Page 56 of SNOB

With a grin, I slap it in and the crowd roars.

“Hell yeah, Mac!” I can hear Gray cheer from here. “That’s what the fuck I’m talking about! He’s back baby!”

A couple of guys from the team slide towards me, patting my helmet and shoulders. My eyes shift to Ember as she knocks back her drink, cheering with Gray and his pal Ripley. If she thinks that’s impressive, I have a lot more coming.

The crowd fuels me, so does my team and when the puck comes my way again, I drive it forward. Moving smoothly between my teammates, I don’t need a pass this time. I secure my route around the other team, moving my feet in the unorthodox way that makes Coach cringe.

Thwack!

Two to zero comes fast, the crowd erupting in cheers as the siren wails. One look at Coach tells me he’s as impressed with me as I am. And one look at Ember tells me she feels the same.

There’s a big smile on her face as she high-fives Gray. When she locks eyes with me, the fire in my gut builds. I’m ready to show her how much our past won't affect me anymore.

She holds no power.

We dominate the first, up three to two by the end of the period. Eden Gardens came to the series opener playing hard, but Bisons come harder. I come harder. Moving my eyes to her again, I make sure she sees that.

Wait, what’s Gray doing?

With three minutes left in the period, my eyes narrow on Gray as he slips an arm behind Ember, pulling her close.

I miss my pass.

“Mac!” Ryung yells. “C’mon!”

Shaking my head I grip my stick tighter, my view drifting back to Ember and Gray. She laughs as he whispers something to her.

“Mac!” Ryung calls again.

The puck heads right for my stick.

“I got this, I got this,” I mutter, driving forward.

Slam!

A flash of white blinds me before my body flies into the glass.

Crack!

The crowd goes silent before I even feel it.

Everything slows as my ass slams down onto the ice.

The ref blows a whistle, pausing the game.

One of the Bisons slides over. “You alright, man?”

Nodding, I push to get up, my eyes trying to see past my team surrounding me to Ember. That’s when that familiar pain comes roaring back.

You fucking idiot.

“Fuck!” I yell, that pain impossible to ignore as it floods my system. My vision blurs as Coach blocks my view.

“Can you stand?” Coach asks, a medic next to him.

“I—I can’t.”

“The fuck were you looking at, McKinsley?” Ryung skates up to us. Straight to business.

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