Page 131 of Crease Collision

Jace, standing with him, yells, “Come celebrate with us.”

We weave through the crowd and join them.

Theo claps me on the back. “Can you believe it? We won the fucking Cup!”

“Someone pinch me,” Jace adds. “Except don’t, because I might already be too drunk to feel it.”

Ozzy chuckles. “Congratulations, guys. You earned it.”

Theo turns his attention to Ozzy. “We heard you were quite the spectator last night. Did you know they had you on the highlights reel when Kai hoisted the Cup?”

“I didn’t, actually.” Ozzy looks pleased. “I was supporting my man.”

“All the way from a rival team,” Jace teases. “Does that make you a traitor, or just smart?”

Ozzy grins. “Maybe both?”

Theo laughs, then asks me, “Feels pretty damn good to be a champion, huh?”

“Still processing,” I say. “Probably won’t feel real until I see my name on the Cup.”

Jace leans in. “Did you see the look on Thompson’s face when they chose him as the Most Valuable Defenseman in the Finals? I thought he was going to crack a smile.”

We glance across the room to where Thompson and his wife are talking with Noah. Thompson’s expression is as stoic as always.

“Thompson doesn’t smile,” I say. “He occasionally experiences mild facial relaxation.”

Theo snorts. “That’s the best description I’ve ever heard. Hey, McKay!” he calls out, spotting our youngest player nearby. “Get over here.”

McKay comes over, beer in hand, looking a little overwhelmed. “What’s up?”

“We’re talking about Thompson’s smile,” Theo explains.

“Or lack thereof,” Jace adds.

McKay snorts and nearly drops his beer. “I think I saw it once. Maybe during preseason. Or maybe I only imagined it.”

Ozzy is laughing now. “You guys are something else.”

“We won the Cup,” Jace says, puffing out his chest. “We can be whatever we want.”

Theo puts an arm around Jace’s shoulders and whispers something in his ear.

“Sorry about that, Olofsson,” Jace says. “I wasn’t trying to slam you guys.”

Ozzy shakes his head. “No worries. I didn’t take it that way.”

Noah joins us with his date, the same model he’s brought to events before. She’s wearing a lot of makeup and has long blonde hair.

“What are we talking about?” Noah asks.

“How Thompson never smiles,” Jace says.

“I just remembered I saw him smile last night,” McKay says.

Noah snickers. “He reserves them for special occasions like winning the Cup.”

“Speaking of which,” I say, “where’s our captain?”