Page 113 of Rival Darling

The atmosphere at the arena was palpable as we arrived. It was frenzied and fractious, and I had a feeling the excited cheers coming from the crowd could morph into fury and frustration at any second. The stands were overflowing with people, and the red and gold colors of our two schools clashed together like waves fighting to get to the shore first. The rivalry between the teams was fiercer than ever, and I imagined it was only adding to the intensity of the game.

As Paige and I ascended the stairs to find a seat in the stands, we heard a shout.

“Thank God, you’re back!” Cammie was standing a few steps ahead of us, and she quickly rushed down them to meet us. “Took you long enough,” she said to Paige. “He’s still playing terribly, by the way.”

“Hopefully not for much longer…” Paige said, giving me an encouraging smile.

Cammie also turned her attention to me, but I didn’t receive a warm welcome like Paige. Instead, Cammie punched me in the arm. “What the hell? Why’d you break up with Reed?”

“Uh, ouch!” I rubbed the tender spot where she’d thumped me. Cammie was stronger than she looked. “It’s a long story.”

“Well, I hope you’ve come to your senses,” she replied. “Reed can be an idiot, but he really likes you.”

I gave her a tight smile, unsure how to respond. Thankfully, the players started making their way back onto the ice, distracting her.

“Reed better get his act together. He’s been playing like total crap.”

“He has?”

“Yeah, and the Devils are losing three to two. The third period is just about to start, so it’s not over yet, but if they don’t do something quick, they’re going to lose to Sunshine Prep for the first time in forever.”

I followed Cammie’s gaze down to the rink just as Reed appeared on the ice. It was never difficult to spot Reed. Even among a crowd of guys in the same uniform, he stood out because of his sheer size and stature. But something seemed off today. Whenever I saw him in public, he usually radiated a sense of power and confidence. And both times I’d seen him skate, he had displayed effortless skill and grace, probably a result of the figure skating lessons he was so embarrassed about. But, right now, his shoulders were slumped, and his head was bowed low. He looked far from confident.

I watched as Jeremy skated past him and purposefully knocked his shoulder into Reed’s. I sucked in a breath as Reed spun to face him. The two of them started talking, and with every word Jeremy spoke, Reed seemed to grow even more uncomfortable. I could almost see his hands clenching tighter around his hockey stick. It looked like it was taking everything in him not to lash out with his fists.

By some miracle, they didn’t come to blows, and after what felt like an eternity, Jeremy turned away from Reed and skated to the center of the ice rink. A few moments later, Reed followed after him, taking up a position directly opposite his rival.

"It’s Jeremy against Reed in the face-off to start the final period,” Cammie said, practically rubbing her hands together in anticipation. “If this doesn’t wake Reed up, I don’t know what will.”

My stomach tensed at her words. The animosity between the Devils and Saints was clear to see on the ice and in the stands. But the rivalry between these two guys was a different level entirely. I just hoped Reed was capable of getting through the rest of the game without injuring Jeremy again.

But then something shifted in Reed’s stance, and he slowly lifted his eyes to the stands. He found me straightaway. The arena was packed, but it felt like I was the only one he could see. A weight seemed to lift from his shoulders as we locked eyes, the corner of his mouth twitched, and a look of determination entered his gaze before he turned to face Jeremy once more.

My breath caught in my throat as Reed dropped his stick, threw his gloves down on the ground, and peeled his helmet from his head.

“Oh no, I think they’re going to fight,” Paige said, her voice laced with panic and concern.

Jeremy stood tall opposite Reed, but it looked like he was recoiling slightly, and my chest filled with dread. Was Paige right?

Some fans a few rows back began cheering at the top of their lungs. “Fight! Fight! Fight!” It was the same group of shirtless guys I’d seen the first time I’d watched Reed play when I accidently attended one of his games. Their shirts were missing today too, and the number twenty-three was once again painted over their chests. There was an excited look in their eyes and they were clearly desperate for the boys to fight.

“Reed’s not that stupid, is he?” Cammie said, a look of genuine concern in her eyes as she glanced at me. “If he lays one hand on Hoffman, he can kiss college hockey goodbye. They’ll think he hasn’t learned from his mistake in freshman year.” As she returned her focus to the ice, she started yelling. “He’s not worth it, Reed. Just play the game!”

All I could think was that Reed had broken Jeremy’s nose once before because of a girl. And, now, because of me, he was going to make that same mistake again.

But the determined look in Reed’s eyes hadn’t dampened, and as he took a step toward Jeremy, Paige reached out and grabbed my hand. Even Jeremy seemed to flinch, but then Reed paused. He lowered one knee to the ice as if he were giving a dramatic bow.

The whole arena went silent. Even Reed’s superfans behind me stopped chanting. It was like the entire world was holding its breath.

Then Reed started moving.

He swooped one leg around him as he rose and began gracefully gliding backward, the sound of his blades slicing through the ice filling the silent and shocked arena. The players and umpires had all stopped to watch him. And everyone was either confused or shocked as he began effortlessly weaving around the outskirts of the rink, his arms wide and his jersey billowing from the speed. Then Reed leaped into the air, spun in a complete circle, and landed perfectly on one skate. It was the same jump he’d shown me last weekend. The one that most definitely wasn’t a hockey maneuver.

The entire arena gasped, and I heard one of Reed’s superfans mutter behind me: “What the hell was that?”

“What is he doing?” Paige squealed as Reed continued to glide around the ice, lifting one leg in the air behind him. He wobbled slightly, like this move was even more challenging than the last, but he still pulled it off.

“Oh my god.” I lifted a to hand to my mouth in surprise. “It’s the routine.” I turned to Cammie. “He’s doing your routine.” I didn’t know whether to cringe, cry, or laugh. Reed looked ridiculous doing the figure skating maneuvers in his hockey gear, but he was such an incredible skater that he somehow made it work.

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