The refs finally blow the whistle, ushering us from the start of what I know is going to be a long night of celebrating.
I wave at the crowd. Do a quick spin till I find her.
Sutton is waving at me. Decked out overalls over my jersey.Ournumber painted on her cheek. Auburn curls pulled up into space buns with our team colors as bows.
She cups her hands around her mouth and yells, “Lucky shot, Superstar.” Winks. Then blows me a kiss.
I catch it with my glove, place it over my heart. Then, absentmindedly, and I’d like to blame the rush of euphoria and endorphins for what I do next, I mouthI love you, Dave.
Her hazels are like the eyes on a cartoon where they fall out of their faces. Her mouth is on the floor next to them.
That was not the way I thought I’d tell her that for the first time.
Jaxon skates over to me, claps my shoulder. “That shot was a beauty. You’re easily making it onto ESPN’s top ten plays of the week. Holy moly that was sexy.”
I’m still too stunned at my stupidity to respond.
“Your line is off. Come freak out on the bench.” He thinks I’m frozen from the goal.
I shake my head, reel myself back into the present moment, slap on a cheeky and cocky smile before throwing a leg over the boards and sitting on the bench.
Coach comes up behind me. His hands on my shoulders giving him away. “Way to go, Carmichael.” He squeezes. “I’m proud of you.” We’re up four to one with two minutes left of regulation play. “You’re done for the game. Rest up.”
“Thanks, Coach.”
I look back out on the ice, find the section she’s sitting in, but I notice a gap. Sutton’s gone.
FORTY-FOUR
SUTTON
“You saw that, right?”I push my hands into my cheeks as I run to the bathroom. “He mouthed I love you.”
Elliot trails behind me. After Cooper’s record-breaking goal and spur-of-the-moment admittance to the crowd that he loved me, I took off. Elliot grabbed my hand, trying to convince me to stay for the rest of the game, but my body was—still is—on fire.
I’m surprised I didn’t burn her hand. Heat licking up my body, my chest and face are a deep shade of red.
“Slow down,” she calls to me. Meave is right behind her. Cooper’s sisters stayed, but they saw. How could they not?
I throw open the door and go to the furthest sink. Gripping the porcelain, I drag in a deep inhale. “He said I love you.”
“He did.” My best friends are smiling, way too exuberant about the situation. “Personally, I loved it. One of the biggest moments in his college career and the first thing he thinks about is you. Oh my gosh. It’s almost giving rom-com movie.”
Dang it. Elliot has a point.
“But I love you?” I turn on the faucet, all the way to the left, in need of a reprieve. Testing it, I splash my face, careful not to ruin the number painted on my right cheek.
The water does nothing to cool me off.
I splash myself again. Nothing.
When I attempt to do it for the third time, Elliot stops my hands. Turns off the water, then spins me to face her.
“But he…he hated me?”
“Sutton, you are joking right? That boy has never hated you.”
“Bu—”
