Page 80 of Married to Number 22

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“Sure,” I murmur.

“Life’s not full of fairytales, sweetheart.”

My heart pulses but she goes on before I can speak.

“But if there is ever a prince and princess who can break an evil curse, it’s you and Aiden.”

Thirty-One

Aiden

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!”I call, streaking toward the net.

Gray spots me, dekes around one of the Eagles and flicks the pass my way.

It flies through the air, dropping just in time to land on my stick as I cut to the net.

Two defenseman stand between me and the goal, but that’s okay, Gray’s following his pass and Joel’s on his heels.

We have numbers.

We have a little bit of time.

We have space.

I stay wide, trying to draw one of the defenseman to me, but my opponent is on to my tactics, staying between me and his net, leaving me with a tough angle to connect a pass back over to my teammates.

It’s the right play since I generally prefer to make the pass over the shot—the high I get from creating a great play much higher than picking a corner or slipping a puck through the goalie’s five-hole.

But Icanscore.

And if the opportunity presents itself then I’m not going to allow it to pass me by.

I cut in around him before I run out of room, taking a sharp right to the net, dragging the puck with me in a move I’ve only fucked around with during practice?—

Around the tip of the defenseman’s stick, sliding it between his feet.

Then off the heel of one of my skates…

And kicking it up onto the tip ofmystick.

Then it’s just me and the goalie and I’m only five feet away, four,three?—

I deke to the right with my shoulders and, at the same time, I release the top hand on my stick.

So, I’m in close, holding onto my twig with my weaker hand, the other D is closing in rapidly, and the puck almost out of reach.

That’s okay though.

I keep faking right, keep drawing the goalie that direction.

Not much—he’s too good, too smart, too fast.

But I get him to bite an inch.

And that’s enough.

I grunt as I stretch that final centimeter, managing to use the very tip of my stick to push the puck forward, to slide it…

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