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Gone. Null and void, just like that.
Like I can start again. And I intend to, right this very minute.
CHAPTER26
Taylor
The crowd thumps and roars as we’re called to the ice.
It runs through me that this could be it… If we win this, we win the cup.
No more traveling for a while. We’ll get a break and we get to hold the Stanley Cup in our hands.
I keep reiterating it over and over, like it’s the first time I’ve heard it.
I don’t look back to the stands, because if Emmerson doesn’t show, I don’t know what that will do to my psyche. I guess I will push it aside if that happens, to deal with later, but it sure as hell would be nice to have her here when we take it home.
I don’t see any other outcome, because I won’t accept failure now the team has come this far. Josh Beauman is mine tonight, and I’m not taking any prisoners. They know as well as we do how high the stakes are.
We quickly huddle, and this time it’s Ty to take the lead in one of our pep talks before the first period starts. I guess he is the captain, after all.
“Let’s fucking ram this home,” he roars. “We got this, guys. Keep the defense tight, as tight as it’s ever been. Get those passes through, clear and sharp, no fucking around.”
We all hand stack in our signature fashion before getting into position.
My body may have felt a little tired earlier, with my bruises still healing from my run with Ace Brixton last week, but once I’m on the ice, I forget all of it.
I notice early on there’s a buzz from our guys… bigger than the Vegas buzz, because one, we’re on home turf, and two, we all know we only gotta win this game… If we can keep up the mindset and put our motivation into the moves, we can do it, hands down.
Defense is as tight as we thought it would be, but I feel like I’m on fire tonight.
If Em isn’t here by now… she will be at home with her parents watching the game.
Of that part, I’m totally sure.
I hope she appears. Though, I would have thought if she was coming, she would be here by now.
Play is rough and tight when I take a pass from Ashton down the center. Josh slams through to my side, straight into the glass, and I hear my helmet bang against it harder than what seems normal, but I push him off me and we have a standoff for a moment. The crowd love it even more when we fight, though too much is at stake for me to take it that far. I have to keep all my bones intact and get us some goals in the net.
Vegas Heat end up scoring in the last five minutes, and Jake scores our first with minutes to go… I’m fucking proud of him. We celebrate but don’t make a huge show of it, even though the crowd is insane. Instead, we refocus as the clock ticks down.
On the next play, Jake gets slammed into the barrier and goes down by Peter Montgomery, their other defenseman. He lands on his back looking up at the ceiling.
I skate on over, as does Jay.
“You all right, man?” I hold out a hand to him.
He grabs it, and I pull him up.
“Don’t let that fucker get the drop on you,” Jay yells, patting him on the back.
“He’s fucking everywhere,” Jake mutters.
We’re all feeling it. They ain’t going down without a pummeling fight.
We resume play, and a few minutes from the siren, I’m ready to make my move for goal, my skates sliding once more like a hot knife through butter. I watch out of my peripheral, Josh on my flank. No matter which way I turn, he’s there. I know the guy is fast, but I’m faster.
I snake my way to the left, then dodge to the right, straight for the goal as I hit the puck flying. The goalie lunges, and I hold my breath as I watch it sink into the net.
