Page 95 of The Captain

That I can do.

I nod and head to the box for my timeout.

We’re quickly into the third period, and I watch with eagerness, standing near the edge of the rink for the moment that my time is up so I can get back out on the ice.

As soon as it is, I’m back out there, and apparently, the number one target for this team because they’re on my ass faster than I can blink.

But I don’t give a shit.

I have one goal in mind, and it’s on their team’s side.

Crew passes me the puck, and I make for a goal; it bounces out and back to me again, and the opposing team gets it back. I skate my heart out to get back to their side, and Connor nicks it from them, sending it back down to the opposite goal. It gets nabbed by Kyle Greaves, and he nods at me when he passes it.

I fake a shot and shoot it over to Crew, getting the goalie to go right when Crew shoots left, and we go up in score by one.

The time is running out, and the other team is starting to become aggressive, wanting the win.

Offended on behalf of their teammate getting ejected from the game, another player starts to come at me, knocking me into the boards, but I manage to keep my footing, nudging him out of the way. I have to keep my temper in check or I’m going to get ejected for knocking this guy out.

I get the puck back, and just as I’m about to shoot, the guy purposely trips me, and finally the ref calls a penalty on the guy, getting him into the box.

If I wanted an exciting start to the season, I was definitely getting it.

We’re down to the final seconds of the game and still up by one. The goal was either to make another one or make sure they don’t tie us up.

The clock is ticking down, and Crew manages to grab the puck. We shoot down the ice, dodging our way around the other players and aiming for the goal. He feigns a shot, and the goalie falls for it as Crew shoots the puck to me, and I shoot it in.

The buzzer sounds, and we win the game.

THIRTY

Cassie

Present

“Well, that was awful,” I say to Mick and Joey, taking a deep breath as we enter the tunnel.

I’d meant for tonight to be one of those grand gesture things; the whole he’ll see me in the jersey, and we’ll have this moment of love between us. That definitely happened.

But then I had to watch him get the crap beat out of him, and that kind of took away the romance of it.

“Yeah, that’s what happens sometimes,” Mick says nonchalantly. Of course, she’s used to that kind of brutality.

“I feel nauseous,” I say, laying my hand over my stomach and taking a deep breath. Lincoln, with blood dripping down his face from getting his nose broken, keeps flashing in my eyes.

“You’re all right.,” Mick grabs a bottle of water out of her bag, handing it over to me. Honestly, it was helpful that she wasn’t having some fit about it. Her calm helped me to calm down myself. “Take small sips, it helps.”

I do as instructed and try to direct my attention to the settings around me. I wasn’t used to being one of the people here as a girlfriend. I was usually back here just waiting on Mick to do her usual congratulations to Lincoln, or now, to her future husband.

But now I was a part of this. He wants me here. I couldn’t stop the slightly giddy feeling that the thought gave me.

I was excited about us for the first time since February, since we decided to put a truce on the whole “we hate each other” thing.

Mick nudges me with her elbow, and I turn my head, seeing the players now coming down the tunnel, most in their jackets and ties, though the ties seem to hang more loosely after the game.

Crew comes by and talks to Mick and me, his gaze moving from us to Joey, and I smirk at the subtle yet obvious move.

We chat for a few minutes, and I wait with impatience for Lincoln to come out. He was probably getting checked out by the team doctor, which was important, and I’m glad he was doing it.

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