# Chapter 45: The Party, the Championship, and the Beauty of Looking Forward
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 45 of "The Deal: Off Campus." This is the kind of chapter that wraps its arms around you and whispers, "See? They made it." It is warm, funny, a little awkward, and deeply satisfying—the calm before the victory, and then the victory itself. So grab your favorite drink, settle in, and let's relive it together.
We open in Hannah's point of view, in March, at a party that feels like the whole world has finally started to blend together. Garrett comes up beside her and drops a whispered accusation in her ear: "Why is your ex-crush in my living room?" He is talking about Justin, who is sitting on the couch, playing some complicated-looking shooting video game with Tucker. Hannah does not flinch. She tells Garrett that Justin is her friend, she invited him, and he needs to deal with it. Garrett is more amused than angry. He teases her about how the football team had a rough season, and now Justin has to celebrate with the hockey crowd because they made it to the semi-finals. Worse, Justin has to be around the perfect specimen of manhood who stole Hannah away. Hannah rolls her eyes and tells him to shut it. Then she leans in and shares a secret: Justin is happy for the hockey team, and he has been hooking up with Stella for the past month. Garrett's jaw drops. He glances across the room, where Stella, Dex, and Allie are in an animated conversation with Logan and Simms. It is still strange seeing Hannah's friends and Garrett's friends together, but after three months of hanging out, it is starting to feel normal.
Then there is Logan. From his spot next to Dex, Logan senses Hannah watching and lifts his head. The look he gives her burns with unmistakable longing. It is not the first time. Hannah had brought it up to Garrett once—the most awkward conversation ever—and Garrett simply sighed and said, "He'll get over it." No anger, no resentment, just that one sentence. It did not soothe Hannah's worries. She does not like that Garrett's best friend might have feelings for her, but Logan has not made a move, and he has not talked to her about it. She hopes he gets over it, because she is totally and unequivocally in love with Garrett, and that will never change.
The semester has been busy. Hannah is rehearsing for the spring showcase, this time a duet with Dexter, and they are having a blast. Garrett and the hockey team have been killing it in the post-season. The championship is next week, and the venue is the Wells Fargo Center—home of the Philadelphia Flyers. That means Hannah will be watching the final game live and staying at Aunt Nicole's for the three days the team is in Philly. She has no doubt the team will crush it. If they do not win, she will eat her hat. Or give her man lots and lots of consolation sex. Such a chore, right?
Suddenly, Garrett says, "Look what the cat dragged in." Birdie and Natalie appear in the doorway, flushed and secretive. It is obvious why they are late. Hannah hugs Nat and smiles at Birdie, who responds to Garrett's taunt with a defensive look. Birdie reminds Garrett that he is against this party—it is bad luck to celebrate before you have even won. Garrett grins and says they have it in the bag. Then he leans in and kisses Hannah's cheek, adding that he has already won the most important prize of all. Hannah's cheeks turn into tomatoes. Natalie groans good-naturedly, but Birdie nods in approval. Garrett wraps an arm around Hannah and says he can say cheesy things around Birdie because Birdie will not make fun of him. Hannah grumbles that Birdie should, because the line was cheesy as hell. Garrett mimics her, "Oh, shut it. You like it when I'm romantic." And she really does.
Birdie and Nat wander off to say hi to everyone, but Garrett and Hannah stay in their corner. He tugs her toward him and kisses her. Even though Hannah is anti-PDA, it is impossible to think about social etiquette when Garrett Graham is kissing her. His lips are warm and firm, his tongue hot and wet as he slides it into her mouth for a fleeting taste. She parts her lips eagerly, wanting more, but he chuckles and tweaks a strand of her hair. He teases her about being inappropriate in public. She fires back that she can see his boner. He looks down, sighs at the bulge straining against his jeans, and complains that she gets him hard without him even noticing. Now he has to leave his own party so they can go upstairs and take care of it. Hannah snorts and says dream on—there is no way she is doing the walk of shame in front of all their friends. Garrett puts on a wounded face and asks if she is ashamed of him. She pokes him and tells him that little boy trickery does not work on her anymore. He echoes, "Little boy?" Then a wicked smile curves his mouth. He angles his body away from the room, takes her hand, and plants it directly over his hard-on. He asks if that feels little or boyish to her. Shivers fly up Hannah's spine. Now she is turned on. Her heart pounds, her body tingles, and she groans in annoyance. She grabs his hand and says, "Fine. Let's go upstairs." But Garrett changes his mind. He says they are going to stay downstairs and enjoy the party. Hannah drops his hand like a hot potato and scowls. "You're such a vagina-tease." Garrett laughs. "Yeah, but you still love me." Tiny butterflies of happiness take flight in her stomach and dance around her heart. She takes his hand again, laces their fingers together, and murmurs, "Yeah, I still love you."
And then, in the epilogue, the story gives us Garrett's final note. His father waits outside the arena when the team bursts out the back doors. Dean has an old-school boom box propped on his shoulder, and Queen's "We Are the Champions" blasts out of the speakers. There is nobody around to hear the victory song but them and the family and friends who made it to Philly to watch them play. Applause breaks out as the team strolls up like the champions they are. Several of Garrett's teammates take exaggerated bows before heading over to say hello.
Garrett did it. It was a team effort—no, a team domination. For the first time in years, the Frozen Four championship game was a shutout. Simms did not let their opponents score. Not even once. And fittingly, the three goals on their side came from Garrett, Tucker, and Birdie. Garrett is proud of his team. He is proud of himself for leading them here. It is the perfect end to the perfect season, and it gets even more perfect when Hannah rushes over and hurls herself into his arms. She declares it was the best game ever and kisses him so hard his lips feel bruised. He grins and asks if she liked the little gun-finger he flashed her after that goal. She grins back and tells him sorry to burst his bubble, but he was actually pointing at an old guy a few seats over. The old guy freaked out and started shouting that Garrett scored the goal for him. Then the man asked his wife if maybe Garrett knew he was just diagnosed with diabetes. Hannah did not have the heart to tell him who the goal was really for. Garrett breaks down laughing. "Why is nothing ever simple with us?" Hannah protests, "Hey, we're more interesting this way." He cannot argue with that.
From the corner of his eye, Garrett sees his father lurking near the bus. He does not make eye contact. Nobody is looking at him—not Garrett, not Hannah, not any of his teammates. A few months ago, Garrett told the guys the truth about his dad. The conversation he had with Hannah about life not being fair and his father still being revered had stuck with him. So after the New Year, when one of the sophomore D-men asked if Garrett could get him a Phil Graham autograph, Garrett could no longer hold it in. He sat the boys down—even Coach was there—and told them everything. It was damn uncomfortable and pretty intense, but when all was said and done, his teammates proved to him that he is not just their captain, but their brother. Now, as they head for the bus, not a single pair of eyes travels in his superstar father's direction.
Garrett says goodbye to Hannah. She will ride back with Uncle Mark and should arrive around the same time the team gets in. He tells her to call when she is home. "Love you, babe." She says, "Love you, too." He plants one last kiss on her lips, then climbs onto the bus and settles in his usual seat next to Logan. As the door shuts and the driver pulls away, Garrett does not glance out the window at the tall, surly man still standing in the parking lot. He does not look back these days. He only looks forward. THE END.
## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
I absolutely adored this chapter. It is the perfect bittersweet victory lap. The party scene is so alive—every friendship, every awkward glance, every teasing joke lands with warmth. Hannah and Garrett's banter is at its best here: playful, sexy, and deeply affectionate. I love how the chapter does not pretend everything is magically perfect. Logan's lingering feelings are still there, and Garrett's complicated relationship with his father still casts a shadow. But the story chooses to focus on growth, loyalty, and the family you build. The epilogue is triumphant without being cheesy. The image of Garrett not looking back at his father, only forward, is a powerful final note. It made me smile, and it made my heart ache in the best way.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
## Next Chapter Prediction
If the story continues beyond this beautiful ending, the next chapter belongs to John Logan. The groundwork has been laid: Logan is still carrying a torch for Hannah, and he has been the charming, loyal sidekick for too long. I predict that in *The Mistake*, Logan will finally be forced to face his own demons, stop hiding behind casual hookups, and meet someone who challenges him completely—probably a sharp-witted freshman named Grace. He will have to learn that love is not about winning a prize or filling a void. It is about showing up, being honest, and fighting for something real. And knowing this series, it will be messy, funny, steamy, and ultimately unforgettable.
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