Page 27 of The Save

The final buzzer sounded, and students pressed toward the glass, pounding their hands and shouting.

“That was—I don’t even know, that’s the best I’ve ever seen them play!” Crystal stood with both hands clawed in her hair, staring at our friends on the ice.

I didn’t yell. I didn’t move.

My eyes were laser-focused on Chase behind the bench. He was talking with Blakely as the guys celebrated, and then, as Rob led the team back through the gate to exit the rink, Chase turned.

He scanned the ice, the scoreboard, then dragged his eyes to our section. When he found me, he straightened, then pointed. When he was sure he had my attention, he moved his hand to his shoulder and brushed, like he was flicking off a piece of lint.

I laughed out loud.

“What?” Crystal followed my eye line and planted her hands on her hips. “Are you flirting from across the whole damn arena?”

“No!” I groaned, turning and grabbing her arm, pulling her toward the stairs. Shar was already halfway down the row.

“Rob’s meeting us at Ranchman’s!” She called back over her shoulder.

The wind had kicked up during the game, but nobody seemed to care. The parking lot buzzed like a live wire—students who hadn’t cared about hockey two weeks ago were practically doing cartwheels over the Outlaws’ 5–1 blowout. We were surrounded by endless honking and bodies hanging out of side door windows.

Crystal clutched my arm. “You might be a witch.”

I laughed, giddy and flushed with adrenaline. “Don’t tell anyone. They’ll burn me at the stake.”

We didn’t have to walk far to reach my Rabbit. Thanks to my heightened anxiety levels, I’d arrived early to the game. I unlocked the driver’s side door with a satisfyingka-chunk, reached around and unlocked the other doors, and we piled in.

“I can’t believe Blakely actually listened.” Shar turned up the volume on the radio.

“I don’t know much about him.” I reversed, claiming a spot in the winding line of cars waiting to exit the lot.

“He doesn’t strike me as a pushover.” Crystal leaned forward between the two seats.

“Well, apparently he’s willing to listen to reason.”

“And itworked.So, what is Chase now? Assistant coach?”

I scoffed. “I doubt he even wants that.” After the words left my lips, I questioned them. What did Chase want? He’d all but admitted he didn’t have a lot of options when it came to coaching. Was that why he asked me to help him? Was he looking for a way to position himself into a better coaching position?

“I saw that look he gave you. It wasn’t just a ‘thanks for helping me.’ If you know what I mean.” Crystal winked at me in the rearview mirror.

“Dude, tell him to shave that mustache and I’d be all in on wanting him for you.”

I snorted. “Why, thank you for?—”

The car in front of me screeched to a halt, and I slammed on the brakes, stopping centimetres from the guy’s bumper. I sucked in a breath, white-knuckling the wheel. Then all of us burst out laughing.

It took more than fifteen minutes to get to Ranchman’s, but it didn’t kill our buzz. The bar was somehow already half-full by the time we arrived, the scent of cologne, burgers, and fries so thick, it steamed up the windows.

Crystal grabbed my arm and hauled me through the crowd. We always made a beeline for the reserved tables at the back. They were technically set aside for the players, but since Shar was with Rob, we counted.

Two pitchers of beer and a basket of peanuts were already waiting for us.

"Ugh. This place is the best." Crystal grabbed a stool and settled in.

The door swung again, and in streamed the Outlaws with their damp hair and wide grins. Rob, Bear, Axel, and Rory were instantly mobbed. It took them a full ten minutes to reach the back. Rob scooped Shar into his arms and planted a kiss on her lips. She melted into him, her fingers lifting into his hair.

I wanted that. But for the first time, I wasn’t looking at Rob or whatever guy my friends were dating. I was looking at them. At Shar. Here, in the middle of all the chaos, she let herself go. If I wanted what she and Rob had, I needed to be like that. I had no idea where to start.

Rob pulled back and kissed her temple.

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