Page 144 of Brace and Chase

I recognize the man they’re showing instantly. How could I not when he’s a carbon copy of the one sitting next to me?

But what’s baffling isn’t that Max is standing in Gab’s suite, or that he’s surrounded by smiling Hearts, but that he’s holding up a sign with my grandmother.

“Brotnik + Heart Forever” is written on a big white cardboard, and they’re waving it around like maniacs. Idon’t know how any of them got here on time, they must’ve left to fly down here as soon as I texted them about the photo, but I’m painfully grateful that they’re here.

The packed arena is still going with their cheers, and suddenly the song playing changes.

“Santa Baby,” the Ariana Grande version, comes on, and I have to burst out laughing when the feed on the jumbotron changes to Nik. He snaps his mouth closed and tries to scowl at the attention, but the way his cheeks redden at an alarming rate betrays him.

It goes on long enough that the crowd is singing along, but then the song changes again, and I shake my head in amazement.

It’s the first time they’ve played it for me in this arena, though they used to play it almost every game back in Atlanta.

“Sweet Caroline” rings out, and the crowd changes the lyrics too.

“Sweet Charlie Heart, pa pa pa.” I applaud the great rendition and smile like an idiot, but soon enough my gaze returns to Gab’s suite, where my family inexplicably is, and surrounding Max no less.

“Did you know he would come?” I ask Nik quietly, right when the game is about to resume.

“No, I didn’t,” he whispers. His eyes are filled with wonder as they stay locked on the suite as well.

I pat his leg and nod at the ice, a signal that we still havea game to win. I see the familiar intensity come into his eyes, harden his jaw, and I know it’s on.

But by the time there’s only two minutes left in the third period and we’re tied at four, I know we have to do something drastic.

No matter how fucking locked in we are, we just can’t find a way in.

Laney calls a time-out ten seconds after we hit the ice, and we’re huddled by the bench as he shakes his head.

“You have to put one in, guys. Finish this.”

“We know,” Spiderman grumbles. “They won’t let us get fucking through,” he spits, clearly as frustrated as I feel.

The thought of losingthisgame,tonight, is dreadful.

Of course I want to win so we can go all the way in the playoffs, but we could lose a game in the round and still win it.

But not tonight.

Not after yet more players of this team have been disrespected on a national level.

It’s that second I remember.

“Your trick play,” I whisper furiously, hoping that no one from Denver can read my lips as I push on Nik’s shoulder so he’ll get what I’m saying faster.

“What trick play?” he asks with a frown.

“The one you did on my first practice with you guys.” I turn to Laney, desperation clear in every word. “Put Bates in instead of me. I can go to first if they don’t get it, but youknow it’s our best shot. Jules and his guys are all exhausted but Bates can manage it.”

Laney takes two eternal seconds to think about it then turns to the bench.

“Bates, you’re in for Charlie.”

“No,” Nik protests. “We’re the wall,” he tells me urgently.

“We need to win.” I leave no room for argument. “You can hold them off after you score. But you have to score, Nik.”

There’s no more time for argument, Bates is over the boards and so am I, and I leave Nik to go do his thing while he’s staring at me with disappointment in his eyes.

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