Chapter 14
“You ready for the game tonight?” Troy asks, dropping down onto the padded leather bench seat next to me.
“Of course I’m fucking ready tonight. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know. You’ve been in the media a lot lately.”
“And by being in the media, do you mean me and Piper?”
Troy gives me a sheepish grin. “Well, you have been, haven’t you?”
Not that I’m going to tell Troy this, but it’s been very, very well received from Cassie. “Hey, just because we’re in the press doesn’t mean my head’s not in the game for tonight.”
“Boston’s a tough team. I know what we need to do tonight.” Troy elbows me in the side.
“Good, because I don’t want to lose to this team again.”
“Trust me, man, we’re not going to.” I pull the eighty-one jersey down over my pads and get ready for the game, taking a few deep breaths.
Now that Piper has started coming to games more often than she was, I want to impress her. When I was a kid, the only way I could get my parents’ attention was to get into fights. Piper doesn’t care about that. She likes it when I play well. Especially since she told me how worked up it gets her.
If I could score every goal for her, I would.
We’ve only been doing this whole fake dating for a few weeks, but I’m quickly becoming addicted to her. Piper was waiting for me in my bed last night when I slipped in from another late game. I didn’t have the heart to wake her up when I got in, or this morning before her class, so I left a sticky note for her.
Didn’t want to wake you before I left, Sleeping Beauty. I’ll see you at the game tonight
xo Cash
Coach Barney givesus his usual words of wisdom before the game, and I follow the guys out onto the ice for a quick warm-up before the pregame festivities.
My eyes automatically track up to the family suite—where all the WAGs are. The fact that I know Piper’s going to be wearing my jersey again tonight makes me that much more turned on, which I shouldn’t be because I’m getting ready to play sixty minutes of hockey.
“What are you smiling about?” Duncan asks.
Of course Duncan skates up next to me the moment I smile. Something that isn’t all that familiar on my face. Ever since Piper came into my life though, it’s becoming a more regular occurrence.
“Nothing that concerns you, asshole.”
“Oh look, maybe you should get laid by your sweet new little girlfriend. Piper, is it?”
“You know exactly who my girlfriend is, Douche. I don’t want to hear her name come out of your mouth ever again.”
“Oh, and what are you going to do about it if I do?”
Nothing that I can do to him right now. We’re out on the ice for warm-ups. To anyone in the crowd, it’d look like we’re chatting about the game. He winks at me as he skates away.
What a fucker. I hope he gets what’s coming to him. He is about as far from a Black Diamond as they come. He doesn’t fit the standard the team holds everyone to. Duncan uses his position on the team to get anything he wants.
I do my best to push Duncan out of my mind. He doesn’t need to be my focus right now. Instead I need to be thinking about Boston and trying to beat them.
From the minute the puck drops, it’s a battle.
Boston takes no prisoners as they skate all over us. No matter how hard we fight, we can’t clear the puck from our zone. I’m pushing myself, but they still manage an easy goal. The kind I hate letting get by me. The anger radiating off Nick is palpable as he slams his stick into the goal.
“We’ll get it back,” I tell him, standing next to him. The hometown fans are booing their displeasure.
“We will.”
“Keep your head up.” I bump him with my stick in his pads before heading to the bench.
Except we don’t. By the time the first period ends, we’re down by two. The way things are going, we are lucky it’s not worse.
“All right, boys. That first period was not how we wanted it to go. Just because we’re down by two doesn’t mean we lie down and give up.”
Coach B looks across the locker room. Heads are hanging while other guys are icing various aches and pains.
“I want you to put that ‘we’re down and out’ mentality out of your heads right now. We don’t need that right now. We have forty more minutes to play. Get your heads on straight so we can go out there and take this win from them.”
“You heard Coach Barney!” Troy shouts, hopping up from his spot on the bench. “Don’t let one bad period get to you. We’ve got this. Let’s get back out there and bring this game home!”
Troy’s words send a pulse of excitement through the locker room. Guys are getting pumped up as we head back out to start the second period.
This time, I’m on the ice when the puck drops. Troy grabs it easily and skates toward the Boston end of the ice. A defenseman blocks Troy’s shot and shoots it to their winger.
I’m ready for them. Skating backward, I watch the two of them as they skate into our zone. I make my move to get the puck from them, but Boston is ready.
One of their guys seems to come out of nowhere and slams me into the boards.
“Fuck!” I yell out, dropping like a rag doll onto the ice.
Fuck. Pain is radiating out from my side as the whistle blows. The ref skates over as do a few of the other guys on our team.
I can’t hear anything over the dull roar in my head. I push up onto my knees before getting back on my skates.
Did I break my ribs? This is not what I need to be dealing with right now.
“Willy, you okay?” Troy asks as I make my way to the bench.
“Fuck, it hurts.”
“Think you can keep going?”
“Just need a minute.” I nod.
I breathe through the pain as the door to the bench swings open.
“Cash, tell me how you’re feeling,” the trainer asks.
“Can’t say I’ve felt this good in a while.” I grimace, my joke falling flat as I try to suck in a deep breath.
“We’re going to take you back for some X-rays to see if anything is broken.”
I shake my head. “It’s fine. I can play through it.”
“Get checked out. I don’t want you to hurt yourself any more,” Coach Barney tells me. “We need you out there.”
“Fine,” I grumble.
The trainer helps me back to the locker room as the crowd starts to clap for me.
I don’t want their applause right now. All I want is to get taped up to get back on the ice. Boston is too dominant of a team to let them get another goal on us. Hopefully with the power play, we’ll be able to close the gap.
The trainer helps me with my pads. Even lifting my jersey up and over my head hurts my side.
“Pretty gnarly bruise forming here,” he tells me.
“Gnarly? Is that your official assessment?” I ask as I get situated on the table.
I look down, seeing a purple and black bruise blossoming on my side. Unless a damn rib is poking out of me, I’m getting back on that ice tonight.
I try to take small, even breaths to calm down as the machine does what it’s supposed to. I hate that I’m in here and not out on the ice helping my team.
“Alright, Cash. Nothing is broken.”
“Thank fuck.” I blow out a breath. “Tape me. I need to get back out there.”
“You need to be careful.” He pierces me with a fierce look. “I mean it. Don’t go out there gunning to hit anyone.”
“I won’t.”
He makes quick work of taping me up and helping me get back into my pads and jersey. I pop a few ibuprofen he hands me before heading back toward the ice.
The cheers that hit my ears as I get closer can only mean one thing. By the time I find my place, we’ve tied the game up.
Thank fuck.
“You good?” Noah asks, leaning over a few of our teammates.
“Ready to get back out there.”
“Good man.” Coach Barney claps me on the shoulder from behind.
I’m only in the game for a few minutes this period. Boston does their best to try and get another goal, but we’re playing with a strength that was missing in the first period.
The rest of the period runs out and we’re in the final intermission. I slink into the locker room and collapse into my stall.
“You think you have one more period in you?” Troy asks, standing above me.
“You know I do. Just need to recoup for a few.”
“No rest for the wicked.” Troy laughs.
The trainer takes a few minutes to check out my tape, making sure I’m ready to go for the last period.
From the time we hit the ice, we’re on the attack. Boston gets an easy goal but we answer with one of our own.
It’s a constant back and forth. No one is giving up. Noah and Troy are working hard when one of them passes the puck to me.
One of our guys blocks Boston and it gives me an opening.
I fight through the pain, flying down the ice. Out of the corner of my eye, I see one of our guys block a Boston player, and it’s just me and the goalie.
I watch his glove drop a fraction and I fire, watching the puck pass through the small space between his glove and the bar.
Hearing that horn blare might be the best sound ever.
“Fuck yeah!” I cheer as the guys all pile on around me.
“Amazing goal, Willy!” Troy claps me on the helmet.
“Damn straight!” I tell him, smiling like a fool as I skate back to the bench. I don’t feel an ounce of pain right now. With a minute left, we need to run the clock out and hope like hell Boston can’t put the biscuit between the pipes.
The energy is palpable as the seconds tick away. Our guys are fighting hard. The last thing I want is to go into OT. All I want is to collapse into bed with Piper right about now.
And as the clock hits zero, it’s our game. We squeeze out the win, 4-3.
The entire team heads into the locker room. The mood is jubilant. Boston is not an easy team to beat, so it’s lively as music plays from someone’s locker.
“Cash, got a few minutes?” Weber asks. A few reporters are already in the locker room talking to the guys.
“Sure thing.”
“First off, how are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better.”
“It was a hard hit into the boards. You came back and were able to seal the win for the Black Diamonds.”
I nod. “The guys did a great job keeping us in the game.”
“You did too. That goal was a thing of beauty.”
“Thanks, Franklin. It wouldn’t have happened if Noah and Troy hadn’t set me up.”
“How are you going to celebrate the win?”
“Boston is a tough team, so I’m going to enjoy it and then buckle down and focus on the next game. Take the time to rest up so I’m ready.”
“Thanks, Cash.”
Weber leaves and I hit the showers. Adrenaline from the game was carrying me through the night, but now exhaustion is settling in.
I don’t waste any time because all I want right now is to go home. I know I’ll need to check in with the trainers, but I want to sleep.
With Piper in my arms.
Heading back to my locker, I grab my phone and am met with a slew of messages.
Princess
Are you okay?! That hit was crazy! He should have been kicked out of the game. Five minutes for boarding?! Please! Kick his ass out!
Not me sitting here biting my nails waiting on an update from the team…
You’re back!
Are you able to play still?
Of course you are. You’re on the ice
That goal! Cash! OH. MY. GOD. lt;lt;excited gif heregt;gt;
I can’t wait to see you lt;lt;kissing emojigt;gt;
A laugh escapesme as I read all of her texts. I fire one off back to her.
Cash
I need to get checked out again. Meet me at home? Puck will be happy to see you
Her response is immediate.
Okay lt;3
After getting checkedout and changing into street clothes, I walk out to find Cassie waiting for me outside the locker room. “There’s the hero of the hour.”
“Nah.” I brush off her praise. “Anyone would have been able to do that.”
Cassie pats me gingerly on the arm. “Not anyone. You’re a great player, Cash, and to do it with an injury? That was incredible.”
“Thanks.” I throw a thumb behind me toward the players’ parking lot. “I need to head out.”
“Piper?”
I nod.
Cassie gives me a look of understanding. “She’s good for you, Cash.”
I wish that I could deny that she is, but I don’t think this change would have come with just anyone.
“I like her.”
“Only a few more weeks, Cash, and then you can have your life back.” Cassie leaves me behind, thinking on her words.
I’ve never needed anyone. Needing someone makes you weak. Having people in your life just means it hurts when they leave.
But Piper? I don’t know how to keep her.
That’s a problem for future me. Right now, I just want to have her in my arms.