The puck was loose, so I dove and hooked it with my stick.
The puck skidded along the ice, and McKenzie swooped in, grabbed it, and took a shot. It bounced off the goalie again.
Fuck!
I pushed forward, faking a pass to Quincy, then spun and shot in the opposite direction, catching the goalie off guard.
The puck slipped past him, hitting the net.
The blue and red lights flashed in the arena’s glow, and I fell to my knees, sobbing. The buzzer blared, and bodiesbegan landing on top of me. The Warriors enveloped me, tears streaming down their faces. The crowd roared as the lights continued flashing blue and red. Fireworks went off above, and I raised my head to look at them.
Then I got up and skated straight for him. Theo was screaming, standing on top of the bench. He hadn’t spilled onto the ice because of his injury, so I went to him.
He held his arms open as I ripped off my helmet and pulled him in for a kiss. The crowd screamed louder. I wasn’t sure why until I caught the image of Theo and me kissing on the Jumbotron out of the corner of my eye.
Theo’s mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear anything. I almost asked him to repeat himself, but realized all I wanted to do was kiss him. So I did. We kissed as the thunderous applause turned into nothing more than white noise.
He was mine, and I was his.
And that’s all that mattered.
Theo
I wrapped my arm around Asher’s sweat-soaked body. He was still gasping for air from a hard-fought game.
The commissioner finished his congratulatory speech and handed Coach Wilson the trophy. He held it high as the crowd erupted, lights flashing and music blaring as the Warriors hugged and cried.
Then, to my complete shock, Coach handed the trophy to me. “Raise it high, Moretti. You’re a big part of why we gotthis far. You deserve your moment.”
Asher went wild, clapping and screaming my name. The thing washeavy, but I put on a bright smile and held it up high. I looked down at Asher to see him eyeing my neck, making sure I was okay.
“I got it, Red. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about my neck.”
His lips curled into a wicked grin and said, “I’m not worried, Big Boy. I just want to make sure you’re healthy enough to lift that trophy and toss me around the bedroom all night.”
Damn.
I kissed the trophy and handed it back to Coach. I needed to conserve my energy for the fun that was to come.
The commissioner picked up the microphone once more to speak:
“Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give a round of applause to both teams for their hard-fought battles on the ice tonight.”He paused while the crowd hooted and stomped their feet. “And now, it is my honor to announce the Most Valuable Player of this year’s championship. A player whose skill, dedication, and leadership on the ice made all the difference. This player scored three goals, including the game-winner, and made one of the most remarkable plays I’ve ever witnessed in forty years of watching this sport.
Please join me in congratulating Asher Lachlan. Your MVP of the Premier Collegiate Summer Hockey League.”
Asher
The lights reflected off the MVP Plate and onto the glass directly across from me. The rainbows were everywhere. I looked over at Theo, his smile big and proud.
The intensity of the game mixed with jubilation made me lightheaded. I waved to the crowd and started walking back to Theo, but the commissioner tugged my jersey.
I turned to see him holding the microphone out to me.
“Please, a few words?” he asked.
Oh shit.
Could I even speak? I was so damn tired, and I was terrified of public speaking. The microphone shook in my hand as I raised it to my mouth. Everything looked brighter than it had moments ago. It was almost as if my eyes were now adjusting to seeing life from this angle. Things look different when you feel really freaking good about yourself.
