MISCONDUCT | HS |

TWENTY

Harry

It feels so good to be back.

With the all clear from the team physicians, tonight I get to lace up my skates and join my team for what feels like the first time in forever.

Nothing is worse than having to sit out from something that you love— Something that has given you so much.

"Are you nervous?"

Looking up from the plate of food in front of me, my mom wipes her hands on a kitchen towel before putting it next to the sink.

"No." Shaking my head, I take a bite of broccoli. "I feel like I've never been more ready to get back out on the ice."

"I'm excited to see you get back out there." A large, heavy hand lands on my shoulder with a squeeze. "It's about time."

Crossing the space and pressing a kiss to my mom's temple, my dad reaches into the refrigerator for a bottle of water. They both flew in for the game tonight considering it feels like my first game all over again.

Smiling up at my dad before turning her attention to me, my mom keeps the smile on her face. "What time do you have to leave for the arena?"

"In about an hour and a half." Standing from my seat, I carry my plate to the sink and rinse it off. "I'm about to go take a shower and get dressed."

"I guess we'll head back to the hotel to get changed and we will see you after?" Looking back at my dad, he nods. "If that works for you?"

Opening the dishwasher and sliding the plate in, I run my fingers through my hair. "That sounds perfect. I gave you the tickets, right?"

"Yes! I've got them in my purse." Pressing a kiss to my cheek, my mom pats the middle of my chest. "Let's get out of here, Ron. Harry, I love you!"

"I love you." Pressing a kiss to her cheek, I watch as they leave through the front door.

There's no time to waste before I make my way to the master suite. Taking a hot shower and then getting changed into my suit, the deep teal color a perfect shade to go with the silky sea green shirt underneath.

My phone buzzes on the counter, a text message flashing across the screen.

Dalton
I know that I'll see you later, but good luck today.

Dalton
You've got this and I can't wait to celebrate with you after.

I can't help but smile.

Things with Dalton are perfect for a lack of better words.

She is without a doubt the love of my life and as dumb as it sounds to think that already, it's not. Because I've known for far longer than we've been together. Not being able to reach for her or kiss her every single time that I see her at work feels like the worst kind of punishment. I understand the rules and why they are in place, but that doesn't mean that I can't hate them.

We haven't decided how we are going to go about coming clean to upper management about what we have. Dalton has worked tirelessly to have the job that she has.

For women, it's almost impossible for them to be seen past just that— The fact that they aren't a man.

Men can give a half assed attempt at something only for someone to deem it as perfect or set it as an example. Meanwhile, a woman will come and give the same thing everything they have and outperform and exceed the expectations set for them only to be counted as less than.