"Maybe he needs more sleep in his old age," Bouch suggests with a grin.
I ignore them all. Strip down. Grab my towel. Head to the showers. The hot water beats down on my shoulders. I close my eyes, trying to clear my head and get in the zone for tonight's game. I can't fuck up tonight like I did in practice. The team tonight is fast. We need to be faster. But my mind drifts while in the shower, back to her. The way she looked at me during practice. The way her hands felt on my skin yesterday. The sounds she made.Stop. You're going to give yourself a boner in the shower. Instantly, I turn the cold water on and let it shock my system.Get your head straight, Black.
By the time I'm dressed and ready to head out, I've got my game face on, and I'm focused and ready for the game tonight.
Pierre catches me at the door. "You good, Cap?"
"Yeah. Just an off day. But don't worry. Won't happen tonight."
He claps my shoulder. "Never doubted you. See ya tonight."
"See you." I make my way home, where I'm going to eat, rest, and run through plays in my head.
When I arrive back at the arena, I'm locked in. Game mode. Nothing else matters.
It's game time. The anthem plays, and twenty thousand fans are on their feet, the energy is electric, vibrating through the ice. This is where I'm best. On the ice. In the game. Everything else fades. The noise. The pressure. Her.
The puck drops and I'm focused. Every shift matters. Every second counts. First period is fast, physical. The other team isplaying aggressively, trying to establish dominance early. I take a hit along the boards, shake it off, and keep going. Pierre gets the puck, dekes around a defender, and feeds it to Felix. Felix one-times it, but the goalie makes the save.
"Good try!" I call out.
We cycle back, our defense holds strong. Nelly makes a huge save, catching a hard slapshot with his glove. The crowd roars. I live for this.
"Let's go!" I tap my stick on the ice, calling for the puck.
Sully passes it up, and I carry it through the neutral zone, looking for an opening. I see Pierre breaking free and thread the pass between two defenders.
Pierre scores.
Fuck yeah!
The bench erupts. We're up 1-0.
I tap Pierre's helmet as we line up for the face off. "Nice finish."
"Nice pass, Cap." He winks.
Hell yeah. If we can keep working like this, we have a chance at getting that cup.
Between periods, I head down the tunnel. Most of the guys go straight to the locker room, but I need to grab water from the medical area. The doors open, and I can see her inside with Mike, reviewing something on the tablet. She looks up, our eyes meet through the doorway. My chest tightens. Then Mike says something, and she looks away. I grab my water and head to the lockers without going in.
Second period is brutal. The other team is frustrated, playing dirtier, and taking liberties. The refs are letting too much go.I'm on the ice, battling for a puck in the corner when two guys converge on me. Then a third one comes in. I'm focused on the puck, and I don’t see him coming from my blind side. The hit is massive. My head snaps back as I'm driven into the boards. The impact rattles through my entire body. For a second, everything goes white. The whistle blows. My ears are ringing. My shoulder is screaming.
"Cap!" Pierre's there, grabbing my arm. "You good?" I can hear the concern in his voice.
I shake my head, trying to clear the fog. "Yeah."
The crowd is going crazy. I can only assume people are fighting.
"That was a cheap shot."
"Yeah, I know."
The ref gives the guy two minutes, it should've been five, but I'm not arguing. I skate to the bench, my shoulder is throbbing, and my head feels like it's in a vice.
"Sit," Coach orders.
I do and try to catch my breath. Suddenly prickles rush up the back of my neck, and when I turn to work out what it could be, I see her. Joelle appears at the gate with Mike. She's got a look on her face. Is it concern? Those hazel eyes land on me.
