Page 127 of Unraveling Rain
“Don’t overthink your moves, Xander,” he says. “Let the muscle memory guide you.”
I nod, jaw tight, and head back toward the ice. I shake off the doubt creeping in around the edges.
I’ve prepared for this.
I’m ready for this.
I can fucking do it.
With five minutes left on the clock for the third period, we’re down by one. No one has to say it—we need this goal.
Cody passes the puck to Matt, who brings it to our zone. He flicks his eyes up and nods toward me as he crosses into the offensive zone.
I get ready.
The moment the puck hits my stick, I dig in and pick up speed. I dodge one of the defensemen, letting the puck glide, then pull it back in as I approach the net.
Their goalie is already down, his body sprawled, but he’s left the top corner wide open.
I don’t think. I fire.
The puck slices through the air—
Clang.
Siren.
Fuck, yes!
The crowd explodes, a wall of sound that crashes over me as I lift my stick in triumph.
Nico’s the first to reach me, smacking my back as the rest of the team piles on.
“The beast is back!” someone yells, and I can’t help the grin that breaks across my face.
All I feel is relief. Relief and adrenaline.
I glance toward the stands and catch sight of Rain, losing her mind—jumping, cheering, her whole body lit up with joy.
I point to her with my stick and throw her a wink.
She blows me a kiss, and that spurs me on to continue giving it my all during the rest of the game.
By the time the final buzzer sounds, we’ve taken it 3-2. The arena roars like we’ve already won the Cup, the noise echoing in my chest as we pile onto the ice, a tangle of sticks and shouting and sweat.
The fans’ excitement was the extra fuel we needed to clinch the victory.
But let’s be honest—she’swhat did it.
I needed her.
And she came.
After showering, I throw on my suit and spray a little cologne—okay, maybe more than a little.
“Damn, man. Where are you going? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you use that much cologne,” Cody says, waving a hand in front of his nose.
I chuckle.
