Laughter from the fans nearby. Even I nearly do.
Knox intercepts a pass immediately and feeds me through center. Instinct takes over before thought can catch up. I drive hard through neutral ice. One defender. Then another. Vegas scrambling backward. The noise rising louder with every stride.
“GO GO GO!” Anthony is screaming.
I cut inside at the top of the circle and snap the shot low blocker side. Goal horn. The building absolutely explodes. Pure white noise. My teammates launch over the boards while I coast past the glass breathing hard enough to taste blood from the split in my lip reopening. Without thinking, I look toward Toni. Immediate mistake. Because she's smiling. Proud. The real kind. God. That expression nearly drops me where I stand.
Anthony crashes intome first, grabbing my helmet. “OH MY GOD, HE BEAT THE FATHER-IN-LAW ALLEGATIONS.”
“Shut UP.”
Lucas crashes into us, laughing. “This is the best season of hockey I’ve ever experienced.”
Trey points at me while skating over. “Act normally for ten consecutive seconds.”
“I AM normal.”
“You scored directly after being penalized by her father. Nothing about your face is normal.”
The replay flashes overhead. First, me in the box, Amato making the call, the goal afterward. The crowd loses its mind again.
“Oh no,” Fuze says from the bench. “SportsCenter’s gonna make this horny.”
I nearly black out laughing. Not because it’s funny. Because unfortunately it absolutely is. Across the rink, Toni has regained composure already. iPad up. Professional mask restored. But too late. I saw the smile. Frank saw me see it too. And when play resets at center ice, he skates past me once more. Close enough only I hear him.
“Good response,” he says calmly. Then he keeps skating.
I actually miss the face-off because my brain fully stops functioning.
Anthony slams into my shoulder. “WHAT DID HE SAY?”
“Nothing.”
“That was not a nothing face.”
“I don’t know what’s happening anymore.”
“Emotionally or medically?”
“Yes.” The final horn sounds seven minutes later. Guardians win. The arena erupts. And somewhere beneath the celebration and teammates piling into each other, one realization settles heavily into my brain: Frank Amato gave me that penalty because he expected better from me. That's honestly much scarier than hatred.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Toni Amato
Scarlett and Trey invite me over for drinks on Friday with some of the players and the wives.
Piper: I’m coming for you with handcuffs if you don’t show up.
Me: Why are you all so violent?
Piper: I know you are overthinking it. Don’t worry, Max is babysitting so Chase and I can have the night off. He won’t be there.
Me: Why would I care?
Piper: Yeah, right?
This time I don’t let Elena pick out my dress. I’m feeling reckless after the trying day I’ve had, so I pick a red one.
