Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
One of the Michigan State players shoves me into the boards, and I shove him back. He’s got the puck, but not for long. I knock him off-balance. Getting my stick between his skates, I take control of it and send it out of the fray to Cooper.
He connects, then passes to Evan. With a tight circle around the net, Evan distracts the goalie and then puts it in. The stadium erupts in noise—mostly jeers from the home team crowd.
Sheer relief fills my veins as the scoreboard timer counts down to zero. I exhale and close my eyes for a second, before snapping them open as Cooper pounds on my back.Victory fills my chest, sweet and bubbly like champagne.
“We did it!”
I smile and return the slaps in a hug.
Finally.
No more questions about what we’re doing wrong, no more speculation about our season, no more whispers about a curse. A number one in the win column and a weight off my shoulders.
We still have to work hard, of course, and I haven’t changed my mind about the team-building stuff. Giving the guys a chance to kick back together could make us even better. But we finally—finally—won a game. I’m going to bask in that victory tonight and not think about tomorrow. I’m going to live in this moment and enjoy it.
Filing off the ice with my team to the taunts of the Michigan State home crowd, I laugh at them and shake my head. Even being booed feels good, because we destroyed the Spartans five to nothing. We earned those boos. And one of those goals was mine.
It’s not just a cliche—I honestly care more about the team victory than my own stats. But any player would be lying if they said they don’t get excited to hear their name called after scoring a goal. And I’m as human as the rest of them. Fireworks went off in my chest when my shot went in the net and lit the lamp. Hell yeah. It feels good to be back to normal.
I stash my gear in my cubby and strip down, then head for the showers. I touch my throat, making sure my mom’s necklace is where it belongs.
Few things in life compare to a hot shower after a victory. Sex, beer, and a perfect New York strip steak come to mind, but since those are not available, I inhale the steam and let the scalding water relax my muscles. After rinsing off the sweat of the game, I return to my locker and throw on joggers and a Harrison hoodie.
I’m about to turn to Adam and ask about a defensive play, but I stop short when I catch sight of Natalie in the locker room. I clench my teeth. Is everyone decent yet? It’s hardly appropriate for her to be here.
She’s chatting up Evan, hanging on every word as he speaks. His eyes light up and he spreads his hands wide, gesturing as he tells a story. Natalie giggles and nods encouragingly.
What are they talking about? I cross my arms over my chest and scowl.
After Evan, she moves over to Jonas. He’s more the strong, silent type, but even he gets talkative under her spell. Fisting my hands, my eyes stay glued to them as she interviews him and then pulls out her phone and snaps a picture.
Adam, Mateo, and Caleb practically queue up, hoping to be the next guy she questions. Are they just interested because she’s pretty? I sneer as they preen like peacocks.
“Dude, what’s your problem?” Cooper shoves my shoulder, not enough to be aggressive but to get my attention. I tear my gaze away from Natalie’s smiling face and turn to him.
“Nothing.”
He raises a brow. “You’re being awfully weird for nothing.”
“I’m not being weird.”
“You’re staring.”
I sigh, because he’s right. How can I explain my issue with Natalie, anyway? It sounds silly to blame our losing streak on her when it’s snapped. Even to Cooper, I won’t admit a pretty girl has gotten in my head. All of her positive vibes rub me the wrong way. But it’s no big deal. Everything’s fine. I clear my throat. “I don’t love all the social media attention this year.”
That’s true—at least partly. Cooper nods, appraising me. “Especially the stuff about your dad?”
“Yeah,” I say, grateful he accepts my answer, and I don’t have to elaborate further.
He steps closer, voice low. “I’m not gonna pretend to know what that’s like. But I will say this—Natalie’s a nice girl who doesn’t deserve your shit. Remember when you decided not to be a dick anymore? Don’t take your issues out on her. This probably doesn’t help, but if you get signed next year, you’ll have more social media hoops to jump through, from people who aren’t as great as her.”
“Thanks for the lecture.” I roll my eyes. “What’s so great about her?”
“For starters, she’s professional and kind, but look at her, man.” I do, swallowing as she cajoles Coach Russell into giving her a soundbite. His normally gruff features soften into a smile as they talk. I think that’s only the third time I’ve seen him smile, and we won a National Championship for him last year. He’s not warm and fuzzy.
Cooper continues. “See, she’s putting everyone at ease and making them feel good. They’re relaxed, so she can do her job well. And check out the shots she gets.”
He holds up his phone, showing me a picture from the team’s Instagram. It’s an image of him, getting the puck to me right before I launched it into the net. Determination gleams in his eyes and a cocky smirk twists his mouth. Pure Cooper.
“My assist looks amazing,” he says. “All the NHL teams I want to impress will see this.”
It’s a cool picture, he’s right, but I scoff. “It was a good assist, and I appreciate it, but where’s the shot of my goal?”
“Exactly.” He squeezes my shoulder like I said something profound.
I scowl.“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means, would it kill you to be a little nicer? Maybe you’ll get awesome pictures like this, too. If you weren’t always glaring at her, then she’d take some. You could impress the scouts. Increase your chances with Chicago or get buzz from someone else.”
Oh.
Maybe he has a point.
Across the room, Natalie’s eyes twinkle, and I grit my teeth. Will it kill me? Guess I’ll find out.