desperately. “I love you so much. I’ll do whatever it takes for you.We’lldo whatever it takes for you.”
Hayes grabs my other hand, the three of us squeezing hard together. “I’m so in love with you. I love the way you are with your dog. I love how you take care of her. I love how you look out for your friends and treat them like family.”
Stefan locks eyes with me and continues, taking the baton. “I love spending mornings with you. Talking about our days. Making smoothies and coffee, answering your questions and then asking a million more.”
“I love that you understand what I need before I even need it,” Hayes says, taking his turn. “I love that you’ve supported me from the day we met. I love your confidence, and your energy, and your eyes that just make me fucking melt.”
He draws a big breath, and Stefan takes over. “And I love that you stand up for yourself. You tell people no when you need to. You don’t take any shit. I love that you’re tough and resilient, but so damn tender in your heart.”
“And I love how you look out for both of us,” Hayes adds, then shifts his gaze briefly to Stefan, who smiles back. An appreciative smile from both of them.
A knot rises up in my throat, climbing sky-high. I’m bursting with emotions, with joy, with…this overload of feelings.
That’s what I’ve always felt with them—so very much. I shake my head, amazed, awed, and wildly happy. “I love you,” I blurt out simply. How can I compare to that beautiful ode to all the ways they love me? I can’t, and that’s okay. It’s not a competition for their love or mine. Both are boundless. “I love both of you. I need both of you.Together. This thing we have? It’s better as three. I can’t imagine us any other way. I love you both so much, and I’m not taking the job. I want to be here in San Francisco with my friends and my family and my growing business—and with the two loves of my life. So I turned it down.” My voice cracks at the end, my heart overflowing.
“Thank god,” Stefan says, relaxing in his chair, laughing with joy.
“I’m so fucking glad,” Hayes seconds.
These guys. I love them so. “And look…great minds.” I take out my planner, the one where they mark our dates, and I flip it open to show them what I did.