Page 91 of Absolutely Not in Love
He nods. “All right. I trust you. Take a minute and find your center. You’ve got the skills to block every single one of the shots they’re going to fire at you out there.” He taps the side of his head. “It’s a mind game now.” He claps me on the shoulder one more time, then turns his attention back to the rest of the team.
I pull my phone and headphones out of my locker and crank up the heavy metal of all classical compositions, Stravinsky’sThe Rite of Spring. It’s not my regular go-to, but if anything will drown out the sound of my own thoughts while also firing me up, it’s the dissonance and chaos of this piece.
Five minutes later, I’m still not as focused as I’d like to be, but I at least feel more like myself, more in control of my thoughts.
By the time I stand up, the team is already making its way out of the locker room and back to the ice for the second period. Parker is in the hallway outside the locker room, nodding at the guys as they pass by. When Logan reaches her, she leans up and whispers something to him. His eyes dart to me, then he nods, and Parker disappears down the hallway.
Logan hangs back, waiting for everyone else to leave before he falls into step beside me.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
He pulls on his helmet and secures it under his chin. “Hang with me when we get on the ice,” he says. “Just for a second. There’s something I want to show you.”
I don’t have time to protest, because we’re nearing the ice, and I’m still carrying my gloves. I slide them onto my hands, then I’m on the ice beside Logan, stick in hand. We circle the rink once, which is typical, but Logan stops short right beside the penalty box and points into the stands.
At first, I don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking at, but then I see her.
Gracie.
Sitting just behind the glass, a huge smile on her face, wearing an Appies jersey.
Gracie is here—in freaking California—at my game.
I don’t know how to process, how to make sense of her being here. She was in her apartment when I left yesterday morning, and now, she’shere,not just at a hockey game, but at a hockey game on the other side of the country.
Because of me.
I can’t help but think back to what she told her sister-in-law at Maddox’s party, that she’d start going to my games once she fell in love with me. She might have been joking. But when she lifts her shoulders in a shrug, eyes glistening, I understand exactly what she’s saying.
Those words were real.
And that’s why she’s here.
As I watch, Summer, who is in the stands right beside Gracie, hands Gracie a poster, motioning for her to hold it up.
Gracie laughs as she lifts it over her head, holding it up for me to see. The poster readsMR. DARCY? NAH. GIVE ME FELIX JAMISON.
Behind me, my teammates bang their sticks against the wall, and I turn to see them clustered around the bench, grinning and cheering. Even Coach Davis has a smile on his face.
Alec tilts his head toward the net, and I nod, understanding exactly what he’s telling me.
Game on.
And this time, I’d better bring it.
I’ve never played with a girlfriend in the stands before.
Turns out, wanting to show off is a great motivator.
The opposing team brings the puck down fast, and I catch a shot in my glove in the first twenty seconds of the period. It feels good to make a solid save, but when two more shots come hard and quick, I’m ready for our defense to pick up and give me some breathing room. I block them both, then Logan takes the puck down, gaining speed as he enters the zone, before sliding the puck over to Eli who sends it flying past the goalie.
Getting a goal on the scoreboard is the morale boost we need, and we dominate in the second period. Eli ends with a hat trick, Logan scores once, and I block all but one shot, so we go into the third tied at four.
But momentum is on our side, so even though the LA team had a perfect record going into the game, we shut them out in the last period and end the game with a win, seven to four.
We’re all flying high, but I’m soaring for a different reason than everyone else.
I can’t wait to see Gracie, to have her in my arms.
