“What do you mean?” Grace asked innocently.

“Come on now, I know she said something.”

“Just that she was doing okay.”

“Liar, tell me what she said.”

They shared a long intense look before Grace cracked, like Shea knew she would.

“She said she went last night to see you because she missed you and that she isn’t okay or fine, she just tries to act like she is. But when she saw you with some blonde, seeing that you moved on, she figured she needed to also.”

“Is that why she brought her stuff over?”

“She said she didn’t want to give it to Goodwill.”

“Okay. So she brings it over here, knowing I’ll see it?”

“I don’t know what she was thinking, Shea. She just wanted Ryan to have your things.”

Shea was getting more pissed by the minute.

“Pack it all up, Ryan can’t have it.”

“Shea! That’s not right.”

“No. I want her stuff, because I’ve had enough. She is going to listen to me. I don’t want anyone else but her. I’m not over her, and she’s gonna know it,” he said as he stood, slamming the chair against the table.

“Where are you going?”

“Home.”

“Home? I thought you were gonna go talk to her!” Grace said, following him from the kitchen to the door.

“I need to get my speech out right. I’ll get her tomorrow before the game. I know she’ll be there, from what Harper said she has been sitting with Bryan all this time.”

“Oh,” Grace said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek, “So you’re going to do this in front of your boss?”

Shea paused and then nodded, “If I have to. But she will know tomorrow that I love her and I haven’t given up on us.”

Shea felt good the next morning. He worked out with Jakob, and went to have lunch before going home for a nap, all with the confidence that by the end of the night not only would he be going to the Stanley Cup Finals, but he would have Elli back in his life.

For good.

He was done with all this nonsense. Hell, he was done with it two months ago, but she wasn’t getting away anymore. He would tell her everything he felt, then he would kiss her. He knew that when their lips met everything would be okay. She would feel all the love he had been holding onto just for her. He just knew it.

The whole truck ride to the arena, he was ready, even after parking the car and going in the back way to the locker room. He was ready. When he entered the locker room, some of the team was getting ready, one being Phillip Anderson. Shea and Phillip had always butted heads, especially after him hitting on Elli when they were in Tampa. But being in the mood he was, he smiled at Phillip, and when Phillip looked behind him, Shea guessed to see if anyone else was there, he said, “Ready for tonight, Anderson?”

“Yeah, Adler. You?”

“Always ready,” Shea said confidently as he walked towards his locker, throwing off his clothes. As he dressed he kept telling himself that Elli wasn’t over him, and that she missed him. That had to mean she still loved him. It took forever for her to say she loved him, so he knew that she wasn’t over it. She couldn’t be.

After being fully dressed, he stood and put on his shoes. Members of the team were starting to fill up the locker room, and Shea smiled and nodded towards each of them as he left the locker room, heading for the elevator that took him up to the company boxes.

Shea walked with all the confidence in the world as he made his way to Bryan Fisher’s box. When he got closer, he became more nervous, jerky even, with every step. He saw the door to the box, and took a deep breath, before walking in unannounced. What he didn’t expect was to have 14 pairs of eyes gawking at him. Shea was expecting just Elli and Bryan, not the whole family. Shea took a deep breath, swallowing loudly as he moved from each face, trying to find Elli.

But she wasn’t there.

“Adler, everything okay?”

Disappointment raked through Shea’s body. Where was she?

“Yeah. Um, is Elli here?” Shea found himself asking, even though he knew the answer.

“No. And if she was, you wouldn’t be seeing her. What in God’s name are you doing here anyway?” Olivia sneered, “You are not welcome anywhere near my family.”

“Livi, please,” Michael said, moving in front of her, “Shea, son, she isn’t here.”

Which meant Shea wouldn’t be able to see her until the end of the game, if he could even find her. Last time he went to her house, she wouldn’t even answer the door.

Shea nodded slowly, “Well, thank you. You guys enjoy the game.”

Shea turned, going for the door when he met eyes with Victoria. Anger filled him as he stared her down, but she wouldn’t look him in the eyes.

“You have a lot of gall sitting up here, Victoria.”

“Don’t you talk to her!” Olivia yelled as Victoria looked up at him.

“Do you know what I’ve been through? Do you know how much I ache for her, and she won’t even speak to me? You did this to me, and because of that, I will always hate you.”

Victoria had tears well up in her eyes as she looked up at him. She started shaking her head, her mouth trying to form words.

“Leave my daughter alone!” Olivia dug her nails into Shea’s jersey, pulling him back. He turned, looking down at the Elli’s mother, and held back the rage that was filling him as she screamed up at him.