Page 97 of Ice Me Baby

I snort as I take in both her jersey as well as Aspyn’s. Daisy is sporting the number nineteen on her back which happens to be Vicy’s number, while Aspyn is wearing number eight for Taz.They are going to lose their shit when they see these two wearing their numbers.

They know exactly where I’m sitting because I’d told Dean and Mac where I would be. I point to her jersey, then Aspyn’s. “They will love that you are supporting them.”

She bites her lip and huffs. “This doesn’t mean I like them, okay.”

I grin as I placate her with a nod. “Of course, it doesn’t. My mistake.” I doubt the guys will see it that way. As if on cue, music blares through the speakers, and they begin announcing the players. I play with the bracelets on my wrist. I didn’t put them on the carabiner like I normally do, wanting to use them to distract me from my nerves.

Ford—our left wing, and Samy—our defenseman, are announced as they skate out, and the crowd goes wild. The night is special and helps boost the crowd. We have home team advantage, and we want this win. Vicy is announced, and it takes him a few minutes to find me in the crowd. He grins before his eyes shift to the woman beside me, and his eyes widen. He skates over until he’s against the boards and bangs on the glass.

I laugh when he points to Daisy’s jersey, yelling, “That’s my number!”

Daisy’s eyes are wide as she takes in Vicy’s excitement. His gaze shifts to me as he yells again, “That’s my number!”

I nod with a laugh. “I know!”

He begins skating backward, pointing at Daisy. “I’ll make sure to win for you!”

“I didn’t expect him to be that excited,” she whisper-yells because the crowd is rowdy tonight.

I shake my head. “Then you haven’t been paying attention to how much that man likes you.”

She doesn’t get a moment of rest before Taz is announced next, and it doesn’t take long for him to spot us. He grins whenhe sees Daisy and Aspyn. His eyes are locked on Aspyn as he yells, “You cheering for me, little one?”

Aspyn squeals, “Tazzy!”

He’s smiling widely as he backs away. “I’ll get you a puck after the game, Aspyn!”

She squeals again, clapping her little hands. “Mommy! Did you hear that? He's going to get me my very own puck!”

Daisy smiles and replies, “I heard, baby girl.”

Lewi and Oli are announced and they quickly skate by, blowing me a kiss. My heart starts to race as everyone gets into position for the faceoff. The puck drops, the game begins, and then we lose the puck. The away team’s center, number thirty-four, shoots it back to one of their defensemen, number eighty-four, before he passes it to their left wing, number twenty-one, making it cross the blue line before dumping the puck into the far corner. Our defense tries to keep him off Oli as they chase the right wing, number fifty-seven, who now has the puck. Taz and Samy work as a team to avoid letting him have a direct shot.

He attempts the shot, but Oli anticipates the quick top-shelf shot and saves it with an amazing catch. Our team gets the puck, and Ford tries to get out from behind our post as their number twenty-one forces us back. Ford is slammed into the boards, but he refuses to give up the puck as he forces his way around and slaps it toward Vicy.

Vicy slaps it down the ice racing after it. The other team's second defenseman, seventy-two, races after Vicy. Seventy-two manages to get the puck, but Vicy slams him into the boards and steals it from him. Vicy passes it to Lewi, who manipulates the stick and puck to line up the perfect shot, making the buzzer sound and Burn it by The Fever 33 explodes around us. Cheers echo around the rink as Lewi lifts a hand in victory.

The first period ends in a draw, each team with a single goal. The next period is brutal with us down a player for a bit dueto injury. Ford got slammed into the boards too hard, which smashed his hand between his body and the boards. The medics were quick to take him off the ice, and Danni evaluated him while the game continued. The other team became savage as we each fought to get an edge in the second period. The puck managed to slip right between Oli’s legs before he could block it, giving them the lead. It’s time for our fifteen-minute break, and the guys were all panting as they step off the ice.

I’m pretty sure the nails on both of my thumbs have been obliterated by all the nail-biting I've done. We need to score two goals in period three to win. I see the fire in our team’s eyes as the last period begins. Our boys will leave everything out on the ice as they fight and claw to get the puck through those white posts.

Ford and Vicy work together to get Lewi down the ice. Taz and Samy pushing everyone they can away. While all eyes are on Lewi, he quickly passes it to Ford as he makes his way behind the net. Ford passes it back to Lewi, before he slaps it to Vicy, who manages to strike it right into the corner of the goal post.

Power Ride by Fred Coury blasts through the speakers as Ford and Lewi attack Vicy with a hug. With only a few minutes left on the clock, I watch the opposing team's goalkeeper go to the bench for an extra attacker. I know this is a common tactic, and I hope it works in our favor.

The puck is dropped in the center of the ice, and we win possession. I watch in suspense as a battle rages along the boards in the back corner of the opposite end. I bite my lip in worry, hoping we can score while their net is empty. It’s hard to make out whats happening on the other end until the other team manages to shoot the puck down the ice. I watch as it flies down the ice toward Oli.

The puck slows, and Oli gathers as he skates a few feet away from his post. He waits a few seconds to let the clock run down,then scoops the puck into a lifting pass down the ice to get it over the oncoming players. I gasp as I watch the perfect pass as it slides past the defense. I hold my breath as I watch the puck fly down the ice, the opposing team fighting to get to it in time. Their goal is completely empty. Time seems to slow as seconds feel like minutes.

The puck slides into the net and Popular Monster by Falling in Reverse explodes from the speakers. GOALIE GOAL! It was a fucking goalie goal for the win! I jump up and down, screaming as our boys’ attack Oli.

When I look up, I see there are only ten seconds left on the clock. The guys line up for a face off, and the puck drops. Before the puck makes it too far down the ice, the horn blasts, echoing around the rink. The clock hits zero, and we win the game! The Washington Wraiths are going to the playoffs! It’s almost deafening how loud everyone is screaming before they disperse to drink and be merry about our win. I grab Daisy’s hand and usher her toward the exit that leads to the locker room.

The hallway close to the locker room is clear, and I stop when I see Dean standing there getting berated and lectured by his father. I whisper to Daisy, “Go ahead of me.”

She gives me a questioning look but nods. I turn my attention back to my boyfriend. He doesn’t appear to be listening to a single thing his father says. His eyes roam the area, and when they catch on me, he smiles. A genuine, no shit smile. I can’t help but smile back, offering a subtle nod of encouragement.

He holds up a hand to stop his dad, which seems to shock his father into silence. “Sorry to cut this lecture short, Dad, but I have places to be.”

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