Chapter 17
What A Game
Collins
“It’s the beginning of the season. Now is the time to show everyone that the Rays are back and better than ever.
Keep your head in the game, don’t start any fights, and score some motherfucking goals.
” Nik shouts at us as we wait to skate out of the tunnel onto the Los Angeles Badgers’ home ice.
Hoots and hollers echo around the chamber before the music begins to boom, and Nik leads us onto the ice hopefully to our first victory of the season.
The energy from the boos, the cheers, and my team fueling me to make sure I help Maverick maintain ownership of the puck throughout the game as I skate out behind my teammates.
As we take our position on the ice, Mav looks toward Conrad, then myself to which Conrad sticks his tongue out, signaling Mav to move right.
We learned last season that hand signals give us away, so collectively each line created signals telling us where to move.
Conrad spends a lot of time studying our opposing team’s moves and eighty percent of the time he knows which direction they’ll move first if they get possession of the puck.
Hopefully putting us at an advantage from the get-go.
The referee starts the face-off off and then it’s off to the races.
Hart and the Badgers center fight for possession before Hart fakes them out, sending everyone in my direction while the puck flies toward Hoyer.
The Badgers head toward me, giving Hart and Hoyer an opportunity to gain some ground before they realize I don’t have the puck.
Montez hoots, and someone else cusses before I move into possession to protect Hart and the puck.
Rogers isn’t quick enough, though, because Hoyer passes the puck to Hart, and he sends it flying past the goalie’s shoulder and into the net.
The rest of the game continues like this, fighting for the puck, fake outs, and close goals by both teams.
“What a game,” Dom shouts as he sets a tray of beers and a water for me down at our table in the hole-in-the-wall bar we found to celebrate our win. All of us wanted to avoid the bars that would be swarming with Badgers and fans, except Dom who wanted to and I quote “get down”.
“It was close, I’m exhausted.” Mav sighs. I can’t blame him, my quads are sore from chasing him down the ice, and I know for a fact he was moving faster and more than I was.
“Cheers to that.” I chime in, clinking my water cup to his pint.
“I was on the edge of my seat the whole time,” Tatum adds, he doesn’t always travel with us for games, but since it’s the beginning of the season and our first away stretch, he wanted to be present.
“You three pulled through for us.” Conrad adds gesturing toward myself, Dom, and Mav.
“And I’ll cheers to that.” Nik hoots, raising his glass and drawing the attention of the other patrons in the bar.
“Alright, someone spill what’s happening in everyone’s lives.” Dom suggests after everyone has gone back to minding their own business, “I feel like we haven’t had dude talk since before the holidays, and I need to know what’s going on!”
“Why don’t you go first?” I ask, deciding to stir the pot, seeing if he’ll bite about what happened with Sin at the cabin.
Dom thinks for a moment before shrugging, “I think aside from Nik, my life is the most boring here. I’m not doing anything or anyone exciting. Hockey’s my focus right now.”
I narrow my eyes at him but decide to leave it be for now, considering myself and Harley are the only ones that witnessed what happened… To my knowledge, at least.
“Nothing new here,” Nik reports.
“Same. What about you, Collins? Anything new with Harley? You seem to be moving pretty quickly.” Conrad questions.
“We’re doing really well but I need to admit something.” Now is probably the best time. I need opinions on where to go from here.
“Go ahead then.” Maverick encourages, arms folded on the table in front of him.
“Harley and I technically weren’t… Er aren’t together.
” I don’t even know how to describe it, so I spill it all, “She was worried the girls would fuss over her too much on our trip after everything with Benji, and we both knew everyone wouldn’t be surprised if we were dating.
So… We dated or fake-dated I should say.
Well it’s never felt fake to me and I don’t think it has to her either.
We agreed to the holidays, and those are over but it hasn’t stopped.
I just don’t know how to broach the topic with her. ”
I exhale a hefty breath after I finish ranting. Then I wait for someone, anyone, to say something.
“I fucking knew it. Fork it over.” Conrad jabs Tatum in the side. I watch in confusion as Tatum slides one hundred bucks into Conrad’s hands.
“What the fuck is that about?” Dom interrogates the two of them, completely ignoring everything I’ve just said.
“I told Tatum from the get-go, I didn’t buy it.” Conrad states smugly. “Not that I didn’t buy you two having feelings for each other, but that I didn’t think it was as organic as it seemed. I knew there was something else happening there.”
“Now that you say that… It was suspiciously good timing.” Nik ponders.
“We were just waiting for you to admit it.” Tatum shrugs, “We’re happy for you even if you lied to your best friends about it.”
As I look around the table, I see my friends smiling toward me… Everyone except Dom whose eyebrows are scrunched and lips are pursed—similar to Hayden’s before he starts screaming bloody murder.
“Whatever this is,” I gesture vaguely at Dom, “... It’s weird.”
“I’m hurt.” He huffs back at me.
“Why?”
“Because everyone but me knew what was happening between you two.”
“No one knew though, they were guessing. The only people who had any actual context were Harley and I. You’ll be okay, Bud.”
Dominic hmpfhs before saying, “Is anyone else hiding anything from the group?”
I once again find myself narrowing my eyes at him and see the slightest pink form on his cheeks.
“Not necessarily hiding, but I do want to share something with you guys.” Tatum’s voice takes on a timid tone.
“Tell us.” Maverick pats Tatum on the back.
“I think it’s time for me to propose to Darcy. I’ve been working on myself, we’ve been working on our relationship, and Hayden’s about to be one. I want her to have our last name.” Tate says, his eyes watering slightly.
“That’s so exciting, man!” Nik hoots.
“I’m thinking I’ll do it at his birthday party. Everyone we love will be there, and I can involve Hayden. He probably won’t remember, but one day we’ll be able to tell him the story of how his Mama and I got engaged.” Now tears fall slowly from his eyes as he speaks.
“Oh, I’m going to be a mess.” Dom sighs, swiping at his eyes.
“Congrats, dude! She’s going to be so excited.” I chime in, a huge smile taking over my face.
“Not to steal your spotlight, but I also have news.” Maverick cuts in, his smile huge but eyes swimming with emotion. “Kodi and I are expecting our next little one.”
“What a night of great news! I know how much you’ve wanted this.” Tatum says, returning Mavericks’ excitement from earlier.
“But…” He emphasizes, “You cannot under any circumstances tell the girls. Kodi’s going to tell them soon, and I want to give her this moment.”
“You got it,” I say immediately.
Dom mimes zipping his lips and throwing away the key. Nik nods in agreement while Conrad and Tatum promise to keep their mouths shut.