“Kaeli?” I mouth to her.
Pushing back her glasses, she shakes her head and shrugs.
She doesn’t know? How’s that possible?
Oliver comes closer and claps my shoulder. “Cap, everything alright?”
The guys all sidle closer when they hear his concern. “Yes, I mean, I don’t know, I just can’t find Kaeli anywhere,” I tell them, rubbing the back of my neck, cracking it as the muscles start to protest.
Noah’s brows furrow. “How’s that possible? She’s always there, either glaring at you or giving you fuck-me eyes.”
“Fuck you.” I jab him, but it hardly has anyforce behind it. “You know what, I’m just overreacting. She could’ve just gone to take a call or do something. This recent situation just has me in a bind.”
“What situation?” Lucas, my defenseman, asks, arms crossing over his chest
Shit. It’s not my story to tell. They look at me, expecting an answer.
But it’s time for us to be lined up, so I don’t have to answer.
“We’ll get someone to look for her, don’t worry. Kaeli not being here is kind of odd.” Without waiting for my response, Noah waves Stacy over and asks her to find her.
I give him a grateful nod, and he winks at me, squeezing my shoulder.
The horn blares again. We switch ends, line up for the faceoff. Three-on-three—open ice, fast, brutal.
My hands tighten on my stick.
My world narrows when the puck drops. Instinct takes over, and I skate, pivot, and read the play. I feel like I’m flying, every muscle tuned to the rhythm of the blades and breath.
But between shifts, every glance toward her seat drags me back to the same thought:Where isshe?
Andie shrugs too. She doesn’t know either.
We cycle the puck. My winger hits me with a clean pass at the blue line. The Cicadas’ goalie’s glove twitches. I fake left, drag the puck right, and shoot.
The red light bursts to life.
The crowd explodes.
Game over.
My teammates crash around me, helmets and gloves flying. The bench empties, cameras flash. It should feel electric, but it doesn’t. And for the first time all season, victory feels hollow.
Something isn’t right; she should’ve been here. She’s nevernothere.
In record time, I head into the locker room and get into regular clothes, skipping the shower entirely. I don’t give a fuck if I’m stinking; getting to Kaeli is my only priority.
Stacy is pacing the hall when I rush out of the locker room. She halts, her hands wringing together when she sees me. The concern etched on her face puts me on high alert, but I try not to lose my cool.
“Where’s Kaeli, Stacy?” I ask, my voice even. However, my heart is a different story as it thumps wildly in my chest.
Stacy looks anywhere but at me. And when I hear the police siren echoing, I snap, losing the final thread my sanity and patience were hanging on.
The guys shuffle out, gauging the situation.
“She…Kaeli’s been kidnapped,” she utters so slowly that I fear I might’ve heard her wrong.
“She’s what!?” My voice booms in the halls of the arena.
