Home Ice.

Chapter Eighteen.

Finn

The guys cheered for me like I won the Stanley Cup when I walked into the dressing room today. I just know my face was bright red and the fact that our team photographers were in there and taking pictures of all the guys roughing me around made it even more apparent.

I felt incredible on the ice - I felt like I had this been surge of life running through me. The feeling started the moment we said I do and it hasn't so much as faltered once.

Now I'm at the apartment with my mom and Morgan, sorting through the wedding gifts people brought us. We told everyone that it was really not necessary to bring anything, that we just wanted to spend time with the people we love but not many people listened to that.

Avery is at Grace's, she went there to pick up Olive and some stuff she left there when she slept over. She should be back soon.

Morgan gasps as she unwraps something, so I look back at her. Her hands are holding onto a box but I can't tell what it is.

She looks at me with wide and hopeful eyes, "How many I love yous will it take for you to let me have this Nespresso machine?"

I laugh lightly and shake my head as I look at the sheets that my grandma gave us. "All yours."

"Wait, seriously?" Morgan gapes, surprised that I'm letting her keep it so easily.

"Yeah, I got Avery one last year," I respond. Not sure how many Nepresso machines one family needs, and Avery loves the one she has.

"You should have gotten married a long time ago," she laughs to herself. Really don't disagree there.

My phone starts to ring as my mom comes out of the bathroom and I get up and grab my phone off the counter. It's the front gate.

"Hello?" I answer, leaning against the island and crossing one arm over my chest, resting my elbow on it.

"Hey, Finn. It's Justin," he answers. Justin is one of the security guys at the front gate who lets people in and out of the community. It's not out of the blue for those guys to call us. They do whenever someone comes and we haven't told them. We gave them a list of people to let in whenever they come though, but that list is just Casey, Grace, my mom, and Morgan.

"Hi, buddy. What's up?"

"You've got a visitor," he tells me. "Says she's Avery's mom? I.D. says Emily Harrison?"

Fuck.

I let out a little breath and pinch at my eyes which makes my mom look at me with a worried expression. I really can't tell him to turn her away, even though it's what I want to do and he realistically could do it.

"You can let her through. Thanks, man," I respond. We hang up a moment later and I put my phone down with a groan. My hands rub up and down my face as Morgan asks, "What's wrong?"

"Avery's mom is here," I sigh deeply. I told them about what went down in New York and to say that they both wanted to fly out there and give that woman a piece of their minds would be downplaying it.

Especially my mom. She really sees Avery as one of her own now and she was furious when she found out Emily almost hit her. And you really do not want to mess with my mom, let me tell you.

"Why is that bitch here?" my mom snips, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't know," I say honestly. I had a feeling she wasn't going to leave without saying or doing something, but you'd think she'd call before showing up. Avery isn't even here and for her sake, I hope Emily leaves before she shows up.