Page 56

“Friends are usually not this excited,” Vee says, clearly noticing how I’m almost going out of my skin with nerves.

“I’m cold.” I tug my beanie down farther and pull my jacket shut for show.

“You’re glowing,” Sarah says. “It’s disgusting. I support it.”

The teams come out for warm-up, and the noise jumps three octaves. I locate Daniel easily, watching him glide across the ice. I remember what’s under the gear and immediately look at the card again.

Christine follows my eyes, then points with her cup. “Okay but number eighty-nine is hot.”

Lincoln’s head snaps over so fast I feel the air change. On the ice, Blue cuts a turn, spraying up a cloud of ice. His tattoos are visible on his forearms and snaking up his neck. I don’t see the appeal.

“He’s a man whore,” Lincoln says. “And he’s not worth your time.”

Christine’s eyebrows go up. “Wow, that’s really heated. Do you know him?”

“Yeah.” Lincoln slumps back, jaw tight, watching 89 like he wants to punch him. “Find a different number.”

Vee mouths what was that at me. I shake my head a fraction. Sarah takes a sip of her soda and wisely says nothing.

Christine looks between Lincoln and the ice and turns on her bright smile when she focuses back on me. “Fine. I’ll objectify your roommate who is definitely not your boyfriend. Number—” she squints. “The one who just waved at us like an idiot.”

I look up and find him easily, his stick is up in the air. I think he found us. And I’m pretty sure the grin on his face and the wave is for me. Butterflies explode in my stomach. I lift a hand off the cheat card and give him a tiny wave. My heart does a little flip of happiness I’m starting to equate with him.

Lincoln mutters, “You’re so gone.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I do.

I don’t pull my eyes away from Daniel as Blue skates up next to him, coming to a stop. His gaze follows the direction Daniel’s looking, and a scowl forms on his face. Then he says something that makes Daniel turn a glare on him and shove him back. Blue laughs, flips off our general direction, and skates away.

Lincoln goes rigid next to me.

“Don’t,” I say, quietly.

“Don’t worry, I won’t go out on the ice and kick his ass.” His voice is flat.

On the ice, Daniel glances at the stands once more, as if he’s making sure that I didn’t vanish, then he lines up. The grin is gone. It’s his game face. The same one he wears in the lab.

Christine leans into my shoulder. “Your not-boyfriend, I’m pretty sure, just defended your honor against the man-whore. I’m taking notes.”

“I don’t think that was about me,” I tell her.

She smirks, but thankfully doesn’t try to correct me.

The puck drops. The game is intense…at least I assume it is if the fistfights are anything to go by. Sometimes they have to play with fewer people because of the fights, so it doesn’t make sense that they would want to start one. I try to keep my eyes on the puck and give up, watching Daniel instead.

He moves so fluidly. I eat up every second I can watch him without anyone commenting, because everyone else is watching the game. I’m starting to see the appeal of the games. Watching him unnoticed is nice. I soak up every little expression he makes, each celebration he does when the puck makes it in the net, and every little interaction with his teammates.

He’s in his element.

When he scores, the building makes noise that I can feel in my ribs and makes my ears ring. I cheer, too. He grins toward the bench, then his eyes flick up to where I’m sitting, as if he’s making sure I didn’t leave.

I don’t wave this time. I just stare back at him, a smile plastered on my face. The period ends, and he lifts his chin at me as he disappears down the tunnel that leads back to the locker rooms. Lincoln says something about needing to piss and leaves us in the stands. The card says that intermissions are twenty minutes long, so he’ll be back before the start of the next period.

By the time the game ends, I can feel the energy in the building feeding off of their win. It was three-two, which seems like a low number for all the work they put in. But I’m not going to tell Daniel that when I meet him. Which we have planned for after he gets his shower.

Vee invites me back to her place to play some cards, and I decline, telling them I’m tired. Lincoln ends up going in my place. I hover near the exit and wait.