More importantly, I’ve been studying Declan.
He’s gone cold tonight.
All his shots are slightly off the mark.
And the rest of the team is the same.
Shots that they’d normally make or at least have a good chance of making—they miss by a wide margin.
Passes are off-target.
They let the Alphas pressure them into turnovers on the defensive end, and Denver controls the puck for most of the second period.
I have a sinking feeling in my gut.
“They’re going to lose,” I whisper to Jamie at intermission.
“Don’t worry,” she says with a pat to my knee. “You’re not a jinx.”
“What?” I turn to her. “What do you mean—a jinx?”
She widens her eyes. “Nothing. I just meant—you know how superstitious athletes are. And sometimes the fans like to lay blame on a player’s significant other. I’ve read about it before with one or two celebrity couples. It’s stupid, though.”
I gasp. “You mean people will think they’re losing because I’m here? I’m the jinx?!”
“What are you talking about?” Cam says from behind us. “Something about a jinx?”
I turn around.
Luke and Chase lean in closer, and Cooper and Brayden both raise their eyebrows.
I put my hand over Jamie’s mouth before she can answer. Her eyes sparkle with humor as I say, “It’s just a joke. Nothing to tell.”
I take my hand off of my best friend’s mouth but shoot her a warning look. She smiles at me but says nothing.
“Huh.” Cooper leans in so his head is between us and looks from Jamie Beth to me. “I hate to pry…”
“Ha.” Jamie rolls her eyes at him. “You love to pry, Wild One.”
“Wild One?” I say to her. “What’s that mean?”
“She calls me Wild One and Chase Wild Two.” Cooper grins. “You want to hazard a guess as to why I’m the One?”
I look at Jamie, who smiles sweetly at Cooper. “Chase is more mature than you. He’s a year older mentally and emotionally.”
Chase laughs. “True.”
But Cooper’s grin just widens. “I call bullshit.”
Jamie Beth’s face reddens. I smile to myself. My best friend doesn’t give her hand away often, and a quick call-out is the only thing that works on her. Cooper seems to know that.
He also seems to know when to stop pressing his luck because he says, “But I’m done messing with you, JB. Plus, intermission’s over. Back to the game.”
* * *
The third period starts out promising.
Declan gets a great shot on goal, but the goalie makes an amazing save.
