Page 161 of Suck My Puck

So I holed up in the apartment with Bella and Maizie. We watched movies, cuddled on the couch, took walks in the neighborhood, and stopped by Bella’s coffee shop. And we visited Lucas in the hospital after he had his surgery.

I gave my phone number to him and his family. His parents text me often to update me on how he’s doing. He’s responding well to the bone marrow donation. He’s getting stronger every day.

Someone smacks my shoulder. I turn and see Xander.

“Hey, man. You’re gonna kick ass tonight.”

I nod at him. “Thanks.”

“Don’t forget to lick the bottom of your stick. Every time you forget to do one of your rituals, it makes me nervous for the game,” he says.

I chuckle. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

I look past Xander and see the rest of my team gathered behind me, eager to hit the ice. Theo nods at me, his game face on.

Del shoves my shoulder. “Let’s fucking go.”

Adrenaline rockets through me. I lick the bottom of my stick, then walk out. I always lead the team out onto the ice. The second my skate hits the ice, the crowd explodes. The applause is deafening. It’s usually loud during a home game when we head out for warmups, but this is insane. My ears are ringing so loud it hurts.

I try to focus and head to the net to warm up, but then Del taps my shoulder with his stick.

“Dude, do you see this?” he says, motioning to the crowd.

That’s when I notice all the signs.

Welcome back, Blomdahl!

We missed you, #3!

We love you, Blomdahl!

Blomdahl, you’re the man!

#3 you’re a hero

Blomdahl fan for life!

Emotion chokes my throat when I realize that the crowd’s reaction is for me.

Del elbows me. “The fans missed you, man. We all did.”

Tears burn my eyes. I blink quickly but a couple manage to fall down my cheeks.

Xander skates over and smiles. “Take a second to say hi to your fans.”

Theo grins. “Yeah, man. This is fucking awesome. Enjoy it.”

I skate around the rink and wave at the fans. They cheer like crazy. The entire arena is vibrating, they’re making so much noise. I stop and sign some hockey pucks and jerseys. I take the time to chat with a group of kids who came to the game.

When I finish up, I head to my net to warm up. I spot Bella standing at the entrance of the tunnel.

I turn around and skate over to her, grinning like a madman.

My nerves ease. That’s all it takes. One smile from Bella and I’m instantly calm, instantly content.

“Hey. Are you watching the game from the tunnel tonight?”

She chuckles and shakes her head. “I’ll be behind the net, like always. I just got this text from Lucas’s dad and thought you might like to see it before your first game back.”

---