But I don’t want to disappear this close to the end of the game, and I don’t want my dad asking any questions when he notices I’m gone, so I try to stick it out.

I press my fingers to my temples, trying to massage away the building pressure. The nausea rises in waves, making me swallow hard against it.

But my head is pounding, and despite massaging my temples to try to get things back into bearable territory, I panic when I glance back up at the ice and see those familiar halos dancing across it.

The same halos Dr. Singh had asked about. The same visual disturbance that sent me to the ER in the first place.

No. No, no, no. This can’t be happening. Not now.

I’ve got to get out of here.

I grab my purse with shaking hands, mumbling apologies as I squeeze past the other spectators in my row. Just a few more steps to the exit. I can make it.

I just need to lie down or go somewhere a bit quieter for a while, maybe in the family and friends lounge or something. But as I reach the end of the row and start to head up the stairs, the world tilts alarmingly. The voices of the crowd around me start to sound distant, as if they’re all underwater.

Someone nearby asks if I’m okay, but I can’t find the words to respond.

And as I start to lift my foot to take the next step, everything goes white.

49. Declan

Chapter 49

Declan

A sudden instinctual awareness pulls my attention away from the ice, and my eyes dart out to the crowd where I last saw Hannah sitting.

She isn’t there.

My heart pounds at the realization, and my eyes scan the crowd looking for the familiar cascade of her dark hair. I spot her gripping the handrailing by the stairs on her way out of the arena. My heart clenches at the thought that I won’t get the chance to talk to her after the game, but I’m not surprised. Not after the way she ended things at her place. I’ve been distracted all night knowing she’s here, and it can’t be easy for her either to sit and watch me play.

I’m about to shift my focus back to the ice, when Hannah suddenly sways, like a reed drifting in water. Before I can even process what’s happening, she crumples, collapsing onto the concrete steps like a marionette with cut strings.

My heart lurches in my chest as a gasp rises up from the crowd around her.