Jake
It’s the first official game of the season.
The roar of the crowd, the lights, and the atmosphere always make me emotional.
They send shivers up my spine and a smile on my face.
Even after being a professional player for the last five years, this feeling never gets old.
It’s a great feeling to be out on the ice, the rush of adrenaline helping to calm me right before puck drop.
They’ve just announced the opposing team, and the crowd boos as New York skates onto the ice. Then, the lights dim. The jumbotron plays our opening video and song, and before I know it, we’re out on the ice, skating along the boards and cheering with the packed arena.
All the players from both teams skate to the benches as the starting lineups are set. We go through the national anthem, and then the lineups are announced on the jumbotron, with New York’s first. And then it’s us.
The booming of the announcer causes the crowd's cheers to amplify throughout the stadium, making this an even more special moment as we kick off the 2025-2026 season.
“Ladies and gentleman, your starting lineup for the 2025 Winter Hills Blaze. Starting in center, number twelve Jason Jones. For defense, number twenty-seven, Brayden Taylor. For defense, number seventy-two, Jake Spencer. For offense, number forty-five, your captain, Connor Mathers. For offense, number eighty-eight, Brandon Taylor. And in the net, number ninety-eight, Beckett ‘The King’ King.”
It never gets old hearing your name called by the announcers, and I can’t wipe the smile off my face.
I glance over to the bench and find Kailyn staring right back at me, a small smile on her face and a blush coating her cheeks. It’s surreal to see her at one of my games, just in a much different capacity than ever before.
After our talk on Monday, I spent the last couple days replaying everything that was revealed.
I’m still angry at her for choosing to leave without talking to me, but knowing her reason and understanding her logic has helped tamp down some of the anger I was feeling.
Instead, I’m more numb right now than anything.
When I left the arena, I drove around until I ended up along the beach, walking until I hit our spot, making sure not to be seen by anyone.
I spent hours sitting with my thoughts, trying to collect myself before I made any rushed decisions.
Anything I decide doesn’t just affect us anymore, it affects everyone around us since we both work for the Blaze.
Now that the truth is finally out, knowing that she left over a stupid misunderstanding is like a punch to the gut.
If only she had come and talked to me, she would’ve realized that what I said was never about her.
I could never say anything bad about her, when she was one of the best things in my life.
Knowing how deep her insecurities and demons were back then, it makes sense why she made the choices she did.
That doesn’t make her actions sting any less.
When she asked where we went from here, I didn’t have an answer for her, and looking at her now, I still don’t. I’m scared to trust her again and that she’ll run away or hurt me again, but I’m tired of feeling so empty without her by my side.
I’ve been carrying so much anger and sadness for so long, and I’m exhausted. I just want to find a sense of peace.
I’m hesitant to forgive her, but I know without a doubt that she is my endgame, and we belong to each other.
Even with all of the pain we’ve been through, that fact hasn’t changed since the day I gave her my heart.
I just need her to prove that she’s willing to fight for me like I still am for her.
That I can trust her with my heart and she won’t break it all over again, because if she does, I wouldn’t survive it a second time.
I shake my thoughts as Connor calls us over to our pregame huddle, and nod at him gratefully. This is where my focus needs to be right now. We bang our sticks on the boards, skate over to center ice and then Jason is set for the season’s first face off.
We’re up 2–0 as we go into the final two minutes of the third period.
New York hasn’t made this game easy by any means, but we’re not making it easy for them, either.
Neither team scored in the first period, and when we left for the locker room, Coach was on us about keeping our lines tighter.
When we came back out, we were ready for them, Brayden scoring within the first two minutes we were back on the ice with an assist from myself and Connor.
We were able to hold off New York, and Beckett has been a beast in the net, making some impressive saves. Now, with less than two minutes of game time left, it’s up to us to make sure that he gets a shutout.
The third line is on the ice, and Maddox is up for the face off.
In hockey, we have three lines of players so that everyone has a chance to be on the ice.
The first line usually consists of a team’s strongest players, the ones that the Coach feels can start the game off strong and work together the best. Then, you get to the team’s second and third line, which is a mix of really strong players and guys who are less experienced but also bring something to the team.
The goal is to give every guy on the team a chance to be on the ice as much as possible, since we’re rotating lines almost every ninety seconds of play.
Maddox wins and sends the puck over the blue line to Asher, who speeds off into our scoring zone.
He’s able to send it through the legs of New York’s defenseman and pass it over to Ramirez, who dekes the puck right just as their center zips past him to his left and sends it flying into the back corner of the net, earning us another goal.
The lamp lights, and we all jump up and cheer as the guys come around and we tap sticks with them, congratulating them on a nice play.
With one look from Coach, we’re resetting our lines. I’m back on the ice, ready to bring this game home.
I skate up to the ref and get behind Jones for the face off.
The puck drops, and by a slight margin, New York wins and sends it sailing toward their end zone.
I shake myself off as I fall in line with Connor, tracking the puck as I go.
It’s not so much about getting another goal as it is about making sure New York doesn’t score within the next minute.
We’re able to keep them from advancing, Brayden seeing an opening and skating behind our net to take possession of the puck, stealing it from their guy and passing it over to me.
I halt my movement, debating how I want to play.
I want to run the clock, but I also need to get further away from their net.
I pass the puck back and forth as I advance to the neutral zone, my movements methodical but slow.
Their defenseman must sense what I’m doing because he comes charging at me.
Before he can steal it, I shoot it out to the right to send it away.
I don’t know where it ends up, because before I know it, he collides with me—I fall on my back and the wind is knocked from my lungs as the back of my head collides with the ice.
The sound of the buzzer blares, and I look up to see that the game clock has run out of time and we’ve officially won our first game, and given Beckett his first shutout for the season.
I sit up as I see Connor skate up to me and help me to my feet.
I lean forward, hands braced on my knees to catch my breath as I steady myself.
I’ve had plenty of hits during my career, and they still hurt every single time.
Even with all of the adrenaline coursing through me, I can still feel the throbbing at the back of my head.
Two small feet walk toward me, and without looking up, I know it’s Kailyn.
“Hey,” she whispers as I look at her. “You took a pretty hard hit. I’m gonna take a look at your head, okay?” I nod as she helps remove my helmet and starts to look me over.
She’s in full athletic trainer mode, concentrating on what she needs to do, but from this angle, I can see the way she bites her lip like she always did when she was fully concentrating on something. I loved seeing that look on her face, it always made her look so beautiful.
“I think you should be fine, but let’s get you to the PT room for a full workup just to be safe.”
I’m led off the ice and under the tunnel to the PT room. Once there, I take a seat on the exam table and wait for her to come in. The lights are dimmed, and my vision doesn’t feel fuzzy or anything, which I’m choosing to take as a good sign.
Kailyn is alongside Coach Davenport and Coach Johnson, our assistant defensive coach, as they walk into the room. She asks me a few questions about my hearing, eyesight, pain level, etc., and I answer everything as she continues to examine me.
“Well, good news is he’s going to be fine. Nothing of concern or worry that I can see right now. You may start to have a headache later, so you can take some ibuprofen to help. If it gets worse, though, just make sure you tell someone.”
Coach nods in understanding as he and Coach Johnson leave the room, leaving Kailyn and I alone.
She starts to make her way to her desk, but I reach out my hand and grasp hers. “Kailyn, wait just a second.”
I slowly pull her between my knees, just like the other day. She hasn’t really looked at me since we got here, and it’s kind of scaring me. With the door open, anyone could walk in, but I don’t really care at this point.
“Hey, look at me.” I place my hand under her chin and tilt her head back to look at her.
“You scared me a little when you got tackled to the ice.” Her voice shakes just a little, giving her away.
“I’m sorry.”
She laughs at that. “You’re the one that got injured and you’re apologizing to me? That doesn’t seem right,” she teases with a smile, and it makes me happy to see this side of her again.
“I don’t like scaring you.”
She rolls her eyes as she steps away from me. “It comes with the job. I’m always going to be a little scared any time one of you is hurt. But it’s different with you.”
Before I can respond, her brothers walk in the room, checking in on me. “Hey, how are you feeling?” Brayden asks.
“It’s nothing serious, just a little head bump.”
“Honestly, I was ready to pummel that guy for the late hit.”
Brayden is always one of the guys you can rely on on the ice. He will go to bat for any of us, but I’m glad he didn’t get himself in trouble for me.
I turn to face them as Kailyn walks over and gives me a glass of water and two ibuprofen. “Take this now to help prevent a headache. If you start to feel any pain, though, you can take more, but make sure you tell someone, like I said.”
I take the glass of water, our fingers brushing as a burst of electricity zips up my arm, sending goosebumps over my skin.
It’s such a familiar feeling when she’s near, but it’s also so foreign.
I know she feels it too, because I see her look down and a blush starts to creep up her cheeks.
She pulls away and turns around, walking back over to her desk.
I drink the water, downing the two pills just as she instructed.
“So you don’t need to be monitored? I was gonna offer my apartment,” Brayden teases.
“You trying to ask me out, Bray? I’m flattered, really.” I smile right back at him.
“Shut up, idiot, you’re not right for me anyway.” He smiles back.
“No, he doesn’t need to be monitored. He’s got a thick skull, he’ll be just fine,” Kailyn adds, and we all start laughing, falling back into an old, comfortable dynamic.
Just like it used to be.