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She sank back down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.
Eli had been through hell and back with his mom, and now he had even more life changes in store.
She glanced over at Miss, then picked up her phone to call Penn. "Big changes are coming, Miss." She rubbed the calico's head. "Big, big changes."
Miss rolled over on her back and put her feet in the air, begging for tummy rubs, and Holly couldn't help but laugh. She could always count on her cat for comic relief when she needed it most.
Sighing, she pressed Penn's name in her contact list.
Shit was about to get very real for Eli, and all she could do was be there for him when it hit the fan.
16
"Let's go, Kingsnakes! Let's go, Kingsnakes!"
The crowd in attendance at the Nevada Arena for the final game of the series chanted louder than Holly had ever heard before, and their stomping between chants felt like a mini earthquake.
San Jose had tied the game five minutes into the third period—making it 3–3. The fans had gone quiet for a short period of time, but now their rallying cries were deafening.
"I feel like I'm going to vomit." Hannah dragged her fingers down along her cheeks. "I can't take this."
Penn sat between them, her back rigid and her mouth set in a firm line. "They're re-living the same fucking game as last season. Tied 3–3 in the third during game seven. And last time, it didn't turn out in their favor."
Penn rarely swore, so Holly knew she was beyond stressed. She took her best friend's hand and gave it a squeeze.
"I just want this so bad for them, Hol. I want this for West. And whether you admit it or not, I know you want this for Eli." Penn returned the hand squeeze. "Especially after our discussion last night."
She'd talked to Penn under strict confidence about the letters but hadn't revealed anything detailed, just giving her the broad strokes instead.
"Yes, I do." Holly nodded. "I want this for him."
"Come on, guys. I've got faith in this team, and in my brother," Bella piped up from Hannah's left as she tightened her long, blonde ponytail. "There's lots of time left, ladies. You have to believe."
"Easy for you to say, Bells. You aren't going home with your brother tonight," Hannah told her. "If they lose, it's going to be brutal."
"They're not going to lose," Bella said confidently. "I'm calling it now."
"I love your attitude, Bells," Zoe chimed in, peering over at her friends from the end of the row. "Come on, babes, let's send some positive vibes to our boys. Worried or not, it's not going to change the outcome."
Holly bit down on her lower lip as she watched Sam London battle a San Jose player for the puck in the corner.
She hoped Bella was right. San Jose had been shutting down the Kingsnakes top goal scorers the entire game. The goals had come from two of their third and fourth liners—Gunnar Klasson and Tristan Mattisson.
When people talked about how the Kingsnakes were a deep team, rolling all four lines, that was what they meant. Their firepower came from everywhere, and each player had to do whatever it took to shut down San Jose and create scoring chances.
But it was worrisome that the big guns were being stifled. If one of them could finally break out and score, it would be a welcome relief.
For the next ten minutes, the women held their collective breath as the Kingsnakes battled for puck possession. Neither team could get things moving or make much-needed plays. They were shutting each other down at every turn.
"Eli is kicking ass out there tonight, Hol," Hannah told her. "He's shutting their forwards down left and right and doing everything he can to generate offense. If you noticed, he hasn't been on the ice for any goals San Jose's scored. Not that I think plus/minus statistics mean all that much when it comes to judging defensemen, but the defensive breakdowns can't be attributed to him."
"Yeah, he's on fire," Holly said. Her stomach was tied up in knots just like the others. She was going home with a player tonight, and while he might not technically be her boyfriend, she really cared about him. And she wanted this win for him more than anything.
Holly glanced at the clock on the video monitor above the rink. Four minutes and thirty-two seconds left. Either someone was going to score, or they were going to overtime.
And she wasn't sure she could handle overtime.
"Here we go," Bella yelled a minute later, leaning forward in her seat.
