3. Jameson, age 17
. . .
Sam had a late practice today and was going to come to the game right after.
The whole first period felt off, knowing she wasn’t here.
I always play hard, an impenetrable wall for the opponent to try and get around, but I play my best when she’s watching.
I like feeling her crystal blue eyes on me.
This time when I search her out, I spot her blonde head in the student section.
She’s already looking in my direction, and our eyes connect even across the distance.
We’re that in tune with each other. I lift my chin at her and watch as her pretty red lips turn up in a smile.
My chest already feels lighter, the tension slowly ebbing out of me.
The puck drops, our center wins the puck, kicking it back to our wing, Luca, who skates it in a circle before charging up the ice.
I follow, keeping to the blue line, ready to defend and keep the puck in the zone.
The puck is fired to me, and I shoot it back to the other defenseman, keeping the opposing team scrambling to defend and follow.
A member of the other team intercepts the next pass and charges down the ice.
I skate with him, my stick slapping against his, trying to get the puck loose.
He shoots, and my goalie blocks the shot.
I stay on him, but am not prepared for the rebound shooter.
“Kane!” Braysen yells, fighting to get open and warning me about another incoming shot on net.
This shooter takes a slap shot, and I do the only thing I can at this moment: use my body to stop the shot.
And fuck me, that is a terrible idea. The puck hits my knee right between where my knee pad ends and my breezers, the padded knee-to-waist protective pants, start.
The sting burns, and I can already feel a bruise starting.
The ref blows the whistle, and I manage to skate to my bench for the next line to come out.
“Nice stop, Kane,” my coach mutters, tapping my helmet once before moving down the line.
I squirt some water in my mouth, breathing deep, and once again scanning the crowd instead of keeping up with the game.
This time when I look in the bleachers, Sam is gone.
My gaze narrows on her empty spot. I’m about to make up an excuse to get off the bench and go find her when I hear nails tapping on the glass behind me.
Whipping around, my gaze lands on the prettiest sight ever.
I can’t stop the stupid ass grin that tugs at my lips just seeing her this
close. Her cheeks are pink from the cold air, her blue eyes are flashing, and there’s a hint of a playful smile on her lips.
“Pretty Girl.”
“Jameson.” She says my name with a hint of sass that instantly makes my heart race and all my blood flow south. “Are you okay?”
I nod, unable to form any actual words yet.
“Nothing’s broken?”
I shake my head.
“No blood?”
“No,” I mouth at her and watch the look on her face get more serious and determined for me.
“Good. Then get your ass back out there and beat these guys.”
God, I fucking love her. She says it so fiercely that it pulls a laugh from deep in my chest. My eyes roam over my girl, taking in her hands on her hips, and the way she’s staring me down.
My throat clamps around the ball of emotion that's stuck there, so all I can do is nod my head and tap my stick on the glass before hopping back over the boards for my line change.
I have a renewed sense of purpose: winning this game for Sam.
I get the puck from my line mate and skate with it up the ice into the other team’s zone, wrapping around their offensive player, tight, with my signature move, before tossing the puck to Braysen, who shoots and scores.
We’re tied 2-2, heading into the third period.
The minutes on the clock tick by while I circle around the back of our net.
I force the puck up to my line mate, who helps carry it over the blue line for our offense.
They pass, shoot, but it’s blocked. The puck is back into play and scooped up by Luca, who is quick to dump it back to where I’m holding the blue line.
I pass to our center, and he manages to get in front of the net before passing it.
Again, the puck ends up on my stick. My skates swivel and deke to get around another player.
Determined, and feeling Sam’s eyes on me every play, I skate the puck up the ice and shoot.
The puck lands in the net over the goalie’s shoulder.
My line celebrates, but I’m already looking into the stands for her.
Sam holds up her fingers in a heart sign at me, and I fucking melt on the inside a little.
My team is now ahead. I can skate off the ice and take a break.
Our team only needs to hold the win for a few more shifts.
A few more times up and down the ice, defending our zone, and all the while, I can feel the approval of the only person who truly matters.
Every time I skate by the plexiglass, my eyes seek her out, drawn to her and needing one more hit of dopamine in my system just from her smile alone.
Two minutes left, and I’m ready for the game to be over.
My legs push on and on, defending my zone so the other team can’t score again.
When the buzzer sounds and we win, my team is quick to circle our goalie.
After I’ve shaken our opponents’ hands, I head to the door to get off the ice.
A flash of blonde right next to the tunnel catches my gaze.
My eyes take in the sight before me greedily, seeing Sam leaning over the rails, a smile on her red lips.
“Good game, Kane.”
My lips twitch in response, and my head cocks to the side slightly, fully taking her in without inches of plexiglass between us. “Are you coming with me after the game?”
Her blue eyes search the crowd, finding her two best friends, Emma and Riley, both of whom I don't mind, but they do tend to get in trouble often. Mostly because of an ongoing prank war between Riley and our rival school’s hockey captain, Reign.
As much as I prefer when Sam comes with me, I know if there's a prank, she often feels like she needs to be there to support her friend.
Her eyes flash back to mine, and a different smile, one that's softer and makes her cheeks blush, crosses her face. “I want to spend time with you tonight. Unless you have other plans.”
“I’ll find you.” I nod at her, and she quickly dips back into the crowd, so I can head to the locker room.
Once I’m changing, my mind races, planning how to best take care of my girl tonight.
She had a late practice, and by the looks of it came right to my game.
I doubt she ate anything in between, so she’ll be hungry, probably walking that thin line between normal hunger and the cute hangry she can get.
While I shower off the game, I plan where I’ll take her to eat and what I’ll order for her.
Something Sam lets me do often. One, because she hates making choices when she reaches this point of being hungry, and two, because she always ends up wishing she had ordered what I did.
I never mind, though; I like taking care of her.
I need to take care of Sam. I have to know she’s healthy and happy in order to breathe.
Since the moment we met as kids, there’s been a steady connection between us, something that just clicked.
Over the years it's grown from wanting to be her friend to needing her in some way or another in all aspects of my life. Sam has always been the best person I’ve ever known, sweet, caring, smart, and she isn’t afraid to put me in my place with her attitude. The perfect girl for me.
Changing quickly, I slip my hat over my now wet hair and grab my bag and sticks before heading out of the locker room.
“Jamo!” Braysen yells to my back. “Are you not hitting the race tonight?”
Glancing over my shoulder, I nod my chin. “Eating first. We’ll meet you there.”
Braysen smirks and shakes his head. “Tell Sammy thanks for being my good luck charm tonight.”
I stop dead in my tracks and turn around, fully ready to put my best friend to the ground, when Luca steps in, humor dancing in his eyes.
“He’s fucking with you, man. C’mon, you know we both see Sam as our friend too.”
My gaze hardens on Braysen then slips to Luca. “She’s mine.”
“We know.” Luca taps my shoulder, encouraging me to keep moving, as Braysen just laughs in the background.
“I don’t have time for this,” I mutter under my breath and stalk out of the locker room.
The need to get to my girl and get her fed before I can even think about what happens next is my sole focus.
Ignoring everyone who tries to talk to me, I keep my eyes forward, my face blank, until I reach the doors to the lobby of the arena and step through.
Only then does my chest instantly release, and my face relaxes.
Sam is waiting just like I told her to. Her legging-covered legs are crossed, one over the other, while she leans against the wall.
One of her hands is in her jacket pocket, and the other is holding her phone, scrolling through something.
As if sensing that I’m in the room, just like I do her, her eyes snap up, searching.
When she finds me, her lips break into a smile, and she pushes off the wall, heading right toward me.
I stop, waiting, needing to feel the impact of her body against mine.
Sam has to stand on her toes in order to loop her arms around my neck.
My arms instantly clasp around her waist, holding her heart next to mine.
She smells good, my favorite combination of vanilla and coconut.
She feels warm in my hold and soft, so fucking soft, and delicate that it makes me want to just sweep her off her feet and protect her.
I would carry her everywhere if I could.