Chapter 71
DIANA
This game is a bloody one.
Luke slams the Vipers’ left winger into the plexiglass. The puck skids out of reach. Rowan pushes towards it and passes it down to Kai. He takes off from the blue line, hurtling towards the Vipers’ net.
But no one pays attention.
Screaming Vipers fans bang on the plexiglass, goading the small fight erupting between Luke and their left winger. It ends with a harsh shove from Luke and a game disqualification for the left winger who threw the first punch.
Months of tension and rage explode on the ice as the Griffins and the Vipers compete for the championship title.
But it doesn’t stop the whispers about me and Kai from riling up during the intermissions.
“Clearly, he’s trying to save his image. There’s no better way to do it than fuck the heiress of the HMG.”
“She’s not cut out to be a good leader. She’s been spending her time whoring around with a hockey player instead of building her way into the CEO position.”
I silence my phone to ignore the headlines bombarding my screen.
The chance to tell the truth was taken from me. All I can control now is how I react and I’m going to give them nothing.
“Come on, boys! Get it out of there!” a Griffins fan shouts.
The Griffins and the Vipers fight for the puck in the defensive zone.
Griffins fans groan when Viper #36 whirls out of the corner with the puck.
Kai and the Griffins’ right winger close in on him.
The Viper panics, fumbling the puck. The right winger swipes in with his stick and steals it.
Kai skates back. The right winger passes the puck to him.
Kai grabs it and charges towards the Vipers’ net.
The Vipers’ right winger surges up behind Kai.
The winger swings his foot out and wrings Kai’s ankle back.
Kai skids and falls onto the ice.
“Oh my god,” I gasp.
Kai’s parents hug each other.
“?a va aller, mon chou,” Norman consoles. “?a va aller.”
Norman and Keala have been avoiding me since the footage leaked. I don’t blame them. This is not how I wanted them to find out I’m in love with their son. I don’t know what I’ll do to handle this, but I am sure of one thing: I’m not running.
I sag in relief as Kai pushes himself up with only a scowl on his face. A Viper chirps at him. Kai rolls his eyes and shoves him back.
A loud bang strikes the air. Viper #20 slashes Griffin #40, hurtling them into the boards. The Griffins fans rage and throw their beer cans to the ground.
“What the hell was that?” Stella fumes.
The linesmen shove the Viper and the Griffin apart. A penalty is called for Viper #20.
“You’re a motherfucking joke!” Simon rages. The referee calmly pries Simon off him. Simon keeps hounding him and his teammate struggles to rein him back, especially when he’s red and buggy-eyed with dried blood crusting his mouth.
I search the crowd for Andrea. She’s not here and I can only hope that means they’ve broken up.
My heart pounding in anticipation, I quickly check the time. We’re down to the last minute of the game.
The DHU Griffins and the Vipers are still tied at 3-3.
My stomach clenches.
“Come on, Kai,” I whisper. “Come on.”
As the seconds tick down, the Vipers and the Griffins viciously fight harder for the puck.
Simon rams into Kai, knocking him onto the ice.
Rowan grabs the puck just as Kai scrambles back up onto his feet.
Rowan passes the puck to him. Kai swivels around with it, skirting past the players swarming around him before he charges hard and fast towards the net. He shoots.
The goalie stops the puck and the buzzer goes off.
KAI
We’re going into overtime and that means sudden death.
The first team to score wins the game.
The pressure mounts with every shot the Vipers aim at our net. The puck arcs behind the goal line. Our right winger steals it back and passes it towards me. I take off down center ice.
“Hey!”
I keep the puck close as the Vipers’ defenseman and left winger corner me front and back.
Their stench nearly makes me vomit. “Since you’re a mutt, I bet your girl doesn’t mind taking it from the back, huh?”
“Keep her out of your mouth,” I snap.
“You can’t do shit,” their defenseman seethes, “this is the last game you’re ever gonna play because you’re nothing. The NHL is better off without trash like you.”
I catch Rowan lurking over his shoulder.
“We’ll see about that,” I grind out.
I shoot the puck between the defenseman’s legs and push past him. Rowan lunges for the puck.
“Shit!”
Simon shoves him aside and intercepts the pass, running off with the puck. He surges closer and closer to our net. I panic at the empty space in front of him.
No.
After everything Simon has ripped away from me, my last win with the boys won’t be one of them.
I grit my teeth. My legs burn as I charge faster towards Simon. I come up behind him and strike him from the back. He stumbles, twisting down to the ice.
“You’re gonna fucking pay for that!” He screeches at his teammates, “Get off your asses and get him!”
The Vipers unleash their dirtiest hits on me. The Griffins give it their all to defend me and win this game.
Another defenseman tries to steal the puck from me. I dart around and make a quick pass to Luke.
A Viper swings their elbow out. Luke ducks. He drags the puck back in. He shoots the puck towards our right winger who snaps it back to me the second he sees me reach center ice.
I round towards the Vipers’ net. My heart pounds hard under my chest when I hurtle towards the blue line, veering around to evade their defense.
Fists pound the plexiglass. People scream my name.
But all I hear is Uncle Manu.
We made no mistake when we gave you your Tahitian name: Te Aito.
The Champion.
That’s who you are. That’s who you’ve always been.
I veer towards the dot like he taught me. My stick swings back and I slap shoot the puck into the net.
It flies in.
Shock paralyzes me. The world slows down, blurring and dulling into faded noise and blurry colors.
“The DHU Griffins are the 2025 National Champions!”
The goal horn blows over and over, riling up the screams ripping out across the stadium.
Helmets fly off. Hockey sticks are flung up in the air. I stumble on my skates as the boys leap onto me and clobber me into a group hug.
“We did that!” they shout. “We won the fucking Frozen Four!”
My breath catches.
We won the Frozen Four.
My shock cracks.
“We won the Frozen Four!” I scream out.
I wrestle Luke and Rowan into a hug. Our visors fog up with so much sweat and tears, we don’t notice the trophy until it’s pushed towards us.
We exchange looks.
I wipe the tears off my face. “One last time?”
Luke and Rowan grin back at me. Our helmets clash as we hug each other, our fists bumping.
“One last time.”
Together, we reach for the trophy and hoist it up. The gold panels catch the stadium lights and glow like the sun.
The crowd cheers.
Adrenaline races through my veins as I take it all in.
Camera flashes go off around us. The Griffins staff hug each other with tears streaking down their faces.
Simon glares at me on the other side of the ice before a Viper forces him back to the tunnels.
Simon screams. He takes his stick and smashes it into the ice.
I laugh.
“I love you, mon c?ur!”
The second I hand off the trophy and get off the ice, papa, mama and Uncle Manu tackle me into a hug. I crouch down, letting mama pepper kisses all over my face.
“I can’t believe you’re here!”
“I bought their tickets.” Uncle Manu grins. “Thought it’d be a nice surprise.”
Mama cups my face. “You’re our baby boy, Kainoa. We realized that we hardly see you except for summer break. The thought of you never coming back to see us because you don’t feel supported breaks my heart more than papau’s opinion.”
“Even though we think hockey is a very dangerous sport and we don’t want you getting hurt…” Papa sighs. His worry fades into admiration as he kisses my cheek. “This is what you want to do, and we are going to stand by your side.”
“Hey! Kai!”
I turn around and see Anthony coming towards me with a proud grin on his face.
“Good game, son.” He claps his hand with mine and draws me into a hug. He pulls away just far enough to whisper in my ear, “Mark my words, this won’t be the end for you.”
Anthony walks away before I can ask any more questions. I don’t care, though. Not right now, because we won.
The Griffins won the fucking Frozen Four.
“Kai!”
Cowbells ring out. Stella and Diana wave them wildly when they run onto the grass. My heart aches at how beautiful and alive she looks in her Griffins jersey.
I wrap her into my arms.
Diana drops the cowbell to kiss my cheek and my forehead. “Oh my god, honey! You did it!”
I lift her chin and run my fingers through her hair, searching for any scars and bruises. “Are you okay, though, princess? Did anyone come after you?”
Diana shakes her head.
“That doesn’t matter. Not right now. This is your moment.” She presses our foreheads together, smiling through her tears. “I’m so proud of you.”
My eyes shut as I squeeze her tight. I don’t care if the world ends here.
I have everything I’ve ever wanted.
Suddenly, there’s a flash. I glare up at a group of Vipers fans cackling on the stands with their phones out. They throw their empty beer cans at me.
“Look at that, boys! A druggie and a slut—”
“Fuck off!” Diana and I shout.
Diana grabs the cowbell and throws it at them. It smacks one of the boys, making the rest scatter off.
They don’t stop jeering at us. But none of it matters when Diana and I turn back to each other. The high from the win and the complicated emotions from the video leak swirl between us.
“What happens now?” I ask.
“I don’t know.” Diana gulps. She bites her lip in worry. “God, if we think our reputations were horrible before, it’s practically in shambles now.”
“Hey.” I cup the back of her head, lifting her eyes to mine. “We’re gonna figure it out together, right?”
Diana smiles wryly. “Luckily, I’m getting used to that part.”
I chuckle and lean down to kiss her.
She wraps her arm around my waist and together, we head down the tunnel so I can go get changed.
Suddenly, the stadium lights sputter behind us.
Diana stiffens. “What’s going on?”
My eyes dart around, searching for signs.
That’s when I see a burly man coming down the stadium’s tunnel.
Diana gasps at something behind me, “Kai!”
Arms wring my neck in a chokehold just as her hands rip away from me. My eyes widen.
A tall man grabs her from the back with his hand cupping her mouth. I fight against the arms around me.
“Get your hands off of her!”
The lights go out, drowning the stadium in complete darkness.