Page 70 of Accidentally Checked By My Brother's Best Friend

Settled in my seat, Scarlett still talking, I let my eyes skate over the ice. Immediately, my gaze lands on Duncan. He’s covered from head to toe in gear, and I can’t make out his expression. I wipe my hands on my jeans knowing I’ll have to wait hours before I can tell him how I feel.

Under the excitement is the slightest part of me terrified he won’t feel the same. Irrational? Maybe. But it’s lingering nonetheless.

David and Scarlett may have told me that he loves me, but I won’t be able to relax until I hear the words come from his lips. My body zings with energy as Duncan’s gaze slams into mine just as he’s skating toward the locker room.

Scarlett jumps up and down, and Duncan waves her. Then, he looks back at me and gives me a two-finger salute. From where I’m sitting I can see his green eyes gleaming and I have to control the urge driving me to get up and throw my arms around him.

Two. More. Hours. If there isn’t overtime. Impatience swirls through me. I don’t want to waste another moment where we aren’t on the same page. I want the world to know he’s mine. Most importantly I want him to know that he is, and has always been, the only one for me.

I collapse fully into my seat, butterflies flitting around my body. Scarlett babbles happily about stats, records, and how Duncan played on the Panthers versus his play on the Wolverines. Looking over her shoulder at David, I mouth, “You’ve created a monster.”

His lip pulls up, a satisfied grin spreads across his face, pride written all over it. “Wait until baseball season,” he mouths back, and I groan.

I love my best friend, but I have never been a huge sports fan. Don’t get me wrong, I will cheer all day long, but most of the time I don’t fully know what’s going on.

Just like hockey.

A wide grin spreads across my face and a shiver runs from head to toe at the thought of all the time I can spend with Duncan letting him teach me about hockey. When the Wolverines take the ice and Duncan heads to the ‘basket’, my cheeks pull up to the point that I think they may crack.

I plan on making sure that it includes lots of snuggle time and kissing breaks.

Chapter Thirty-One

Duncan

Bottomofthethirdperiod and we currently have a shutout. It’s not that big of a surprise considering the goaltenders. Matthew Steel, the Florida Panthers’ goalie, was my backup and is a phenomenal player. Not to mention the rest of the talent on his team.

He, in particular, however, is living up to his ‘Man of Steel’ nickname when it comes to everything the Wolverines have been hitting him with. And I am living up to my nickname of ‘Denier’.

My former teammates have been doing their best to push all my usual hotspots, but today, I’m solid. As irritated as I was to find my current teammates calling a meeting to discuss how to help me, I can see clearly how much I needed their help.

My performance on the ice is proof. I’m not just the goal defender, I’m one-sixth of ateam. A pressure I didn’t realize I was carrying is released as I let the rest of the team help with the load and do their jobs.

The Panthers’ center, Green, grabs a pass from their winger, Slater, and makes it past both Wolverines’ defensemen, leaving the stop up to me. Green takes an incredible shot toward the upper left corner of the net only to have it denied. The crowd roars.

Just as quickly, Slater is able to rebound and attempts another shot but it’s denied again. The roar from the crowd this time is so loud, the vibration moves in time with the pumping of my heart.

From behind me, I see Cavill able to wrap around and skate the biscuit down to the open ice and into Panther territory. He gets checked by the Panthers’ winger but not before he can get a quick pass to Davidson who grabs the puck and takes one last shot before the buzzer ending the third period blows. The goal horn wails and the scoreboard changes to 1-0.

Tapping the ice with my stick, I pump my fist in the air before slowly skating over to celebrate with my teammates. My body is buzzing with adrenaline and feeding off the fans' excitement. My eyes flick up looking for Ava and when my gaze lands on her I can see a smile splitting her face from here. A bead of sweat rolls down my back, warmth spills throughout my chest, and a lopsided grin crosses my lips.

Scarlett grabs Ava’s hand and leads her to the rink, standing in front of it, and waits for me—our usual routine. When I reach them, Scarlett has her hand pressed against the glass and I splay my hand over hers.

Shifting my gaze over to Ava’s, her blue eyes are sparkling and the smile stretched across her face makes my insides feel like candy sitting in the sun too long on a warm summer day. I move my hand to the glass before her, and she lifts her hand to cover mine. Looking at our hands together, my insides melt a little bit more.

A calmness settles deep in my chest.

Glancing back at her face I let my eyes roam over every inch of it. When my eyes fall to her lips I pause. Her lips move, and my stomach swooshes. My mouth drops open and my eyes whip back to hers. The look in her eyes grabs my heart, as she nods. My heart pounds like wild horses running across my body, leaving my knees weak.

All thoughts fly from my mind, and my heart stops.

“James!” Davidson yells in my ear, chuckling. He gives me a stiff shove toward the locker room. “Come on. You’ll see her in a little bit.”

Scowling to Scarlett and Ava’s delight, I follow my team captain and make my way off the ice.

Walking into the locker room I stop and let my gaze swing over my teammates. A sense of camaraderie filling me for the first time since playing with the Wolverines. And maybe, if I’m honest, for the first time since being drafted. I forgot what it was like to belong to something bigger than myself.

I thought I waspartof a team for years, but today showed me how I’ve kept myself protected by only giving small pieces of me to anyone or anything. I was present physically, but didn’t give myself emotionally.

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