Chapter Twenty-Eight
~Zak~
I’d arrived at the arena early, hoping to avoid any crowds, or press, that might get into my head before the game. So when the guys starting filing into the locker room, I was already dressed for the game and eager to just face the music.
Over the course of the next hour, they all gave me space, yet each managed to come up to me privately to offer their support and their outrage at what had happened with Kellen’s bandmate .
As much as I wanted to win this game, their support meant more to me than any championship ever could.
As game time approached, Sutherland gave a heartwarming speech about teamwork and being proud of how far we’d come but reminding us that our work wasn’t done. He encouraged us to go out and win this game for our fans, for our hometown, and for ourselves.
“You ready for this?” Josh asked as we made our way up the tunnel toward the ice .
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
The lights went out as they always did and we skated out onto the rink as spotlights shone across us and the announcer called our names one by one.
“And team captain, number thirteen,” the booming voice said through the loudspeaker. “Zaaaaak Demmmmpsey!”
The roar that erupted from the crowd was the loudest it had ever been and when the rest of the lights came up, illuminating the fans, I stopped dead on the ice, staring around in shock at a sea of pride flags waving across the arena, held by hundreds of screaming fans.
The ice vibrated beneath me as the cheers continued, people stamping their feet and calling out support, showing me more adoration than I could have ever imagined.
This was what I’d hidden from my whole life? Never giving these people the opportunity to show me that they loved me no matter what?
“You gonna cry?” Josh asked, skating up next to me, his blades throwing snow over my legs .
“Maybe,” I admitted. “Wouldn’t you?”
“Bitch, I cry for you every day,” he said, clapping me on the back. “Because you’ll never be as awesome as me and I feel bad for you, son.”
The Panthers skated out then, the announcer calling each of their names as they skated past us single file, each of us shaking hands with them until it was time to line up for the anthems and get the game under way .
Josh took position for the puck drop and I faced off with Roger Manchester, the right wing for the Panthers.
“Hey, Manchester,” I called out to him. “Do you think Portland will give this kind of reception when you come out?”
“I’d still be too good for you, Dempsey,” he shot back. “Try not to spend all night staring at my ass.”
We grinned at each other, knowing we’d each set the tone for the evening and giving each other a glimpse of the smack that would be thrown down. All in good fun but no holds barred.
Exactly the way I liked it.
Josh snagged the puck and off we went, each team’s goals taking save after save through the entire first period, sending us into the break at zero to zero.
As we kicked off the second period, a massive roar went up in the crowd and I turned to see Kellen’s smiling face lighting up the big screen over the center of the ice.
I took a pass from Josh but Manchester came out of fucking nowhere, grabbing the puck with his stick between my damned legs and tearing off toward our goal. He flicked up and the puck sailed over Ozzy’s leg into the net.
“Panther’s score!” the announcer called over the sound of boos and groans from the crowd.
Leo snagged the puck and I winged him, trying to cover as he sped down the ice, but once again, fucking Manchester came around and stole it.
“Maybe if you spent less time sucking dick and more time playing hockey you’d win another game,” Manchester yelled as he skated past me.
“You French kiss your sister with that mouth?” I shot back as I spun and followed after him.
Once again he shot toward Ozzy, but thankfully Oz got the save, dropping the puck to Josh, who skated it behind the net and tore ass down the ice, Carl and Henry flanking him while the Panthers chased and Leo and I hung back in case they got another steal that we needed to answer .
But Josh made it down ice and took his shot, which was blocked. As was every other shot we took at their goal in the second period. While the Panthers got a second point off Ozzy.
So we headed into the third period down by two, and I couldn’t stop the pit from growing in my stomach. It was not looking good for us.
“Hey Dempsey, what that mouth do?” Flannigan asked as he flew around me, our sticks clashing as I blocked his attempt to steal the puck .
“Why don’t you ask you dad?” I snapped, stopping dead still as he skated past and passing the puck to Leo who dodged a block from Manchester and skated toward the Panther’s goal…where his shot was stopped.
The minutes were ticking down and no matter how many shots on goal we took, their goalie blocked every one of them.
Ozzy was doing his best to keep the Panthers at two, but as the buzzer sounded, Manchester hit another goal home and our playoff run ended in an embarrassing three to nothing loss at home.
I skated after the rest of my team, ready to start commiserating the brutal loss, but was stopped when someone grabbed my arm.
“Good game, Manchester,” I told him.
“You guys played really well,” he said, reaching out to shake my hand.
“Not well enough,” I said, gripping his hand. “Go win it all, okay? ”
“That’s the plan.” He grinned and pulled me closer. “And good for you, Zak. I hope you and Kellen will be really happy together.”
“Thanks man.” I clapped him on the back.
“If you’re ever in Portland hit me up. I can show you where the cool gays hang out.”
I stared at him for a minute, my eyes widening. “Shit, I didn’t know. I didn’t mean what I said out there.”
“It’s fine,” he said, laughing. “To be honest, I hope I do get that kind of reception if I ever come out.” He gave me another smile. “See you around, Dempsey.”
“Later, Manchester.”
I turned and headed down the tunnel alone, knowing that on the other side of the arena, the Panthers were celebrating the fact that they were headed to the championship for the second year in a row. And I was about to walk into the saddest the locker room I’d ever entered before.
So I was shocked to walk inside and find the guys in good spirits, laughing and talking loudly. Even Sutherland was smiling as he spoke with Josh over by our lockers.
“There he is!” Carl yelled when he saw me, jumping to his feet and walking over to pull me into a bear hug.
“What the hell is going on in here?” I asked.
“Dude, we were never even supposed to get this far,” Leo said with a shrug. “And the Panthers are so fucking good.”
“So fucking good,” Henry repeated .
“While you were talking with Manchester, Sutherland pointed out how amazing it was that we beat them at all this round. And instead of being sad or pissed, we should be glad that we were the first team in thirty years to take this franchise to the playoffs.”
“Really?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at my coach.
“Management is thrilled,” Sutherland said, nodding at me. “With everything. Merch sales are up, season passes are selling like crazy for next season, and they’re going to want to talk to you about your contract soon.”
Well, that certainly gave me something to think about. Without an agent, I wasn’t sure how I was going to navigate contract negotiations. But that was a problem for a different day.
I stripped and showered quickly, wanting to get out of the arena and find Kellen. But when I stepped back into the locker room he was already there, sitting on a bench talking quietly with Josh, who was standing at his locker with a towel wrapped around his waist .
“You hitting on my boyfriend?” I asked him as I grabbed a pair of jeans and tugged them on under my own towel.
“I’m pretty sure he has his hands full with Naomi,” Kellen said, rolling his eyes at me. “You ready to get out of here?”
“More than,” I assured him. I pulled my t-shirt over my head then sat next to him to put on my socks and boots. “Thank you for coming tonight.”
“That was a tough loss,” Kellen said, wrapping his arms around me and holding me tightly. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t the good luck charm you hoped I’d be.”
“I didn’t lose though,” I promised him, tilting his face and staring down into his eyes. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” he promised me.
“Good. Let’s go home.”