Chapter 190 The Biggest Game

Chapter 190 The Biggest Game

"It certainly does."

A smile spread across her face. "Thank you so much."

"We'll see you on Monday."

The call ended.

Amelia stared at her phone for exactly two seconds. Then she screamed. Mira came running out of the bathroom. "What happened?"

"I got it!"

"What?"

"The internship!"

Mira shrieked louder than Amelia had. The two of them hugged so enthusiastically they nearly knocked over a chair.

"I knew it!" Mira laughed. "I knew they would choose you."

Amelia reached for her phone almost immediately.
Her fingers found Nathan's name without thinking.

He answered before the second ring. "Hey, beautiful."

"I got it."

There was a brief silence.

"You got it?"

"I got the internship."

Nathan laughed like someone who had been waiting for that sentence himself. "I knew you would."

"I was so nervous."

"I wasn't."

"You sound very confident."

"Hey, I've seen your work." His voice softened. "They would've been foolish to reject you."

SportsLine Media House quickly became Amelia's second home.

It was one of the city's most respected sports media organizations, covering university competitions, professional leagues, interviews, and documentaries.

Every day brought something different.

Some mornings she accompanied senior reporters to press conferences.

Other afternoons she sat beside editors learning how stories were selected and written before publication.

Occasionally she even interviewed athletes herself.
The work was demanding. She loved every minute of it.

Nathan loved hearing about it even more.

Almost every hour, her phone buzzed.

Nathan: Have you eaten?

A few minutes later.

Nathan: Are they treating you well?

An hour passed.

Nathan: How's your editor?

Around lunchtime.

Nathan: Don't forget to drink water.

Mira happened to glance at Amelia's phone one afternoon and burst into laughter.

"Does he work or does he supervise your entire life remotely?"

Amelia smiled while typing another reply. "He’s always worried."

"He’s worried every sixty minutes."

Amelia pressed send. "I think it's sweet."

Mira threw up both hands dramatically. "Of course you do."

One evening, Amelia finally left the newsroom after finishing an article that had taken nearly four hours to edit.

She rubbed her tired eyes as she stepped outside.
The evening traffic crawled slowly along the road.

She reached for her phone to order a taxi. A familiar horn sounded.

She looked up.

Nathan's car pulled gently to the curb. He lowered the window.

"You look exhausted."

She laughed. "I was literally about to call you."

"You don't have to." He got out before she could protest and walked around to open the passenger door for her.

"You drove all the way across town?"

Nathan shrugged as though it required no explanation. "I finished practice early."

"You could've gone home."

"I could have." He smiled. "Or..." He held the door open. "I could come and get my favorite person."

Amelia shook her head, trying unsuccessfully to hide her smile. "You're spoiling me."

"I intend to continue."

She climbed into the car.

The moment Nathan settled into the driver's seat, he reached across the center console and gently intertwined his fingers with hers.

"How was today?"

She leaned back comfortably. "I interviewed a retired national hockey coach."

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

"He spoke for almost an hour."

Nathan laughed. "I hope you recorded everything.”

"I did."

"What else?"

She spent the drive telling him about difficult interviews, funny moments in the newsroom, editors who corrected headlines three times before approving them, and the excitement of seeing her own byline published for the first time.

Nathan listened without interrupting. He asked questions. He celebrated every little achievement as though it belonged to both of them.

When she finally finished talking, she looked at him.
"I've been speaking for twenty minutes."

"Almost.”

"And you didn't stop me."

"I like listening."

She smiled. "I know I talk too much."

Nathan shook his head gently. "I’ve spent a few months talking about hockey." He glanced at her briefly before returning his attention to the road.

"I like learning your world the same way you learned mine."

Silence settled comfortably inside the car.

Nathan lifted her hand and kissed the back of it lightly without taking his eyes off the road.

"You'll do amazing there."

Amelia looked out through the windshield, smiling to herself. "You always say that."

"Because I always mean it."

Outside, the city lights slipped past the windows one after another as Nathan drove her home, just as he had done so many evenings before.

It had quietly become their routine. No grand gestures or dramatic declarations. Just two people finding happiness in the ordinary moments they never wanted to end.

Championship day arrived beneath a sky so clear it almost seemed to promise something unforgettable.

The university arena was overflowing long before the teams emerged from the tunnel. Students painted in school colors filled every section of the stands. The band rehearsed one last time.

Commentators from different sports media houses adjusted their cameras.

Among them, Amelia stood behind a cameraman from SportsLine Media House, notebook tucked beneath one arm and her media badge hanging around her neck.

It was her biggest assignment since beginning her internship.

Their editor gathered the reporting team around.
"Listen carefully. This match is attracting national attention. I need interviews before kickoff, reactions during halftime, and post-match coverage immediately after the final whistle. Nobody leaves their assigned position unless I say so."

Amelia nodded with everyone else. She instinctively reached for her phone.

Nathan: Where are you?

She smiled and typed quickly.

Almost there. My editor is giving us instructions. I'll be in the stands before kickoff.

She pressed send.

Before the message could even show as delivered.

"Amelia." Her editor looked in her direction. "I need you at the west entrance. One of the visiting coaches just arrived."

"I'm coming." She slipped her phone back into her pocket and hurried away.

Meanwhile, inside the players' tunnel, Nathan adjusted the tape around his wrist.

Ryan bounced lightly on his skates beside him.
"Nervous?"

Nathan shook his head. "Not really."

Ryan studied him. "You've looked toward the stands six times in the last minute."

Nathan smiled faintly. "I'm waiting for someone."

Ryan followed his gaze. "She'll come."

"I know."

But when both teams skated onto the ice, Nathan looked automatically toward Amelia's usual seat.
It was empty.

He frowned.

The announcer called his name. The crowd erupted.

Still, his eyes searched the stands.

Nothing.

Ryan skated over. "Looking for Amelia?"

Nathan nodded once. "I thought she'd be here already."

"She's probably working."

"I know." He said it again. But this time, it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.

The whistle blew. And the championship match began.

From the very first minute, something felt different.
Nathan mistimed his first pass.

Ryan stared at him. "Captain!"

Nathan recovered quickly. "My bad."

A few minutes later, he missed another interception he would normally have made with ease.

The opposing team immediately took advantage.

Ryan skated beside him again. "You alright?"

Nathan nodded. "I'm fine."

But he wasn't playing like himself. Every pause in play, his eyes drifted toward the stands. Every time, she still wasn't there.

The first period ended scoreless.

Their coach gathered everyone together. "We're hesitating."

His eyes settled on Nathan. "Especially you."

Nathan lowered his head briefly. "I'll fix it."

"You'd better."

Meanwhile, Amelia hurried from one end of the arena to another with a microphone in one hand and a recorder in the other.

Every time she tried heading toward the seating area, someone called her back.

"Amelia!

“We need another quote."

"Can you interview the assistant coach?"

"The editor wants another angle."

She looked helplessly toward the rink. "I'll just be five minutes..."

Five minutes became fifteen. Then twenty. By the time she finally broke free, the second period had already begun.

Back on the ice, Nathan still hadn't seen her. His movements became increasingly distracted.

Ryan intercepted another dangerous attack before shouting across the rink. "Focus!"