“I don’t think my heart can take any more pain.” Her voice is hoarse, and a single tear drops from those concrete eyes.
“Just say it,” I urge.
She closes her eyes, “I am not the same girl you met after her brother died, Johnny. I’m stronger, I refuse to be used as a doormat anymore. You made your choice that night, and I’m making mine now…”
No.
“Leave me alone. We’re done, over,finished.”
I grab her hand when she tries to walk away again, “come to the game tomorrow.”
She looks at me like I’ve lost my damn mind, and I don’t think she’s entirely wrong.
twenty-nine
DAVIS
The locker room is quiet, nothing but the sound of equipment being put on to cover the silence. Every single one of us is on edge, not only the players who are fighting to take home a trophy, but also the players who know this is their last college hockey game.
For many of us, this has been our lives for the last four years. We have put our blood, sweat and tears into making this team the best, as well as trying to shape the kids below us so they can keep the legacy going.
Some of us will never play hockey again, and some of us will go on to do this in the pros.
It’s a scary time.
“I have something to say,” Lucas announces, slamming his helmet on the bench next to him.
Everyone looks up.
“Why are we all acting like this is a funeral?” He asks, standing to his full height and walking to the centre of the room. “We’re supposed to be gearing upfor the biggest game of the season, and instead we’re sitting here like a bunch of babies. We’re in the finals for fucks sake. We made it here because we worked our ass’s off, we put everything we had into this team, and I for one am damn proud of us for making it this far.”
I can’t believe it’s almost over.
“Every year we get a bunch of idiotic freshmen who think they know best, the hotshot players who think they’re going to dominate the ice and kick ass… and for some of you that’s true, but for many of you, you realize that you aren’t the best there is anymore.”
The room chuckles, the energy completely shifting.
“I hate most of you bastards, you piss me off and make me want to pull my hair out… but I wouldn’t want any other team to be by my side today. We deserve this, and wewilltake home this win.” Lucas turns to me and our best friends, “one last game, one last chance for us to play together.”
We might still play together, but the chances of all of us getting drafted to the same team are slim to none.
I can’t imagine playing hockey without them, I don’t know what I’m going to do if we all get pulled to opposite sides of the country.
These last four years, this university, these people, they’ve been my home. Not seeing them every day doesn’t feel real, but I know that eventually we’re going to move out of our house, and have to grow up.
What the hell am I going to do without them?
“Do us all a favour,” August stands, addressing the lower-classmen, “don’t fuck this up for us.”
I hopeIdon’t fuck this up for us.
I should be focused on hockey right now, but insteadmy head is all fucked up about whether Sasha is going to show up or not.
All I want is to fix things between us, but she’s dead set on moving on.
Seeing that guy with her last night solidified my feelings for her. I don’t want her to be with anyone else, I don’t want her to fall in love with another man.
I’m the one she’s supposed to end up with. I’m the one who’s supposed to grow old with her and hold her hand through the hard stuff.
