My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 527

Shaking my head, I turned without another word and stormed out of the fitting room. I took the two strides across the hall to Jessica’s fitting room and knocked on the door, folding my arms across my chest.

“Jess? You in there?”

There was a muffled thump in the fitting room, followed by the sounds of someone rustling around. Finally, the door cracked open to reveal one bewildered blue eye peeking out at me.

“What’s up?”

“You know this isn’t working, right?”

Jessica paused, her full face coming into view as she cracked the door open a little wider. I knew she had heard everything—and I knew, considering the fact that we had been here for hours already and that the frustration between the two of them was only mounting, that she felt the same way.

“But… tradition…”

“Since when are you two traditional?” I whispered, leaning close.

Jessica was silent for some time again. I knew that she was trying to fit into this role of the perfect bride, falling victim to old superstitions. But I also knew that she knew that I was right; she and Lori had never been ‘traditional’. In fact, when that arbitrary old tradition had been made, love like Lori’s and Jessica’s would have been punishable by death.

But not now. Now, they could pave their own way.

Finally, she sighed. “I know,” she whispered. “Do you think we should…”

“I’m not coming out!” Lori’s muffled voice called out. “Not in this awful gown!”

Jessica met my gaze and smirked. “Mine is awful, too, you know,” she called out. “Maybe we should just laugh about it together, like we always do.”

Lori chuckled. “And I hate mine. But I’m glad we got to see each other.”

With a collective sigh of relief, the two of them kissed again, then pulled each other into a tight hug across the sea of skirts between them. I watched, leaning against the wall with my arms folded across my chest until it felt as if an eternity had passed.

“Ahem… Are you two lovebirds about done over there?” I finally teased.

Jessica shot me a look over her shoulder, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief. Looping her arms around Lori’s neck, she simply shook her head at me with a content smile.

“Not a chance. I’m keeping this one right here for a while.”