She takes a step back from me and reaches up to tuck her black hair behind her ears, the same way she always does when she gets nervous.
“What do we do now?”
The smirk on my face blooms into a full-blown smile because that is the most ridiculous question ever. “I say we do that whole thing again.”
The blush on her cheeks is adorable.
The feel of her in my arms is so right, everything about this feels right, and I can’t help but curse myself for not growing the balls and kissing her sooner. All of this stupid time we’ve wasted could have been us being together.
Lucas smirks at me from the opposite side of the ice during warm-ups, and when I flip him off, his smirk turns into a massive grin accompanied by a deep laugh.
I haven’t told the guys what happened with Sasha, but when they walked into the rink and saw her and I talking in the stands… they could tell.
None of them pushed, knowing that I would share when I was ready.
“What’s going on with you?” One of my teammates asks, crouching down on the ice next to me to stretch.
I’m on top of the world.
I can’t imagine what’s going through their heads right now, all of these guys have only ever seen my mask of happiness. None of them —even my closest friends— have seen me in a place where I’m not fighting for my life every second of the day.
Nothing can ruin this for me, nothing can take me off the mountain top I’m standing on.
And even though I don’t want to say Tony was right… I think he was right. My head is clear for the first time in months, I’m completely focused on the game ahead of us, not worried about anything other than this moment right now.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I tell him, finishing the last of my stretches and skating away from him.
The crowd slowly files into the arena, decked out in Livler colours and merch. The excitement leaks onto the ice, so much so that I can physically feel the energy radiating off of them.
Hockey is probably the most supported athletic program at Livler. There hasn’t been a single home game since I started here where the stands weren’t packed.
For the first time ever, I take in where I am. I take in the fact that I’m alive, these people are here to watch me, I’m playing I game I love more than anything.
Everything is okay.
I’m okay.
I can breathe.
Life isn’t so bad once you find people who can make the bad days a little better. I have my friends, I have Sasha, and everything is going to work out.
“You took my advice,” Tony says, looking out to the ice as I approach the bench.
Nodding, I take a seat, “I did.” I don’t need to ask how he knows. At this point, I think I’ve learned the man knows all.
His lips turn up at the edges, eyes still forward. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Johnny Davis.”
eighteen
SASHA
“Youkissedhim?” Steph screams in the middle of the arena lobby.
I slam my hand over her mouth, “yes. Now shush before the whole school hears you.”
Claire’s jaw hangs open, “who are you and what have you done with Sasha?”
Taking my hand off of Steph’s mouth slowly, I grin like the Cheshire Cat. It’s so completely out of character for me to do something like that, so I can’t blame either of them for their reactions.
