“I only told you so you had something to tell your mom.” I sigh. “But now I’m regretting it.”
“What stopped you?” he asks.
“What do you mean?”
“Why didn’t you kiss her?” he says. “We all know you want to; it’s obvious. Your eyes light up the same way they do when you’re on the ice.”
“Brooks called me, and it ruined the moment,” I mumble. “And then she ran off.”
“You’ve had two weeks to turn it around; why haven’t you?”
“She hasn’t mentioned it. I think she wants to forget it.”
“Is that what you want?”
“I don’t know,” I reply, dropping my shoulders. “I do know I enjoy spending time with her.”
“Okay, so don’t lose that. It’s better to have her in your life as a friend than not at all.”
“You’re just saying that so she starts hanging out with you again.”
“Maybe,” he says, and I laugh.
I wait for a few beats and then change the subject. “How’s your mom?”
“She’s okay.” He forces a smile. “She’s the strongest woman I know. Keeps a smile on her face even when I know she’d rather punch a wall.”
“And she’s back in treatment?”
“Yeah, her last scan was…” Zeke’s voice dies out, and I don’t need him to continue to know what those results were. “But, um, they’re hopeful more chemo will clear it up.” And that’s where that conversation ends because if there’s any topic of conversation he doesn’t like being a part of, it’s his mom’s cancer.
Zeke has always tried to be the lone wolf and get through everything on his own, and I guess part of that comes from the fear of losing her.
She got diagnosed during our sophomore year of high school and has been on a health rollercoaster ever since.
The door to the locker room opens, and teammates flood the aisles. Before I know it, Fletcher, Jaxon, Jeremy, and Brooks surround us, getting their gear out of their locker.
“You guys are here early,” Brooks says, turning the dial on his lock.
“Just talking about you assholes,” I lie, throwing my helmet at him.
“And how awesome we are?” Jaxon says, reaching for his pads.
“Hmm, no wonder it was a short conversation,” Zeke says, and suddenly the room feels normal again.
“Haha.” Brooks rolls his eyes. “What do we think tonight? Think we’ll win?”
“Sure as hell are gonna try,” Jeremy says, leaning up against the locker. “We’re the only undefeated teams in our conference.”
This isn’t necessarily saying too much since this is only game six, but it’s a hell of a way to start the season.
“Means we both got something to prove.” Jaxon squirts water into his mouth. “But their goalie is a monster.”
“I hate to agree with Jaxon, especially because I’m our goalie, but Daniels is a killer,” Cam interrupts, his helmet underneath his arm.
And I hate that my mind instantly goes to Ember, and I think Zeke can sense it, too, because his eyes are instantly on mine.
“I think you’re being modest.” Fletcher throws an arm on Cam’s shoulder. “You’re as good as that guy is. It’s why we’re the only undefeated teams; we have amazing goalies.”
