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I watch in delight as he loops around the back of the goal and comes flying up the other end. My heart pounds as an opponent comes right for him with the intention of slamming him into the wall, but Jax sidesteps the guy with some impressive footwork and continues on his way.
Two more come for him, but Bobby’s got his back. Then moments before the collision, Jax flicks the puck to Bobby, avoids being nailed by the opposition, and gets straight back into his rhythm. With Bobby facing a similar situation, he slides the puck back toward Jax, who passes it on to some kid who’s charging up the center of the ice. The kid shoots the puck right into the back of the net, and the buzzer sounds, signaling the first goal of the game.
I can’t help but get to my feet and cheer, my hands flying up as I start jumping up and down with the rest of the crowd. “Who’s that kid?” I shout to Brianna over the noise.
“That’s Xander. He’s a new transfer. I don’t really know anything about him, but man, he has some skills,” she says proudly before getting back to cheering for Bobby.
I catch Jax’s eye, and a smile is somehow pulled from my body. He beams back at me, clearly overtaken by excitement, but that smile breaks my heart. It’s the very same smile he used to give me and, for a moment, I pretend he’s the old Jax, the one who unashamedly loved me. The crowd finally settles down as the referee gets set up to continue, and once again, I find myself on the very edge of my seat.
The game continues at the same pace with Jax and his team annihilating the opposition. Brianna and I spend the whole game cheering and booing at all the right times, and by the end of the game, my throat is aching. The boys have come out champions, and I couldn’t be prouder, no matter how much I try to hide it.
As everyone spills out of the grandstand, I jump up to join the line. “Where do you think you’re going?” Brianna asks as she kicks her feet up onto the vacated chair in front of her.
“Um . . . home?” I ask, a little unsure.
“And how do you suppose you’re doing that? The boys drove us here, remember?” she smirks.
Ahh, shit. In all the excitement, I’d completely forgotten.
Taking my seat beside her, we wait for the boys to make their way out of the locker room. The longer we sit here, the more I dread the awkward conversation that’s sure to come up between me and Jax, but if I’m lucky, he won’t be there, and Bobby can just slip out to drive us home.
Hope starts to course through me as I watch the exit that leads from the locker room, and shortly after, the boys start trickling out. Unfortunately, Jax walks out right beside Bobby. Damn it, that’s what I get for wishful thinking.
Brianna grabs my hand and pulls me along as she rushes down the stairs toward the boys. She gives her brother a beaming smile as she crashes into him with a massive hug. “Congratulations,” she squeals, jumping up and down in his arms and accidentally nailing him in the chin with her big-ass head. They both cringe in pain as she steps back out of his arms. “Ouch,” she whines, rubbing her head.
“Yeah, no shit,” Bobby replies, lifting his hand to his chin.
“Ahh,” I say, wanting to be anywhere but here. “That was a great game,” I say to the boys but keep my eyes trained on Bobby.
“Great?” he laughs. “It was fucking legendary.”
His attitude is infectious and has the awkwardness fading away, right until Jax turns around when a few girls all but throw themselves at him. My gaze falls to the ground, my heart shattering once again.
Bobby notices and does what he can to get my mind off the impossible. “So, what are you girls doing tonight?”
“Well, I was hoping you were going to take us home,” I say, preferably without the tagalong and his new bitches.
“Ahh, no,” Bri interjects. “We’re going out, but it would be cool if you could drop us home to get dressed first,” she adds, fluttering her eyes at her twin brother.
“No way in hell,” Bobby scoffs. “I’m not your chauffeur. If you want a lift then it’s either home or to Micky’s with us. I’m not waiting around for an hour while you girls do all your girly shit.”
I watch in delight as Jax’s back stiffens when Bobby suggests we tag along to Micky’s, and a grin spreads wide over my face. There’s no way he’d hook up with some chick while I’m there . . . right? “You know what, Bobby?” I start. “I think we’d love to come to Micky’s with you.”
