AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Please stop. I want to watch the game in peace,” Maeve pleads.
“Fine.” He shakes his head. “But I was doing a fantastic job.”
“I thought you were,” I say.
He holds his fist out, and I bump it with mine. “Thanks, Lucy. You know talent when you hear it.”
Calista titters beside me. She leans closer to me. “He’s adorable. Oh, to be that young again.”
“Right? Although, I like the freedom of being an adult.”
“Here we go.” Calista’s eyes lock on Ryder with intensity.
The ref drops the puck, and the game starts with a burst of action. Sticks clash, and bodies collide as they fight for the upper hand. I immediately get sucked into the fast pace. The players race around after the small black puck fast enough to make my head spin. When I think one of the Coyotes has control, it gets stripped away by their opponent. It’s infuriating and exciting at the same time. I see the seventy-five on the back of a jersey and watch Niall and one of the other team’s players chase after the puck. Niall slams him into the boards, and the thundering sound makes me cringe.
“That had to hurt,” Maeve says, giggling excitedly.
I hear a fan behind me yell, “Yeah! Fuck him up!”
Jesus. Hockey fans are a bloodthirsty bunch.
I hear the players’ blades ripping into the ice as their strokes propel them at a speed that makes my stomach drop.
What does it feel like to go that fast?
It must be similar to flying. I haven’t skated since I was a young girl, and my version of skating consisted of marching across the ice instead of gliding.
Keeping my eyes on Niall feels like watching the silver ball in a pinball game. He darts around one player, stealing the puck, then passes it to Kaiden, who slaps it into the net with precision accuracy. I’m about to ask if they scored when the crowd erupts in celebration. I join in, adding my voice to the cheering.
“Niall “the Annihilator” O’Rourke, with an assist to the team captain, has the Coyotes drawing first blood,” Rogan announces.The Annihilatoris someone this team isn’t prepared for, and they know it. Look at how they hesitate to challenge him. He’s in their heads, ladies and gentlemen. The game is already over.”
“Are you done?” Maeve asks.
He pretends to drop his imaginary microphone. “For now.”
Rogan isn’t exaggerating about his brother’s prowess on the ice. He plays aggressively with cat-like reflexes. By the end of the game, this football fan is screaming along with the hockey fans like I’m one of them. And after tonight, I might be.
Although not close in score, this game has been exciting to watch. I don’t understand most of the rules, but I know scoring goals is the objective.
“What now?” I ask Maeve.
“Let’s go out with the team to celebrate their win,” she suggests.
“I’m on board with that,” Rogan confirms.
“Are you going home?” I ask Calista.
“No. Ryder wants me to go out with him. You have to come too.”
My face must show my indecision because Maeve smiles mischievously. “Did you forget you rode with us?”
“I did, and I’m regretting that choice now.”
Calista hooks her hand around my arm. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. We can head to the bar and get something to eat. They have great food,” she says, and I perk up.
“Now you’re talking.”
Brain Fog Pub is a popular bar I haven’t been to, but I’ve heard of it. They’ve been in business long enough to have a reputation for top-notch food and drinks. The four of us settle around a long table in the back of the bar, and Calista explains it’s reserved for the local sports teams.
