“But you have such a cute scowl,” she replied.
“Well, as fun as this is,” I interrupted, “Idohave a game to go win.”
I placed my bowl in the sink, grabbed my hockey bag, and headed for the door. Reed patted my shoulder as I went past. “You’ve got this, bro.”
Grayson nodded. “Do us proud.”
“Good luck,” Violet added.
“We’ll all be cheering you on,” Paige said. “And we’re going for pizza after if you want to celebrate your win with some real food.”
“Thanks, guys.” I replied. “If we win, I’ll be there.”
“Whenyou win,” Reed called after me.
How come every time someone said ‘no pressure’ you instantly felt like you were drowning in it? Still, after a good week of practice, I was feeling more confident. Today was the day we turned things around. It had to be. Not just for Mackenzie and not just for me, but for everyone on the team.
I’d started the season thinking that becoming captain and winning the state championship was all that mattered. But those things didn’t seem quite so important anymore. I was so used to being the hero, it often felt like I’d failed if I wasn’t the star of every game I played. But, through training Mackenzieand working to improve our team, I’d realized this game wasn’t only about standing out. There was something special about helping other people shine brighter than they thought possible.
It was raining when I left the house and downright torrential by the time I arrived at the arena. Hopefully it wasn’t a bad omen. Even though I raced across the parking lot, I was still soaked when I entered the rink.
Mackenzie better not have been lying when she’d insisted she could drive herself here every day this week. She’d told me she would borrow her stepmom’s car for our morning trainings and get a ride with Jaz for team practices. I figured it was because she wanted to keep as much distance between us as possible, so I didn’t question it. Still, I wouldn’t forgive her or myself if she’d walked here in the pouring rain.
I was making good time, so I made my way to the girls’ locker room. I respected the fact Mackenzie wanted space, but there was something she needed.
When I reached the locker room, I knocked on the door. There was no immediate answer, so I cracked the door slightly. “Hello?”
Still no response. Feeling a little braver, I opened the door wider. “Mackenzie, you in here?”
“Parker?” She stuck her head around the corner, and I was instantly glad to see that her hair wasn’t wet. “What are you doing?”
“Well, I thought it was about time I got my revenge. Give me your towel and your clothes…”
She grabbed hold of my sweatshirt and yanked me into the room. Thankfully, we were alone in here, but Mackenzieglanced out the door to check we hadn’t been seen before she closed it firmly behind her.
“Seriously, do youwantto get in trouble?”
“Always.” I grinned. “And I wanted to see you.”
“If you’re worried about me getting nervous, don’t. I’m planning to win today, no matter what.” Her words were determined, yet I caught a flicker of uncertainty in her tone.
“We will.” Nerves didn’t usually get to me before a game, but I could understand why she might be feeling that way. There was a lot riding on tonight. “I always heard comeback stories were exciting and romantic, but I’m a little tired of playing the underdog now.”
“Same,” she said. “So, why did you want to see me? Is something up?”
“I realized you’ve been missing something the last few games…”
Her brow creased just a fraction. “Something else I need to work on?”
“More like something you need to wear.” I placed my gear bag on the ground and pulled out a brand-new Devils jersey. “Here.”
Her expression softened as she took it from me.
“You’re an important member of this team, Mackenzie, and, whatever happens today, as far as I’m concerned, you always will be. It’s only fair you have your own official Ransom Devils jersey.”
She stared silently at the jersey for what seemed like minutes. When she finally glanced up at me, her eyes were filled with emotion.
She cleared her throat. “You got me my own jersey?”
