It’s nice to know that when I look up into the crowd, I’ll see you in the audience,” I say through the glass.
“You say that like I haven’t been to almost every home game.” She laughs, and I rest my hand against the glass.
“But this time, you’ll be wearing my jersey. My last name will be written across your back, and I’ll know you’re here for me. It’s nice knowing that I have someone cheering me on.”
“What are we, chopped liver?” She turns, and I see my mom and Brinley sitting a few feet away.
“I’m used to your support.”
She flips me off, and I shake my head, directing my attention back to Ember.
“I should get going. Coach will blow his top if I’m not over there for his speech.”
“Speech?” she wonders. “Don’t coaches usually give a speech in the locker room?”
“Coach is unconventional.”
“Alright, go. I’ll see you after the game.”
I wink at her as I skate back toward the team. Games and practices have been a little tense since Cam found out about us. Or should I say, he caught me naked in his sister’s bed. Which sucks because we’re only three games away from the first round of the frozen four, and if we don’t get our shit together, there’s no way in hell we’re winning.
Hell, we’ll be lucky to make it past the first round with how our practices have been going.
“He’s pissed,” Zeke whispers as I sit beside him on the bench.
“You think?” I wonder. “Or did him taking a swing at me at practice the other day seem perfectly normal?”
“If you caught one of us with Brinley, you’d probably do the same thing.”
“I wouldn’t have missed.”
“You know, just because you’re drafted doesn’t mean they’ll sign you, right?” Jaxon asks, sitting down next to me. “What NHL team would still want you to play for them if you couldn’t even move past some petty drama?”
“Me?!” My eyebrows raise. “I’d put this whole thing behind us, but he won’t even let us talk to him.”
“Sorry, man, but I might be on Cam’s side for this.” Fletcher shrugs. “It’s not that you guys were together, but the fact that you hid it.”
“So much for you guys being my best friends.”
“I don’t care what happens. I don’t care if Cam takes another swing at you during practice. I don’t care if you swing back. What I do care about is winning the frozen four,” Brooks says, sitting down next to me. “We only have three games until the first round.
“And then after that, we’ll go on to win the championship,” he continues. “If I’m gonna have any luck joining an NHL team as a free agent, I need this win.”
“We all do,” Jaxon says. “Whether we’re already drafted.” He glances at me, Jeremy, and Zeke. “Or hoping to fight our way into the NHL after college.”
“Then we should probably go win this game,” I suggest, as Coach comes over to give us a quick pep-talk, and then we hit the ice and do what we’re best at.
We win.
forty-one
Ember
The first round starts Thursday and goes through the weekend before the final two games in the first full week of April.
Which is the only reason the guys are throwing a party at 2pm on a Sunday because what better way to prepare yourself for the biggest games of your career than getting drunk.
But instead of being at the party, I’m printing out some final pieces for our project. Not that Declan didn’t try to get out of the party by coming with me to the library, but I felt like he deserved to celebrate.
