“Liar.”
“Stop flirting and get in order,” Bood said with a smile. “Shane, you’re supposed to be way up there, between Luca and Tanner.”
“Yes,” Ilya said solemnly. “The back of the line is forcaptains.”
Shane glanced again at his own jersey, this time to the empty space on his left chest. “Right. Not used to not having that C.”
“Get used to it,” Ilya said, tapping his own C. “This stays right here.”
Shane gave him a mocking salute, then made his way up the line.
“Fucking prima donna,” Bood teased.
“Who the fuck does he think he is, right?”
“He’s coming for that C.”
Ilya smiled. “I know.”
He heard Shane’s name being called, then the roar of a packed house cheering for the hometown superstar they could finally claim as their own.
“Shit. He’s already more popular than us,” Bood said.
“More popular thanyou, maybe.”
A few minutes later, Ilya rocketed out onto the ice and completed the circle at center ice. Shane stood directly across from him, smiling wide. Ilya smiled back.
“Time to finally get one of those banners, I think,” Bood said over the cheering and the pounding music. “For real this time.”
They absolutely would. Ilya had never been so sure of anything.
“Let’s fucking get it.”
