Page 75 of Off The Ice

The puck drop came a few minutes later, forcibly pulling me from my reverie. The teams spread out across the ice as if it were a battlefield, their hockey sticks like blades against the ice, working in perfectly practiced synchronicity.

Though I watched everything, I could barely keep up with what was happening. The sports announcer’s commentary might as well have been gibberish for all the sense it made to me. It was too fast, filled with too many unfamiliar terms for me to keep up with.

Liam was locked in and focused, it was clear he had one goal, and he was damn well going to see it through. That was the way he was with everything, even at home. I knew if he wanted something, he’d find a way to get it, no matter what.

After a few moments of watching him, I asked Maggie, “Is Liam captain?”

I was surprised when she said no.

“But why? It’s clear he’s the best on the team.”

She snorted. “Liam doesn’t like being responsible for other people. He’d never sign up for a role like that. Plus, all the additional press the team captain gets? The interviews he’d need to do?” She shook her head. “He’d never sign up for that.”

I mulled it over, not fully buying it. It was clear Liam loved to provide, protect, and take care of those he loved. It wasn’t the responsibility he was running from. It must be something else holding him back. I was sure of it.

My eyes tracked him, noticing how a player from the opposing team was getting close to him, too close.

Why is he so close?

I screamed when it happened, watching as the player wearing the other team’s jersey smashed Liam against the glass on the other side of the rink.

“What was that!” I said, not realizing I had grabbed Maggie’s wrist in the process.

“Ouch.” Maggie winced. “Relax, Cass.”

“Is he okay?”

“He’s fine.” She laughed as if her brother didn’t just get his body shoved into the plexiglass. “That’s why they wear gear.”

“Why isn’t that a penalty or foul or something? Don’t other sports have consequences for hurting people?”

She shrugged. “It’s hockey.”

As if that made it acceptable.

But still, he was skating around like nothing happened, apparently used to the barbaric act. I took note of the player who did it, though: #10 on the Titans. I’d remember him.

Regardless of the setback, Liam took control of the puck once more, sending it flying to his teammate, who maneuvered it directly into the net.

The horn blared, sending the crowd into an eruption. I jumped to my feet at the same time Maggie did, suddenly filled with pride over this team I knew so little of. Only knowing that Liam was part of it, and therefore I’d never cheer for anyone else.

They didn’t bask in their glory for long, moving on with the game pretty immediately. I guess there wasn’t as much joy in a score as there was in an overall victory. They remained focused and steadfast.

The way they moved, all of them, but Liam most of all, was like magic. He had speed and agility; it was something to watch him. He made me understand why people paid such extortionate amounts of money to see these games.

I found myself marveling at what the human body could be trained to do. WhatLiam’sbody could do.

The Harbor Wolves scored goal after goal. Each time, the horn blared, and celebration spread through the stands.

“Should we do the wave or something?” I asked, not sure about proper conduct during hockey games.

“If you start doing the wave, I’m leaving you here,” Maggie deadpanned.

I held my hands up in surrender, a giggle escaping at the gravity of her gaze. It looked just like Liam’s.

After a while, I saw what Maggie meant about the players being rough with each other. At every chance, they invaded each other’s space, shoving them out of the way with force. After a while, I got used to it. Mostly because Liam hardly gave them a chance to get to him again. He wasfast.

Still, I noticed the way Maggie flinched when #17 was body-checked against the glass. I examined the player, the last name on his jersey alerting me to his identity.Brody.

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