Page 70 of Spite Crush

“You ready for this?” Josh asked as we made our way up the tunnel toward the ice.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

The lights went out as they always did and we skated out onto the rink as spotlights shone across us and the announcer called our names one by one.

“And team captain, number thirteen,” the booming voice said through the loudspeaker. “Zaaaaak Demmmmpsey!”

The roar that erupted from the crowd was the loudest it had ever been and when the rest of the lights came up, illuminating the fans, I stopped dead on the ice, staringaround in shock at a sea of pride flags waving across the arena, held by hundreds of screaming fans.

The ice vibrated beneath me as the cheers continued, people stamping their feet and calling out support, showing me more adoration than I could have ever imagined.

This was what I’d hidden from my whole life? Never giving these people the opportunity to show me that they loved me no matter what?

“You gonna cry?” Josh asked, skating up next to me, his blades throwing snow over my legs.

“Maybe,” I admitted. “Wouldn’t you?”

“Bitch, I cry for you every day,” he said, clapping me on the back. “Because you’ll never be as awesome as me and I feel bad for you, son.”

The Panthers skated out then, the announcer calling each of their names as they skated past us single file, each of us shaking hands with them until it was time to line up for the anthems and get the game under way.

Josh took position for the puck drop and I faced off with Roger Manchester, the right wing for the Panthers.

“Hey, Manchester,” I called out to him. “Do you think Portland will give this kind of reception when you come out?”

“I’d still be too good for you, Dempsey,” he shot back. “Try not to spend all night staring at my ass.”

We grinned at each other, knowing we’d each set the tone for the evening and giving each other a glimpse of the smack that would bethrown down. All in good fun but no holds barred.

Exactly the way I liked it.

Josh snagged the puck and off we went, each team’s goals taking save after save through the entire first period, sending us into the break at zero to zero.

As we kicked off the second period, a massive roar went up in the crowd and I turned to see Kellen’s smiling face lighting up the big screen over the center of the ice.

I took a pass from Josh but Manchester came out of fuckingnowhere, grabbing the puck with his stick between my damned legs and tearing off toward our goal. He flicked up and the puck sailed over Ozzy’s leg into the net.

“Panther’s score!” the announcer called over the sound of boos and groans from the crowd.

Leo snagged the puck and I winged him, trying to cover as he sped down the ice, but once again, fucking Manchester came around and stole it.

“Maybe if you spent less time sucking dick and more time playinghockey you’d win another game,” Manchester yelled as he skated past me.

“You French kiss your sister with that mouth?” I shot back as I spun and followed after him.

Once again he shot toward Ozzy, but thankfully Oz got the save, dropping the puck to Josh, who skated it behind the net and tore ass down the ice, Carl and Henry flanking him while the Panthers chased and Leo and I hung back in case they got another steal that we needed to answer.

But Josh made it down ice and took his shot, which was blocked. As was every other shot we took at their goal in the second period. While the Panthers got a second point off Ozzy.

So we headed into the third period down by two, and I couldn’t stop the pit from growing in my stomach. It was not looking good for us.

“Hey Dempsey, what that mouth do?” Flannigan asked as he flew around me, our sticks clashing as I blocked his attempt to steal the puck.

“Why don’t you ask you dad?” I snapped, stopping dead still as he skated past and passing the puck to Leo who dodged a block from Manchester and skated toward the Panther’s goal…where his shot was stopped.

The minutes were ticking down and no matter how many shots on goal we took, their goalie blocked every one of them.

Ozzy was doing his best to keep the Panthers at two, but as the buzzer sounded, Manchester hit another goal home and our playoffrun ended in an embarrassing three to nothing loss at home.

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