Page 36 of Glitz & Goals

So close.

“Keep pressing!” I shout, pacing behind the bench. My nerves are a live wire, but the guys are clicking, moving like they’ve been playing together for years.

After a quick line change, the Riot push back hard, trying to break out of their zone, but Camden reads the play perfectly and intercepts a pass in the neutral zone. He turns on the jets, cutting through the defense like a knife through butter. The crowd roars as he snaps a shot top shelf, but the Riot’s goalie just gets a piece of it, deflecting it into the glass.

“Good look, Beck!” I holler, clapping as he circles back. “Keep it up!”

The first period ends scoreless, and the guys file off the ice, chests heaving but focused. I give them quick pointers in the locker room, keeping it short and sharp. There’s no time for overthinking.

By the second period, we’ve found our rhythm. Knight threads a perfect pass to Viktor, who buries it with a wrist shot that sends the puck flying past the Riot’s goalie. The red light flashes, and the arena explodes. I slam my hand against the glass in celebration. “Atta boy, Abbott!”

But the Riot answer back just minutes later, tying it up. The rest of the period is a grind, every play hard-fought, every shift a battle.

The third period starts, and the game’s still tied. My stomach’s in knots, but the guys are locked in. Knight wins a critical faceoff in the offensive zone, setting up Tristan for a beauty of a one-timer that rockets into the back of the net. 2-1, Venom.

We’ve got five minutes left, and the Riot are throwing everything they’ve got at us. My voice is hoarse from shouting instructions, but the team’s holding the line. Noah’s shouting at our goalie, coaching him through the chaos, and the veteran’s standing tall, making save after save.

With just over a minute left, the Riot pull their goalie for the extra attacker. It’s a frenzy in our zone, pucks flying, bodies crashing, but somehow, we keep them from finding the back of the net. The final horn blares, and the bench erupts.

The guys pour onto the ice, celebrating the win, and the crowd’s on their feet, roaring their approval. I lean against the boards for a moment, taking it all in.

Then, almost instinctively, I glance up at the friends and family seats underneath Dante’s personal skybox. I wish Viv was there instead of at the theater. In my mind, she’s on her feet, clapping, her face glowing with excitement.

Maybe someday.

I don’t let myself linger. There’s work to do, and I need to keep my head straight. I turn and head down the tunnel, the sound of victory echoing in my ears.

By the time I change, the locker room is quieter, and I catch Noah and Ranger near the exit, deep in conversation. They look up as I approach, their expressions shifting into something that tells me I’m about to get roped into whatever they’re scheming.

“We always go to The Puck Drop,” Noah says, as if the very idea that we might go somewhere else is shocking.

Ranger bobs his head in agreement. “It’s our place. Haven’t you been yet?”

I shake my head.

“Oh, you’re going to love it.” Ranger rubs his hands together and grins. “Our buddy Coop owns it…”

“Cooper Harrison?” I blurt.

“Yeah.” Ranger smiles, but it’s one of those smiles that contains a question. “You know him?”

“I know his stats,” I correct. Although, yeah, Coop and I have met in person. Apparently, I didn’t make much of an impression on the Venom players, and it still catches me off guard to remember that.

Ranger’s smile clears up. “Of course! Well, he was a decent player, but he’s a fantastic home cook. Plus, he learned a ton of secret family recipes from his, uh, grandmother-in-law, I guess? So, the food’s actually good, unlike some of the bars around here. I’ll send you the address.”

The Puck Drop is located in Serenity Shores, a community just outside Vegas built around a manmade lake. It’s dark by the time we arrive, but as I walk from the parking deck to the Puck Drop, I make a mental note to come back sometime. This place is way more my speed than the Strip.

At the Puck Drop, one of the little servo-bots points me back to the team lounge. Ranger wasn’t kidding when he said this was their spot. They’ve got their own room and everything. Most of the team is already there, but there’s no sign of Viv. I hope shemakes it tonight, but I brace myself for disappointment just in case.

Knight taps my shoulder while we wait for our first round of drinks. “Check this out, Coach.” He waves me over to one of the walls covered in Venom memorabilia. It’s a gold mine, not only of vintage Venom merch but of personal photos and printed blog posts.

I snort when I see a photo of Viktor done up like a princess. “Nice,” I say.

“He was Viv’s guinea pig back in the day.” Knight chuckles. “She used to dress up their dog, too.” He points to another photo of a swarm of smiling kids clustered around a familiar dog in a Captain Marvel costume.

“Hah. Biscuit, right?” I put my nose right up to the glass. Goddamn, Viv was so precious.

Then, it occurs to me that she’ll have adorable kids someday. Kids just like her and Viktor. With someone else. I can’t give her that, and the odds that she’d trade in the possibility of a family to stay with me is… not impossible, I guess, but not great. I need to tell her the truth before things progress much further. I’m serious about her, but if I let myself go all in and then she drops me like deadweight, I’m going to be ruined. I can’t do that to myself again. My heart is too fragile.

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