Chapter Ten
AUSTIN
Ioversleep and end up almost thirty minutes late to Coach Denton’s morning meeting.
I’m never late. And it’s game day, which makes it even worse.
But truthfully, it was one thousand percent worth it.
If Coach wants to give me extra laps, push-ups, or a twenty-minute lecture about discipline and accountability, I’ll take every second of it with a smile.
After dropping Isabella off last night, my brain refused to shut off.
I spent half the night replaying everything about the evening.
Her laugh, the way she grinned when she teased me, and how excited she got when she talked about her nephew.
Every time she smiled at me, it hit me like a bolt of lightning.
And then she reminded me that she will eventually be leaving. The second she mentioned soaking up all the aunt time she could, a knot formed in my stomach.
I don’t even know why it hit me so hard. Maybe because I’ve only spent one evening with her so far and can’t wait for the next one. Maybe because she’s the first woman I’ve really liked in a very long time.
By the time I finally fell asleep, it felt like I was out for ten minutes before my alarm went off.
When I rush into the arena, Coach Denton is already halfway through one of his legendary morning speeches. All my teammates in the room turn to look at me the second the door opens.
“Well, look who decided to join us this morning,” Coach exclaims. “Austin Reed. How wonderful to see you.”
A few guys snicker.
“How was your extra beauty sleep today?”
“Sorry, Coach,” I say, trying to sound more apologetic than I feel. “My alarm didn’t go off.”
Nick, sitting near the back, raises his eyebrows with a smug grin.
“Really?” Coach calls out. “And did the dog eat your homework too? Maybe your car wouldn’t start?”
I shake my head. “Nope. Just the alarm.”
Coach narrows his eyes like he knows there’s more to the story, but he continues his speech, launching right back into whatever leadership book he’s currently reading. He throws in something about excuses leading to failure, which I know was meant for me.
Normally those little digs would bother me, but not today. Nothing could ruin my mood after last night.
Eventually the meeting finally ends and we start gearing up for practice. Nick sits down beside me as I’m lacing up my skates.
“So,” he says casually. “Did you have a late night?”
I shrug. “Not really.”
“Well, did you at least ask her out again?”
I glance at him. “What do you think?”
“Did she agree to it?”
I snort. “Obviously.”
“Wow. Good job.”
“What can I say?” I reply, unable to hide the satisfaction in my voice.
Nick shakes his head. “Also, for the record, I won’t tell Coach the real reason you were late.”
“I appreciate that.”
“You owe me,” he retorts.
“Yeah, yeah.”
He laughs. “You didn’t miss anything important, anyway. If anything, your late arrival kept me from falling asleep.”
“Really? Why does that not surprise me? Does he ever say anything we need to hear?”
“Not recently,” Nick replies.
I take off, gliding around on the ice feeling lighter than ever.
It’s almost like I’m skating on pure adrenaline.
Hopefully this is a good sign and I can bring this momentum into tonight’s game.
I’m overdue for a spectacular performance in the rink.
And since Isabella’s going to be there, I can’t think of a better time to prove how I got to this point.
It’s the second period, and the score is tied.
Every second on the ice tonight feels like a battle for survival.
The Cavaliers are one of the toughest teams on our schedule this season, and now I understand exactly why.
They’re relentless and stay on us at every turn, it’s almost like they are anticipating plays before we even make them, like they memorized our entire playbook before coming here tonight.
Thankfully there have been a few bright spots.
I’ve had two assists so far tonight, and occasionally, I catch glimpses of Isabella in the stands cheering just as loud as anyone else.
Even through the chaos of the arena, I notice her immediately.
It does something to me knowing someone is here specifically for me.
I’m sure she’s here to support the Bears like everyone else in the arena, but a guy can dream that he has his own personal cheering squad.
Meanwhile, Coach Denton is in rare form tonight. Every time-out turns into another few minutes to unveil a new mantra. Most of the time his “wisdom” goes in one ear and out the other, but tonight a few things stick.
“Stop waiting for them to make mistakes,” he snaps during one time-out, pacing in front of us. “Outsmart them and force them to make the mistakes. Do you want this win? Then take it—you deserve it more. Show them.”
By the start of the third period, things finally shift in our favor.
The Cavaliers make a few bad passes, some messy line changes, and hesitations that finally give us the upper hand. We gain momentum fast, with the help of energy coming from the crowd. Halfway through the period, we break through and score. It feels like a miracle.
The arena erupts into an octave I haven’t heard in a very long time. I take the free moment to glance toward Isabella’s section where she’s sitting beside Abby and her friend Jaclyn who’s on the Bears’ marketing staff.
Isabella is cheering wildly, giving high fives to the fans around her like she’s been part of this fan base forever. She fits in here so naturally, which is nice to see.
And somehow, watching her celebrate makes the goal even more exciting.
“Nice work, boys,” Coach says during the break. His voice is calmer but still intense. “There are six minutes left. That’s it. You can hold them off for that length of time. Believe in yourselves and trust the work you’ve put in. Every one of you earned your place on this team. Now prove why.”
We gather closer in the huddle, raising our sticks together before pushing back onto the ice.
The final six minutes seem to crawl. It almost feels like everything is in slow motion.
Every move feels like it’s life or death for the team.
The Cavaliers throw everything they have at us, trying to tie the game.
There are a couple brutal close calls that cause us all to brace for the worst, but Nick is there in front of the net, making one impossible save after another.
When the final buzzer sounds, relief and adrenaline explode through me at the same time.
The Bears win 2–1.
No matter how many victories I experience, the feeling never changes. Every win somehow feels like the first one all over again. The rush wipes away the physical exhaustion after sixty minutes on the clock that ends up being nearly three hours of nonstop moving.
My teammates and I celebrate on the ice before skating toward the glass to fire up the crowd even more.
In the stands Abby is hugging everyone around her while the fans chant Nick’s name. Isabella is clapping and singing along with the crowd. Her cheeks are flushed from excitement of the last few minutes of game time. How is it possible that she gets prettier every time I look at her?
Eventually we head to the locker room, still yelling in celebration until Coach finally demands enough silence to start his postgame speech.
I still don’t understand how he thinks we can sit still after what just happened.
Like always, I try to focus, but my attention keeps drifting.
Doesn’t he realize that we have people waiting for us.
The fans are waiting for us, and there’s one I want to see.
“That was so much fun,” Isabella says excitedly as we walk out of the arena. “Honestly, it was even better than the first game I went to. I can’t believe how intense the games get. It’s impossible not to get caught up in it.”
I laugh softly. “That’s real hockey right there. It pulls you in before you even realize what’s happening.”
“I’m starting to understand the obsession,” she admits.
“This is only the beginning. In another month you’ll be yelling at refs with everyone else.”
She grins. “I already wanted to tonight.”
I yawn before I can stop myself.
She makes a face. “You must be exhausted.”
“It’s been a long day,” I admit.
“And I definitely didn’t help by keeping you out late last night.”
I shake my head quickly. “Don’t apologize for that. Trust me, I didn’t mind at all.”
A slow smile spreads across her face. “Okay. But you should probably get some rest tonight.”
We continue to walk slowly a few steps behind Abby and Nick.
“Yes. I’m planning on it. And I can’t be late tomorrow. Hopefully Coach forgot about that.”
“Oh no. How late were you?” she asks.
I shrug. “About thirty minutes. But I didn’t miss anything.”
She frowns. “Oh no. My instructors hate it when we are late, so I can only imagine what the coach said.”
“Just a few snarky comments about getting my beauty sleep, and he didn’t believe the alarm excuse.”
She giggles. “They never do. That’s the worst one.”
“Yes, it was a rookie mistake. I probably could’ve blamed traffic, but Denton wouldn’t have bought it. The only excuse he’d believe is if I called him from a hospital bed. Even then, he’d want to speak to the doctor and then a second doctor just to get another opinion.”
Just then Abby joins us after saying goodnight to Nick, saving me from continuing my impression of our overly suspicious coach.
“What a game,” she says.
“Nick was on fire tonight,” I tell her.
“Yes, he was,” she says proudly.
“Okay, you need to get home and rest,” Isabella tells me.
“Yes, ma’am,” I exclaim. “Thanks again for being here.”
We say goodbye a few times, and then I drag myself to the car.
Another win for the Bears, but that’s not even what I’m most excited about right now.