: EPILOGUE

“

f there’s a forty-year-old man in that coffee shop, I’m going to knock him out,” Chase states emphatically.

“It’s a coffee shop in downtown Toronto, Chase. In the business district. There’s a really strong chance there’s a forty-year-old man in there. Also, you potentially breaking your hand on a dad’s face won’t be good for your summer hockey program or your criminal record, so maybe just relax.”

“I really hope Ophelia is actually a teenage girl,” Chase mutters.

“Me, too.” I squeeze his hand.

I really hope Ophelia is who she says she is. I open the door to the coffee shop and step inside. Chase presses his whole body against mine. It’s cute and also, he’s hot when he’s being protective.

I scan the tables, looking for a girl my age-ish. Ophelia has been accepted to Tilton and will be living on campus in the fall. I’m starting the fall semester with the creative writing course to which I was granted a placement with huge excitement from the evaluating professor, I’ll be living with my boyfriend, and I’ll have even more friends on campus. Ophelia and I wanted to meet so we could get to know each other before the beginning of the school year. Chase is chaperoning because he’s paranoid that she’s an old creepy guy.

My gaze catches on a familiar face. “Tally?”

“Cammie!” She hops up from the table and rushes over to hug me.

There’s another girl with her. She has long dark blonde hair, deep burgundy lipstick, and a LotR shirt with Arwen, Aragorn, and Legolas.

She stands and runs her hands down her thighs, then clasps them in front of her. Unclasps them. Touches her hair. Smiles and her lips pull to the side.

Chase and Tally say hi.

“I’m so happy to see you. Do you live close by or something?” I ask.

Tally went home for the summer. It was the deal she had to make with her parents in order to live in an off-campus apartment next year. It’s in the same complex as me and Chase. I’m super excited about it.

“My family lives a few blocks from here. A friend of mine said she was meeting her online friend, and I thought it was a good idea to come with her in case that person ended up being a forty-year-old man.”

She and Chase say the last part at the same time.

They smile at each other.

I love them both so much. They’re both such caretakers.

She links her arm with mine and Chase hooks his pinkie with my free one.

“Cammie, this is my friend Fee, also referred to as The Real Ophelia. Fee, this is my friend Cammie and her boyfriend Chase.”

She raises her hand. “Hey. Hi. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too.” I also wave and then we both step forward, then back. “Should we hug?”

“I feel like we should maybe hug?” Fee nods.

And we do. And it feels normal and like I’m hugging my best friend, because that’s who she is and has been for the past year. I want to dance and laugh and sway from side to side. My best friend is absolutely not a creepy old man.

Chase grabs us coffees and we all sit at the table.

“This is so wild. I can’t believe you two know each other. How do you know each other?” I ask.

All these amazing people who keep stepping into my life are already connected to people I care about. It’s like the universe is tying us together in the most amazing way.

“My older sister and Tally’s dad work together.”

“Your sister works for the Terror?” Seriously. For a person who had only watched hockey with my sister and Rix, I seem to draw a lot of hockey people into my orbit.

“She’s the new assistant coach.”

“Oh wow. That’s wild.”

“What’s wild?” Chase slides into the seat next to mine and sets a coffee in front of me. Then kisses me on the cheek.

“That my favorite people are right here with me, and we’re all connected by hockey and spicy stories.”

If someone would have told me I’d end up dating a hockey god and finding two amazing friends a year ago, I would have laughed in their face. Now I can’t imagine my life without any of them.

First year was amazing, but second year is shaping up to be one for the books.