Steph looks down at me, “something else you’ll get used to.”
Don’t get me wrong, I have fun watching the game, but I can’t help but feel small in this arena. There are so many people, so many girls who are cheering for the guy I like, and so much happening that I wonder if I’ll be able to keep up.
I was surrounded by popular hockey players my entire life, but I was never involved in any of this stuff.
What if I can’t adapt, what if I can’t…
“You and Claire are seriously alike,” Steph suddenly says, pulling me out of my spiral.
“What?”
“You and Claire. Both of you get in your heads so easily, and it reads all over your faces. Stop stressing,” she comforts. “Who cares what all of these people think? We like you, we chose you, and now you’re stuck with us.”
I really hope that’s true.
I kinda like these people, and the thought of having them in my life for a long time makes my heart really fucking happy.
“Besides, your man is looking at you like he wants to eat you alive right now,” Steph snickers.
Turning towards the bench, I see that she’s right. Johnny is sitting on the bench with his eyes glued to me instead of the ice. The grin on his face sends butterfliesflying through my stomach, but when I turn around to show him that I’m wearing his jersey, the grin fades.
Before I have the chance to taunt him any more, his coach grabs his head and turns it back towards the ice. The older man looks over his shoulder to look at me, the hard line of his mouth turning up ever so slightly before focusing back on the game.
“That man scares me,” I tell Steph.
She barely looks at me, wholly focused on the game as she responds. “Tony? Nah, he’s a huge softie, he’s just scary cause he’s on the bench and makes the guys’ lives a living hell. Don’t let them fool you into thinking he’s anything but an angel to us girls.”
Tony leans down, saying something to Johnny before standing back up and barking orders at the line of hockey players going onto the ice.
Johnny turns back to me, smiling like he couldn’t possibly be happier in this moment.
I smile back.
“You and me, Pixie,” he mouths.
My stomach drops, the words all too familiar to what J and I used to say to one another, but my smile stays in place.
He didn’t mean to. He doesn’t know.
By the time the game’s over, I think Tony is about to blow a gasket from how many times he’s had to tell Johnny to turn around and focus, but they win anyway.
I couldn’t be prouder of them.
Claire comes to the lobby to wait for the guys with Steph and I, both of them practically vibrating with all the questions they have about Johnny, but they know I’ll only answer when it’s just the three of us.
When the guys finally make their way out of thelocker room, Johnny rushes to my side and pulls me into a huge hug.
“Did you have fun?” He asks.
I nod my head, smiling up at him as he brushes a piece of hair behind my ear. “I did.”
August wraps his arm around Steph’s shoulders, “do you wanna take my truck back to the house? I can ride with one of the guys if you wanna head out now.”
“Nah, I think we’re gonna walk,” Steph tells him, looking at me discreetly and smiling. “The fresh air is nice.”
Thank god.
They don’t know the half of it. They all think I’m scared to get in a car because my brother died in one, and while that may be part of it… I’m actually more afraid that I’ll kill someone again.
