Page 63 of Catalyst

Desmond takes off down the ice on a breakaway, and the crowd begins screaming. He fakes out the goalie and then shoots. The horn sounds as the puck sinks to the back of the net, and the stadium goes insane.

“How many goals does he need to beat the career record?” I ask Adam when we sit back down.

“Fifteen, I believe. If he hits his goal average this year, he should pass it this season.”

“That would be so freaking cool. And well deserved.”

“Agreed.”

The minutes tick down; the third period is almost over. The tie still stands, and the players only get more aggressive. When the referee’s whistle blows, calling a penalty on the Comets, the entire stadium turns deafening as the crowd roars.

One of the Comets’ players skates off to the penalty box, leaving their team a man short. It couldn’t have been better timing. We have a much better shot at winning now that we’ve got the advantage.

The whole stadium is still on its feet, the energy in the air electric as we watch the face-off. I’m bouncing on the balls of my feet, my hands clasped tightly in front of my chest. This is it. If they don’t score now, we’ll go into overtime, and I’m not sure my poor heart could take the stress.

The puck is dropped, and my breath stills in my lungs.Come on, come on, come on.

The Raptors win the face-off, the puck sliding to one of our defensemen. They pass it around, trying to find an opening to score, the back-and-forth only making me more on edge.

Areneto and the left winger, Greenway, skate back and forth, holding their own against the Comets’ defense.

“I can’t handle this. It’s too stressful. I think my heart is going to explode,” I murmur.

“They’ve got this.” Adam squeezes my hip. I take a deep breath in an attempt to calm my nerves.

The defenseman shoots the puck toward the goal, and Greenway slaps his stick at it to help it along. It flies in the opposite direction the goalie was headed, sinking into the net over his shoulder.

There’s a moment of stunned silence before the crowd erupts. My arms shoot in the air, a scream flying from my lungs.

Holy shit, they won!

The team circles around Greenway to celebrate. With one minute left on the clock, the chance of the Comets scoring is minimal. Granted, it only takes a few seconds to score a goal, so it wouldn’t be unheard of for them to tie the game again.

They face off again, and the puck glides across the ice from player to player. The seconds tick down.

5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

The horn sounds, and the Raptors win the game. Thank God. That was entirely too close. Adam wraps me in a big hug, his arms tight around my waist and feeling more like home than I can even explain.

“This was an amazing game to see in person. Thank you, Adam.” I grin at him.

“You’re welcome. But we’re only just getting started.” He winks. The mischievous look in his eye has me narrowing mine. What is he up to? What else could he possibly have planned?

Areneto’s parents give Adam and Matthew hugs, celebrating the win just as much as we are. We gather in the bar area to talk about the game. I am in love with Desmond’s family. They are hilarious and more down-to-earth than I would’ve imagined. I’m sure I let some of my own experiences color that perception. My phone buzzes in my back pocket, and I pull it out. I frown down at the text on my screen.

Unknown

Whores like you need to be put in their place.

A second text pops up immediately after.

Unknown

I’ll make you regret ever going near him.

What the hell is that about? I want to text back and sayfuck you, but I know that won’t get me anywhere.

“Everything okay?” Adam asks.

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