Page 77 of Pucking Off-Sides With My Brother's Best Friend

“Yeah, I did,” I say, pulling her close. “That a problem?”

Aurora’s radiant smile nearly blinds me. Her warm hands cup my cheek, and I lean into her.

“None at all.” The kiss she gives me is chaste, but it says everything. The guys whistle and holler behind us.

“I’ll be waiting for you when you get off the ice.”

I grin, ignoring everyone but her. “I’m counting on it.”

Epilogue

Aiden

One Year Later

The sound of blades carving ice fills the arena as I watch my team run drills. “Sebastian, get your head out of your ass! Caleb’s coming up your six!” My voice booms across the rink, and I can’t help but smirk as Sebastian snaps to attention.

Fuck, a year ago, I was the one getting barked at during practice. Now I’m the one doing the barking.

Life’s got a twisted sense of humor sometimes.

My mind drifts back to our first game, the nerves, the excitement, the hunger to prove ourselves. We’ve come a long way since then. National news coverage, increased ticket sales, a growing fan base - we’re no longer the underdogs. Going into our second year, I know we have a real chance to take this all the way.

“Gonzalez, take point,” I call out, assigning positions. “Parker, half-wall. Control the puck, be ready to dish to Anderson or take the shot if you’ve got daylight. Keep your damn head up.”

As the guys nod and get into position, I catch Jax’s eye. He’s wearing that shit-eating grin he’s had since we were kids, and calls out, “Look at you, Mr. Big Shot Captain.” I flip him off, but I’m grinning too. A year ago, we were just two buddies living out our dream of playing pro hockey together. Now? We’re building something bigger than both of us.

Coach’s whistle pierces the air, and everyone freezes. That’s my cue. I skate out to center ice, the ‘C’ on my jersey still feeling a bit like a prank someone’s playing on me. If you’d told me a year ago, I’d be wearing the captain’s jersey, I would’ve laughed in your face. But here we are.

“Listen up, you degenerates,” I start, my voice echoing in the now-quiet arena. “We’ve got some new plays to nail down. I need everyone’s head in the game. Our season opener’s against the Toronto Reapers, and I’m not about to let those pricks show us up on our own ice.”

A murmur runs through the team. The Reapers have a rep for being nasty bastards on the ice, all aggression and granite defense.

“I know what you’re thinking,” I continue, “and yeah, they’re tough. But so are we. And we’ve got something they don’t - we’ve got something to prove.”

Jax pipes up, “Isn’t that Katarina’s brother’s team?”

I nod, smirking. “Yeah, which means we’ve got inside intel courtesy of Aurora’s best friend.” The guys chuckle.

“Speaking of Katarina’s brother,” I continue, “word is Griffin’s been running his mouth about how the Reapers are gonna wipe the ice with us. Apparently, he told Katarina we’re ‘easy pickings’ for their season opener.”

This gets a rise out of the guys, especially Jax. He and Katarina have been dancing around each other for months now, and I can see the fire in his eyes at the thought of showing up her brother.

“Griffin’s always been a cocky son of a bitch,” I add, remembering the few times I’ve met him at Katarina’s get-togethers. “But he’s also got the skills to back it up. Their power play is no joke, and their penalty kill is tight as hell. We’re gonna have to bring our A-game.”

I pause, letting that sink in. “But here’s the thing—Griffin doesn’t know us. He doesn’t know what we’ve built here. And he sure as hell doesn’t know what we’re capable of when we’re backed into a corner. So let’s use that. Let’s show him and therest of the league that the Cyclones aren’t just some expansion team pushovers. We’re here to fucking compete.”

The energy in the room shifts, determination replacing any lingering doubts. I can feel it - we’re ready to prove ourselves, not just to Griffin and the Reapers, but to the entire league.“Let’s show those fuckers what the Cyclones are made of.”

“Yeah!” The guys whoop and holler, and I feel that familiar rush. This is what it’s all about— the challenge, the chance to prove ourselves. It’s what’s gotten me through some real shitty times, and it’s what brought me here, to this team, to this moment.

As Coach blows the whistle, we’re off. I slice across the ice, the cold air biting my face. It still gets me, every damn time. A year ago, I was just trying to prove I belonged here, that I wasn’t some has-been looking for one last shot. Now, watching our rookies mesh with the vets, I feel something I’m not used to. Pride, I guess.

We might not have made the playoffs last season, but for our first year? We gave those veteran teams a run for their money.

By the time Coach calls it, we’re all drenched in sweat, but there’s an energy humming through the team. We’re ready for this season. We’re fucking hungry for it.

As we file off the ice, trading fist bumps and ‘good jobs,’ I spot a familiar figure by the locker room. Aurora. My heart does this stupid little flip that it always does when I see her, and I can’t help the grin spreading across my face.

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