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Excitement oozes from the fans cheering from the stands. Their confidence in us only makes me want to work harder and skate faster. Tyler Kane still crawls up my ass every chance he gets. I know he’s trying to toughen me up with his intimidation tactics. Still, it’s frustrating.
I look to my left and pass the puck to Ethan, who has more of a chance of scoring than I do. As three players crowd around us, attempting to strip the puck away, we have to work together as a unit. Like me, Will and Ethan seem to play better under pressure. They both thrive off it.
Ethan switches the puck to his left side to avoid his opponent’s stick. He takes the shot. The puck slides past the goaltender’s skate, the goal horn sounding as the puck crosses the line. The Wells Fargo Center goes wild, cheers echoing throughout the packed arena.
I skate back to the bench, sweat dripping down my forehead and into my eyes. When I strip off my helmet, I glance over at Mickey Donoghue, my new agent who’s watching from the front row. None of this feels real. I have an agent and play for the Flyers. A few months ago, I was a college hockey player with a dream. And I don’t just have an agent, I have the best in the business.
Mickey is sitting next to Alex Parker’s wife, Charlotte ‘Coach’ Coachman—now Parker. She’s made a name for herself in this city and the sports world. Most of the guys on the team are represented by either Coach or Mickey. When Nick Baldwin was in the NHL, Mickey represented him. Now, he controls the careers of her older brothers.
I still feel like I’ll wake up tomorrow and I will have imagined all of this. Because of this dream I chased so hard I have everything I’ve ever wanted. Except for Kat. She’s the missing piece in my life. But I’m working on that…
We win the game in overtime. After I get out of the shower, I fix a towel around my waist and grab my cell phone from my locker. I have several text messages and one missed call from Kat.
Congrats, Dean!
You were amazing!
I miss you.
Call me when you get this.
I miss her so damn much my chest aches as I read her messages.
“What are you smiling about?”
I cringe at the sound of Tyler Kane’s deep voice. After I shove my phone back into my locker, I turn around to face him. “Nothing.”
Kane slaps my back. “Keep playing like that, Crawford, and maybe we’ll get past the first round this year.”
I nod, surprised he’s complimenting me instead of being a dick. Will said I have to show Kane that I have what it takes to make it in the NHL. I suppose I’ve done that tonight.
After I get dressed, Ethan and Will appear at my side. I never see one without the other.
“We’re gonna stop by later,” Will says. “We have something to show you.”
My eyebrows rise in confusion. “Show me now.”
Will laughs and then points at me. “Would you look at him?” He at glances Ethan. “He’s all freaked out. Newbies, man. They scare so easily.”
Will confuses the hell out of me. I have no idea what to make of him. Ethan is quiet and keeps to himself most of the time, but Will is loud and obnoxious. Sometimes, I don’t know if he’s being serious about shit or wants to get a rise out of me.
“We’ll be over later,” Will says.
Before I can get in another word, they slip through the locker room. If it’s not a mind-fuck from Tyler Kane, I get it from Will. He’s weird-as-fuck, but at least he’s not an asshole. Just unusual.
An hour later, I’m back at my apartment that overlooks the Camden Waterfront. A handful of guys on my team live in the building and had insisted I buy an apartment because it has the best views in the city. I grew up with nothing, owning nothing. My mother, too. So, when I got this place for a steal, I couldn’t resist.
Alex Parker lives a few floors up from me with his wife and two sons. Ethan and Will share the apartment down the hall from mine, which is pretty awesome. The only downside is they show up whenever they please.
I sit on the couch with my phone in hand, about to call Kat back, when someone knocks on my door. Before I open it, I know who I’ll find on the other side. Ethan and Will are in the hallway, pushing their way into my apartment without asking if I want company. Will drops a pizza on the island in the kitchen. Ethan has a gaming system in his hands and a bunch of controllers.
“We’re playing The Fallen,” Will says. “And so are you. We need another player to round out our team.”
“What are you talking about?”
I move into the living room. They make themselves at home on my couches.
“It’s the game world Coach’s friend created,” Will says. “Don’t tell me you haven’t played The Fallen before.”
