Page 42 of Fear of Falling

I was buzzing as they came barreling towards us. The fans behind us yelled as players weaved in and out of each other. One second there were two players scrambling for the puck, and the next bodies were slammed into the plexiglass directly in front of us.

Mila, Tasha and I all jumped as the plexiglass rattled and shook. The sound of the players hitting it was louder than I’d anticipated. Of course, neither player was fazed as they skated off.

“Holy shit,” Tasha breathed. She turned to Mila and I with wide eyes.

“Isn’t it great?” Mila beamed.

“It’s even more intense in person,” I grinned back.

“Oh god, there’s two of you,” Tasha said as she glanced at us like she couldn’t believe we’d enjoy watching grown men slammed against boards.

Before I could say something in response, the sound of fans booing jerked my head up. Further down the ice, I caught sight of number 18, Trevor, butting helmets with someone from theHuskies. From here I could see how intimidating Trevor looked. He may be wearing skates and tons of pads but there was no mistaking his height or the width of his shoulders. I’d seen enough pictures of him off the ice to know the guy was built. There’s a reason other players don’t want to go against him on the ice.

“What happened?” Tasha peered around me to see.

“Looks like Trevor is getting into it with someone.” I watched as the Knights captain suddenly came between Trevor and the other player. Wyatt pressed a gloved hand to Trevor’s chest and shoved him back, clearly saying something as he did.

“Who’s Trevor?” Tasha asked.

“He’s one of Wyatt’s best friends. He may be a fuck-boy, but he’s probably one of the nicest guys on the team,” Mila answered.

“He’s the one who just winked at you.” I added.

“Fuck-boy, huh?” Tasha said, and I couldn’t decide if she was intrigued or turned off. Then again Tasha’s always done the exact opposite of what people expect her to. Part of it has to do with her parents wanting her to act one way, so instead she did the opposite just to piss them off. Like the time she dyed her hair bright pink right before the big gala her parents hosted every year.

“He’s great though,” Mila continued. “We’ll have to go and see the guys later and introduce you.”

“Hm.” Was all Tasha said, but I could tell she was curious about Trevor.

That’s going to be interesting when they meet.

The next part of the game passed by uneventfully. Neither team scored, the goalies doing a great job at stopping anyone from landing a puck in the net. When the first intermission came, the three of us worked our way back up the stairs to grab a drink.

It’s crazy how fast Mila became a friend. There’s something about her that radiated energy and just pure kindness. She fit right in with Tasha and me. It felt like she’d been friends with us for ages, not someone we’d just met.

I’d never been the best at making friends. I was either too shy to initiate conversation, or I’d make a new friend for just a short while before they found someone else they bonded with more.

When I met Tasha, I thought that would be the same scenario. We were complete opposites, so I didn’t think for one moment we’d end up best friends. But here we are, eight years later and we’re practically sisters.

Meeting Mila, I could see her easily fitting in with Tasha and Lydia.

“So, you’re a photographer, right?” Mila asked as we waited in line for a beer.

“I am. I work atFusion Weekly.”

“Wait, I've seen that magazine. I bought a copy last week!”

“All the pictures in there are hers.” Tasha nudged me with a smile.

“That’s amazing. You covered an event I did a few weeks ago.”

At my curious look she expanded. “I’m an event coordinator. Well, I’m an event coordinator assistant, but my boss is letting me take over events lately which is very exciting.”

“That’s amazing. Event coordinators do so much work.” I’ve talked to my fair share of them when I photograph an event.

“It’s never ending. I have an event coming up that’s taking literally all my time and attention. Poor Bryton has had to deal with me canceling dates to get everything done.”

“How did you and Bryton meet?” I asked as the three of us shuffled down the line.

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