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We all jump into action, filling the arena with the lethal sounds of skates cutting across the ice. It mixes with the energy from the crowd, sucking me into the elation of the game. That feeling is as addictive as any potent drug.
I always feel it. Every time, at this moment when the game begins.
The feeling reminds me of the first time I fell in love with hockey. I was eight, watching my father play. He scored the winning goal and I knew I wanted to be just like him. This week that feeling has been amplified. Because of her.
Autumn Jakobe.
She’s in the stands again tonight with her family. I didn’t expect them to be at every game this week, but the whole family seems to be here again at Jakobe’s request. Maybe for strength in unity. Having them here makes him look less bad for benching me. I heard he got some hate mail the other day. Hockey is a very family-orientated sport, so with his family here he looks less like the prick he is.
That’s no problem for me. It means seeing Autumn again and watching her watch me.
I get lost in the game, but I get lost in my thoughts of her, too.
Despite my wandering eyes, I’ve been good this week. I stood by my word to stay away. It’s been hard right from that day in her office when Evan came to pick her up, but I did it.
I wanted to snap his neck for the way he spoke to me and the way he was looking at Autumn, but I managed to keep my head screwed on.
That night I knew Autumn was stunned by the reaction of the crowd to me. I was, too. I didn’t expect it.
When you’ve played the game for as long as I have you get used to things, but every now and again something surprises you. That night was one of them.
The support from not just the crowd but also my teammates was something I’ll always remember. It was definitely right up there with one of the best moments of my career.
My family and friends were here cheering for me, too, and I even felt that my parents were here in spirit. I could imaginemy old man looking down at me and smiling because at that moment it was like I surpassed him in everything.
I always run the joke that I’m the hockey god, but damn if I didn’t feel like one that night. And every other night since.
As that was the first game since being benched, I served up the skills the crowd came for and wiped the floor with Seattle.
The score that night was 3-1. Three goals for us, one for them. One of the winning goals was scored by yours truly. We had the same success on Friday against the Dare Devils with a 2-1 score.
I can already feel tonight’s win in the palms of my hands, and I know that greedy bastard Jakobe is gobbling this all up.
He’s like the collector. Because this is his team the asshole takes all the credit, while I have to fight for the one thing I know I deserve.Andstay away from the one woman I want. The latter makes me feel like a fucking coward.
I steal a risky glance at Autumn. She’s already watching me as if I’m the only player on the ice.
Wearing a blood-red sweater with her hair piled up in a messy bun, she looks sexy as fuck.
It’s amazing. There is a row of cheerleaders and no end of puck bunnies on the sidelines, dressed in bikini tops and gym shorts, but I’m turned on by fully-clothed Autumn with her innocent eyes. She could be wearing a nun’s outfit and I’d still be turned on because I want to imagine myself undressing her. Unwrapping her layer by layer until I hit the jackpot of seeing her perfect, naked body again.
Jesus, help me. I have to get this girl out of my head.
As if the good Lord can hear me, the puck suddenly comes flying my way and I take the opening to strike.
I move across the ice at lightning speed, outmaneuvering the defender to get control of the puck.
With the roar of the crowd in my ears I sail past my opponents, handling my hockey stick like it’s an extension of my arm guiding the puck to victory.
It would be great to score the first goal before the intermission.
I make it to the goal and the Dallas players swarm me like a plague of ants, but with one swift move I hit the puck toward the goal and score.
The crowd’s cheers rip through my body, leaving my ears as numb as if I’d just come back from a rock concert.
Heath rushes at me, hollering with praise. The other guys hoot and holler, too. All except Evan, who skates past us, casting hateful daggers at me.
Motherfucker.He can look at me all he wants. I’ll continue to show him what winning looks like. Scoring that goal set the premise for the night and put us in the good graces of the hockey gods.
