Chapter 31
CHAPTER 31
T he dazed look on Maci’s face is an image I wanted to frame. It was laughable that Maci wouldn’t realize that she was my girlfriend. I don’t do casual relationships. An occasional hook-up occurred, but overall, I was no puck boy. Maci made me feel like the best version of myself. My infatuation with her started minuscule, small nuances would force a smile to my lips. The way she flicked her hair after scoring a goal, or the dimple that formed in her cheek after delivering a snarky comeback. Our interactions were limited, but I hoped they’d last longer. Purposefully, I’d run into her places on campus. The moment my infatuation turned to obsession occurred without my notice. Her soul spoke to my own. She was the fire to my dry field, and I wanted her to incinerate me.
The scrimmage tonight would be fun. It was a no-brainer to them when asked. Axel wanted to drop everything and play immediately. Jackson had made fun of him, asking if he was Maci’s boyfriend, too. I almost nailed him in the nuts for that one. Cooper had vibrated in excitement. He had told me when he was younger he played as a winger and only switched to goalie when their team’s goalie got mono. Fate must h ave aligned because Cooper was destined to be in the crease.
The rest of the team filtered off the ice while Cooper, Crew, Jackson, and I lingered. Coach Grimes bought my lie about us wanting to free skate together. He acted like a hard ass, but was secretly a softie. The moment I mentioned this being one of our last chances to skate together for fun, he folded. It was true, though. The likelihood that we would each venture off on our own paths and slowly drift apart is high. It tore me up inside. I loved these idiots, even if they pissed me off sometimes. Grimes made us promise to free skate only—no checking. Understandably, he was worried one of us would break a bone goofing off without supervision. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.
“Wait, so Baby Rae has a chance at Team USA?” Axel whistled, skating slowly across the ice. We were all spread out, passing a puck between us while we waited for Maci.
Jackson nodded. “Yeah, I guess my dad and her knew about it before…well you know.”
“How is she going to exhibition if she’s off the women’s team?” Crew questioned.
My smile grew. “About that. I have a wild idea, but it will take all of us to pull off.”
Four sets of eyes quickly turned to me. “Define wild?” Jackson asked.
“Like, are we shaving our asses wild?” Axel chimed in.
“Why the fuck is that your idea of wild?” Crew smacked Axel on the back of his shoulder blades with his stick.
“Fuck man! Ouch! Not the traps!”
I shook my head at the two of them. “How would you feel about Maci playing with us?”
“Fuck no!” Maci’s voice echoed through the rink, making me spin.
She skated towards our group, a look of fury etched on her face. “There is no way in the seventh circle of hell that you guys a re risking your spots on the team for me. If you’re thinking what I think you’re insinuating, it could cost you all the draft.” Maci folded her arms over her chest as she leveled us each with an intense glare.
Good lord. She was hot as fuck when she was mad. “Hear me out, Sunshine.”
“Whatever you’re planning, just forget it.”
“You can be on the men’s team.” My challenge caused Maci’s face to turn the color of a pencil eraser. Her face floundered like a fish.
“You’re out of your mind if you think Coach Grimes will let me on the team.” The pink receded from her face as she lost her fight. The guys were quiet, shifting uncomfortably on their skates as they waited for me to elaborate.
“Of course not. That’s why he won’t need to know.”
She grunted, “How the hell do you think that’ll happen?”
Jackson answered before I could, “You’ll be me.”
I could kiss Jackson right now for picking up on the intentions of my plan. I shot him a grateful nod. “It will be easy. You guys have similar facial features and you’re both Rae’s.”
Maci’s face scrunched up as she tried to find the holes in my plan. “You think no one will notice Jackson shrunk 4 inches and suddenly sports a ponytail?”
“Those are easy fixes, plus Coach doesn’t pay much attention to the bench during the game. He’s too busy watching what’s happening on the ice.”
Maci looked around at the others, gaging their reactions. “Do you think this will work?”
There was a chorus of agreement, and Jackson surprised me by adding his support. “Maci, this will work. You’ve gotta do it. It’s your chance at the Olympics. Hunter and I can deal with the logistics. You focus on the game.”
“Yeah Baby Rae! America will lose to Russia and then you’ll be the reason Putin gets to ride bears again and shit.” I loved Axel, but that fucker needed to get a clue and read a newspaper.
“Um. Right, what he said.” Crew interjected.
Her resolve crumbled, and I knew we had won. “Fine. But if you guys lose your chance at the draft, I will tell you ‘I told you so’.”
She skated off to grab her stick and began warming up while we all watched. I chuckled. “Alright boys, let’s play some hockey.”
We spent the next hour scrimmaging against Maci. I had to hand it to her; she could hold her own against a bunch of NHL prospects. I had warned them not to go easy on her, and they didn’t disappoint.
Axel and Crew sat on the bench unlacing their skates while Jackson, Cooper, Maci, and I still messed around on the ice.
“You old ladies okay over there?”
They both gave me the middle finger in response and I laughed. We were all winded, but Maci was relentless. She and Jackson were working on shots from the slot. It was interesting to watch the two of them together. They mirrored each other in so many ways. Their fluidity and power were unmatched. I was so fucking proud of her.
Cooper skated up to me, bumping my shoulder. “She’s a fine piece of ass, Hunt.”
My mood soured. What the fuck did he just say? I shoved his shoulder pad. “Coop, knock that shit off!”
Cooper chuckled, a dark look crossing his features. “What? Isn’t this all some fluke to get under her pads?”
Cooper was baiting me, but I didn’t understand why. Shit, this was the kid who had tagged along with us on every adventure we had for the last three years. Even when he was still in high school, we welcomed him with open arms.
“What the fuck is wrong with you lately?”
He shrugged. Jackson and Maci hadn’t noticed our heated conver sation, and Axel was busy with his laces. Crew stood at the boards, and his face told me he was just as confused as I was.
“Come on, Hunt, is she as tight as she looks? I bet a girl like that is into some kinky shit,” He licked his lips and continued, “Think she’ll go for a Hockey House hat trick?”
Red encroached on my vision and my arm swung of its own accord. My fist contacted with his nose in a sickening crunch. Blood poured from his nostrils and his eyes watered.
“Fuck you, man! I was just kidding! Fuck!” Cooper charged me and leapt, tackling me to the ice like a linebacker. Thankfully, I still had my helmet on, so the blow to my head was minimal. Stars dotted my vision briefly and when they cleared, Cooper loomed above me. His face was mottled with splotches that matched his hair color and his ocean eyes filled with storm clouds. Crew and Jackson had their arms wrapped around him, holding him off of me.
He cursed, going on about how it was all a misunderstanding. Axel padded up to us, trying to not fall on the ice in his street shoes.
“What the fuck, Coop?!” I roared while Axel helped me to my feet. Maci was at my side in an instant, her arm gripping my elbow.
“We don’t hit our teammates, you asshole!” Axel added.
Cooper shook off the other’s grip. “It was a fucking joke, dude! You’re the one who went psycho!”
“You asked me to fuck my girlfriend!” Blood rushed to my face and the urge to turn Cooper into worm food intensified.
Silence descended on the group. The only sound came from Cooper and my harsh breaths. Gently, I pulled Maci’s grip from my elbow. Then I shoved Cooper, making him fly backwards from the force. All hell broke loose.
“You fucking-”
“Excuse me?! Like I would ever!”
“You don’t talk about my sis- ”
A loud whistle cut us all off. Crew stood with his fingers in his mouth as we all calmed down.
“Cooper, get the fuck off the ice. I’ll talk to you in the locker room.”
Cooper and I were at eye level with each other, standing chest to chest. His eyes flicked down to my hand that held his jersey. “Mind letting me go?” He seethed.
Voice deathly calm, I pushed my face into his own, my fury tangible in the surrounding tension. “Talk about her like that again, and I’ll make sure you never talk again. Dangerous sport we play, no?”
Cooper's nostrils flared, but he didn’t retaliate. He pulled himself away, and I let my hand drop back down to my side. My eyes followed him his entire way off the ice. Crew whispered something to him as he came off. Cooper disappeared down the tunnel and the rest of us remained on the ice.
“We need a house meeting.” Crew declared before following his brother.
The others muttered their agreement, even if he didn't stick around to hear it. Maci glided into my chest, her arms wrapping around me. The smell of her strawberry shampoo was grounding.
“You okay?” She mumbled into my chest.
I placed a soft kiss on the crown of her head. “Of course I am, Sunshine.”
“Let’s get home guys,” Jackson made his way off the ice and Axel followed, walking like a penguin so he wouldn’t fall.
Maci and I lingered, caught up in each other’s arms. Silence stretched between us, and her warmth bled into my chest, reminding me that there were bigger things to worry about than a jealous teammate.
“Come on, Sunshine. Let’s get out of here.”