“Everything.”
As predicted,the game is brutal as fuck. I’m stressed out sitting here. It’s almost the end of the second period, and I know a lot of my guys are winded. The Vipers aren’t fucking around. Unfortunately for them, Colton got injured at the end of the first period. A nasty hit knocked him headfirst into the boards. The game was stopped for a moment, but thankfully he skated off the ice.
It brings me back to the beginning of the season and watching our goalie Rocky get seriously injured. Thankfully he’s doing great now and enjoying the hell out of being a new dad.
Atlas knocks into one of their players, stealing the puck back and skating toward their goal. I don’t know who their goalie is. A young guy with a lower save percentage than Andre. Atlas skates, stops short, spraying ice, then shoots to Ivan. Ivan slaps to Oli who then shoots to Atlas. We watch them go back and forth before Oli fakes a shot, shooting to Atlas instead, who slaps it hard into the goal.
“Fuck yeah!” I stand abruptly, shouting at the top of my lungs. “That’s my best friend!”
Felix laughs, rubbing my thigh, and I sit carefully back down. I know he’s going to have me on bed rest all day tomorrow.
The Otters are up by two, and I can feel how pissed the Vipers are about that. They won the cup last year and came here to defend their title. Shit out of luck. The buzzer runs out. One more period to go. My heart can’t take much more.
The energy is electric.
I hadto use the bathroom during the intermission, and when we return, I hear my name as I sit down. “Look.” Felix points as I hear my name on the announcements. They’re showing us on the screen. I wave as the broadcaster talks about my injury, and I don’t know why but it makes me mad. It shouldn’t; I’m used to it. It’s all entertainment for them.
Then I notice his hand hooked around my arm and he’s leaning into me on the jumbotron. I know how it looks on screen. The announcer keeps talking, and I wave with the cameras on me, feeling a bit itchy. Then I look at him. Felix’s eyes smile at me. It’s like he’s shed years off him since moving in with me. The haunted look in his eyes is nearly gone. Bright and brown. Beautiful eyes. “I’m glad you’re here,” I say to him.
Felix smiles then shocks me, leaning in but stopping halfway. I’m shocked by the bold move.
Fuck it.
I lean in, pressing my lips to his and feeling a thousand jolts of warmth flow through my body. I know people talk about fireworks—fireworks, explosions, heat, and passion. It’s not that I don’t also feel those things, but what I crave more is comfortable warmth. I like soft heat and gentle reminders that the person I’m with also wants me back just as much.
I think he does. He looks at me like he does. That soft heat simmers low in my stomach, and heat pools in places it really shouldn’t right now with thousands of people around us.
He moves back with a wide smile. “I’m glad I’m here too.”
“Come on! Come on!”Felix holds me back from standing, and yeah, I’ve been a bit out of control, butgoddammit I’m about to lace up myself and kick some ass because what the hell happened to my friends in that second period break? They’re fucking tied right now, and the Vipers have come to kill. Atlas especially has been out of it since they came back. What the hell?
“Relax. Your knee,” he whispers in my ear.
“I know. Shit, this is tense. I don’t like being on this end of it.” Felix laughs at me, planting a kiss on my cheek.
Coach changes lines and Viktor barrels toward the puck, knocking over one of the Vipers and gaining the advantage. There’s only two minutes left. He loses the advantage, and players barrel down into our zone toward Andre. I watch him tense, watching the puck. Their player slaps it. Andre collapses on top of it. The whistle blows. “That’s right!”
I lean forward, watching them face off. Oli’s line goes out. Atlas gets into position. I need him to get his head in the fucking game. I’m not sure what happened in that locker room during the second break, but he needs to get it together. I know they’re tired. “Come on, guys.”
The whistle blows and chaos erupts. Going into OT will suck; they’re already gassed. I put my elbows on my knees, leaning forward, my face resting in my hands. I feel like I’m about to jump out of my skin. Oli takes the puck and shoots to Ivan, who loses it briefly before Atlas barrels in snatching the puck back. He shoots to our D-man, Dante, then skates hard before getting knocked back. A Viper steals the puck, skating toward Andre. I tense, and so does he. All the players are on that side following their teammate for an easy kill.
Atlas comes out of nowhere, knocking into them and stealing the puck. Atlas is one of the fastest skaters in the league, and shock at his skill stuns the Vipers as he makes it out on a breakaway. I stand, ignoring the twinge in my knee. “Go, Atlas!” I scream with the crowd as he makes it toward their net. “Come on, boy! Let’s go!” He fakes a shot, makingtheir goalie flinch, then shoots toward the top right, making it in.
The buzzer sounds.
The crowd is deafening. “Holy fucking shit.” I clutch my chest, and my eyes prick with tears. Holy shit. Holy shit, he did it. “That’s my best fucking friend!” All my guys join in a hug, dog-piling onto Atlas. The crowd is losing their minds. It’s chaos and joy. This is the hardest sports championship to win, and my guys just fucking did it! I could not feel more pride than I do right now. I fucking love those guys.
Helmets are thrown; everyone’s screaming. Our Coach comes onto the ice, hugging our players. Oli, though, turns his sights onto Andre. Andre takes off his helmet, grinning so wide. Oli mouths something that makes Andre smirk before giving him a kiss, then he presses their foreheads together for a moment. The rest of the team swarm them both.
I sit. “Damn.”
“You alright?” Felix whispers in my ear.
“I am.” I don’t quite know what I’m feeling. Watching them below, I’m so fucking happy. Emotion clogs my throat.
The cup comes out and Oli grabs it, holding it up as our players swarm to touch it.
“They did it.” Felix smiles, and I lean in without a thought and kiss him hard. Damn. I feel a tap on my shoulder and look behind me, seeing Melanie, one of our Media agents.
