Chapter 10 Saturday on the Ice
Saturday on the Ice
Cole
I’m working on lacing my skates, going through the ritual that’s been the same since I was twelve, when Liam drops onto the bench across from me.
He’s got his phone in one hand and that particular smirk that means he’s about to share something he thinks is hilarious.
“Guess who was stalking my Instagram last night?” he says.
I raise an eyebrow, not looking up from my skates. “Please tell me this is a rhetorical question and you’re not about to tell me you were stalking some poor girl.”
“Not me doing the stalking.” Liam leans forward with excitement. “The girl from last weekend. Accidentally liked a photo from last year. Total rookie move.”
I chuckle. “So did you message her and call her out on it?”
“Obviously.” His grin gets wider, more self-satisfied. “Told her I knew she couldn’t stay away. She hasn’t replied yet, but she will.”
I glance up at him and notice the faint flush creeping up his neck. Interesting.
“You’re blushing,” I say, deadpan.
Liam scoffs, but the color deepens. “I’m not blushing. It’s the fluorescent lighting in here. Makes everyone look weird.”
“You’re turning the exact shade of our away jerseys.”
A couple of teammates nearby snicker, and Liam flips me off good-naturedly. “Fuck off, Cole. At least I’m getting some action instead of analyzing defensive strategies in my free time.”
“Hey, defensive strategies never let me down.”
“That’s probably the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.”
We finish getting dressed in comfortable silence, the kind that comes from years of pre-game routines.
But I can’t help noticing the way Liam keeps checking his phone, like he’s in love with this girl I haven’t seen him this excited over anyone.
He doesn’t chase, the girls usually do the chasing. This one seems special.
By the time we hit the ice for warm-ups, the arena is about half full, early fans settling into their seats with nachos and beer. I fall into my usual rhythm. Stretching, taking practice shots, scanning the opposing team’s warm-up for weaknesses I can exploit later.
During a lull in the action, I skate past Sirus at center ice.
“How’s Maddie?” I ask casually, like I’m just making conversation.
His face lights up like I’ve just asked about his favorite topic in the world. “Golden. We’re texting constantly. She’s funny, smart, actually listens when I talk instead of just waiting for her turn to speak.” He grins like a kid with a secret stash of candy. “Think I’m gonna marry this girl.”
“Try not to scare her off… with that.”
“Hey, being me got me the first date, didn’t it?”
He has a point, though I’m not sure he’ll be asking me to be a wingman this time.
The thought of Harper brings an unexpected flutter of something in my chest. Curiosity, maybe, or anticipation.
I’m supposed to be focusing on the game, not thinking about dark hair and the way someone looks when they’re trying not to smile.
The first period passes in a blur of chaos.
My line scores early off a beautiful pass from our center, Liam gets the secondary assist, and the crowd noise spikes to that level that makes your blood pump faster.
Hockey at this level is part strategy, part instinct, and part pure adrenaline, and tonight all three are clicking.
During a TV timeout in the second period, Liam nudges my shoulder on the bench. “You’re quiet tonight. More than usual, I mean. Thinking about that blind date you went on Friday with Sirus?”
I snort, taking a drink from my water bottle. “Just the game. Unlike some people, I can actually focus without my brain constantly going back to my latest hookup.”
“It wasn’t just a hookup,” Liam says, then immediately looks like he wishes he could take the words back.
I study his profile as he watches the ice crew fix a gouge near the blue line. “No?”
“I mean… it was. Obviously it was. Just a good one. She’s different.”
He’s deflecting. Liam’s never been shy about sharing details of his conquests before, but he’s been oddly protective of information about this girl.
The third period is a grind. We’re up by one, but the other team’s pressing hard, and every shift feels like it lasts twice as long as it should. I keep my mind on positioning, clean passes, and shutting down their top line when they’re on the ice.
With two minutes left, Liam takes a stupid penalty, cross-checking a guy who was getting under his skin all night, and we have to kill off a power play that feels like it goes on forever. But our penalty kill holds, and we manage to get an empty-netter with thirty seconds left.
The crowd roars as the final buzzer sounds, that satisfying wash of noise and energy that comes with a solid win. Players tap sticks and slap backs, the usual post-game ritual of exhausted celebration.
Back in the locker room, the mood is loose and happy. Guys are laughing, sharing highlights from the game, already looking ahead to the party that half the team will probably hit later tonight.
I’m pulling off my jersey when Sirus appears beside my stall, waiting until Liam heads toward the showers before leaning in close.
“Harper asked about you,” he says quietly.
I pause with my jersey halfway over my head. “Yeah?”
“Maddie mentioned it. Apparently Harper wanted to know if you had a good time last night.”
I finish pulling off my jersey, trying to keep my expression neutral. “What did you tell her?”
“That you’re not completely terrible when you want to be.” Sirus grins. “I may have also mentioned you were asking about her too.”
“I didn’t ask—”
“You asked about Maddie. Close enough.”
Across the room, Liam’s humming something under his breath, phone in hand again, thumb scrolling through what I assume are messages. He’s got that distracted look that means he’s mentally somewhere else, probably crafting the perfect response to whatever mystery girl finally texted him back.
I start unlacing my skates and focus on getting out of my gear. Whatever might or might not happen with Harper is something I can figure out later, when I’m not sweaty and exhausted and overthinking everything.
We just finished this game, and now to the party we go because I missed last weekends celebrations.