26. Chapter Twenty-Six
Walking back out to the ice we are all energized by Coach’s speech at intermission. Until I’m stopped in my tracks by the security guard’s conversation.
“...Miller. Then they took him out and blacklisted him from the stadium. I can’t believe he had the balls to confront her here.”
I whip around, stopping in front of the guards.
“What are you talking about?” They both look at each other, conflicted on whether or not they want to admit to me the truth.
“Well, uh, Ms. Miller was just confronted by Thad Hassell in the lobby.”
“What do you mean confronted ? What did he do to her? Did he hurt her?” The fear of the night at the gala courses through me, the anger simmering again.
“N-n-no, Sir. He just yelled. It was on the jumbotron. But she’s okay. Mrs. Golden was with her. ”
A growl rips through me as I go back to the ice to play the next two periods. I don’t have an option to not play, not with playoffs on the line.
The anger will either help push me to be aggressive with the puck, or another player.
I’m not supposed to be on the ice right now, Andrews is, but I can’t just sit here on the bench with the anger coursing through me, making me fidget.
“Put me in Coach.” I stand side by side, yelling at him to put me in.
“Sit down, Karlsen. Andrews is in.”
Another growl, this time directed at Coach.
“Did you just fucking growl at me?” he asks.
My lips are pressed in a thin line and I know better than to actually answer him.
“I’m going to let this slide because I heard what happened during intermission and I know that’s why you’re pissed off, but don’t you fucking tell me how run this game. You’ll sit, and let all that pent up anger come out and then you will go in and score a goal. You fight one fucking player or take a stupid penality and I’m benching your ass. Got me?” He levels me with a stare.
I needed the harshness to get myself in check. Cocky players get burned in this game. And that’s exactly where I was headed.
“Yes, Sir.” The irony of that statement isn’t lost on me .
I park my ass next to Bram, my legs fidgeting enough to shake the bench.
“What the fuck is your problem?” he asks, eyeing my legs.
“None of your fucking business.”
We watch together as our team makes plays, and mistakes. Andrews should have had that goal but he didn’t.
“Karlsen!” Coach yells, “Get ready.”
I stand up ready to go waiting until Andrews is at the bench before I hop over the boards. He catches Andrews and calls him off the ice. As soon as both of my feet the ice, I’m tearing down to find Kayce with the puck.
I’m wide open and the minute he sees me the puck soars my way, along with three guys from San Francisco. I push my way through them. The simmering anger giving me more strength than I need. I steal the puck right before one of my old teammates takes it. We both slap our sticks at the same time, but all they hit is air as I glide down the ice with the puck.
There are too many men on me, needing to get rid of the puck, I look around and find Joaquin semi-open. I slap the puck his way and he grabs it. He only gets about twenty feet before he needs to get rid of the puck, his choice is me or Kayce and Kayce is more covered than I am .
He sends the puck flying my way. It gets stolen by San Francisco, but Kayce races forward to take it back.
He finds me near the net and sends it my way. Joaquin is on it as fast as I am, the two of us working together to get it into the net. Joaquin nods at me, confirming the play that we have in mind. He sets up to shoot the puck in the net but instead, he throws a no look pass to me at the last second and before the goalie can register that the puck is going to be coming from a different direction, I slap the puck in behind his back.
The team rushes to me, and I can feel some of the pent up anger leaving my body. Coach smiles at us from the bench, except if you don’t play for him, you’d think he was still pissed. His game face is impressive. Everyone thinks he’s an asshole, but he’s not. He’s the best damn coach I’ve ever had.
The buzzer sounds for the end of period two right as we get the goal.
I follow the team down to the locker room. The urge to go find Calliope is strong, but I need to take this time to get my mind back on the game fully.
As soon as the final buzzer sounds, and the team celebrations are over, I take off running for the locker room. I throw my gloves at the equipment manager, drop my stick and skates at my locker and put my slides on, taking off for the family section.
Reporters that were on their way to the press room stop to follow me. I skid to a stop the moment Calliope’s eyes meet mine.
Time stands still the moment I see her. She walks tentatively to me, her steps slower than usual.
“Are you mad at me?”
“Mad? Never.” I step forward. “Because I’d burn the whole world down to make sure you’re happy and protected.”
I walk toward her, and collect her in my arms to dip her and kissing her for the camera. Making it a show for the media watching. “I’ll always choose you, until the moment my last breath escapes my body. You are my everything, Skatten Min, my treasure.”
I whisk her off to a private room that I know will be empty.
“I’m so sorry, Skatten Min. I’m so sorry he said those things to you, and that he’s done all of this to us. I should have stopped it a long time ago. I should have fought back and not listened to Ken. But most of all, I should have been there for you when he confronted you.” I pull her tight to me now that we’re out of the sight of prying eyes .
I rub her belly, kissing her through my own guilt.
“No one could have stopped him. It’s not your fault. He’s gone now. How did you know what happened?”
“I overheard the security guards at the tunnel talking about it. I asked Coach to get me the full story. I ran to you as soon as I could, but I need to go back for the press conferences soon.”
“You can’t miss that!”
“Skatten Min, you are more important to me than a press conference.” I don’t move even though she’s trying to get me up.
“I love you, and I understand that, but this is important! You need to finish your duties, and you deserve to be in that press conference.”
“I love you, and you are so damn perfect.” I grasp her wrist, pulling her back to me, and onto my lap.
I cover her mouth with mine, resting my hand on her bump. She moans as I deepen the kiss, but pulls away from me.
“Nope. Press conference, then you can kiss me.”
“I’d rather feast upon you, Skatten Min.”
Another moan. “Ugh. It sucks being responsible. Go. Press Conference. Then I’m all yours.”
Reluctantly, I let her go and head back to the locker room to change.