Page 51 of Roman and the Hopeless Romantic
“Gibson,” Mr. Thompson snapped. “Sullivan, if you two are going to continue to talk during class, you will be forced to leave.”
Roman suppressed a grin as he got back to work. He wasn’t a favorite with teachers. They normally said he didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut. Add that to Hadley’s penchant for trouble and it was a lethal combination.
At least she’d distracted him from the uneaten chocolate roses from random girls in his backpack or the fact the one girl he did want to notice him hadn’t messaged him all day.
He needed this game tonight. Whether they won or lost, at least he’d get all this energy out.
* * *
It turnedout hockey was the perfect distraction. The puck dropped at five, so the crowd in the arena was lighter than normal, but that didn’t bother the team.
Roman skated down the center of the ice as Jesse held onto the puck near the blue line. On the other wing, Damien—replacing Charlotte—got himself into position. Until a few weeks ago, the three of them played every game together, so there was chemistry there. As soon as Roman saw Damien streaking along the far boards, he knew his line-mate would swing around the back of the net and try to set himself up for a rebound.
Just like Damien would have known Roman preferred to stay near the left dot, waiting for the pass.
And Jesse could see it all. That’s what made him such a great center. He saw the ice, saw the plays developing at a fast speed.
It played out how Roman knew it would. Jesse fired a hard pass Roman’s way, and Roman one-timed it toward the net. The shot hit the goalie’s pads, popping out with just enough space for Damien to cram the rebound under the goalie’s leg.
The goal horn sounded, and a smile split Roman’s face as he skated toward Jesse, practically jumping on him. It was a weird tradition—hockey hugs. After every goal, the guys on the ice celebrated with a giant hug. Even the grown men in the NHL hugged each other.
But Roman liked weird. He cared about these guys, and celebrating with them was the best part of the game.
“Charlie who?” Roman shouted over the noise.
Jesse elbowed him. “That’s my girl you’re talking about.”
Roman shot him a wink before stepping through the door and taking a seat on the bench. He was more than glad Charlie was on the team, but it was also nice knowing they could still score some goals without her, that they too had a hand in the team’s success of late.
A new line jumped over the boards as Jesse sat beside Roman. “Who would have thought we only needed a fake holiday to make you play better?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Roman scoffed. “I’m always awesome.”
Jesse only shook his head with a laugh.
By the time the final buzzer rang, the Hurricanes were up by two goals, winning for the first time without Charlotte. Jesse hadn’t been wrong. Roman played like a man on a mission. He’d focused all his energy on that game, because if he hadn’t, he’d have thought of the text chat with Cassie that still hadn’t lit up with a new message.
The team poured into the locker room amidst celebrations. Damien wrapped an arm around Roman’s shoulders and shook him before moving on with a giant grin on his face.
Instead of joining in, Roman went straight to his locker and pulled his phone out. Waking it up, he tapped his text message icon. Nothing new.
Jesse sat on the bench nearby and bent to unlace his skates. “You don’t look like we just won the game.”
Roman pulled his sweaty jersey off before sitting to yank at his skates. “Have you talked to your sister today?”
Jesse lifted his head. “Yeah. She texted me after her appointment.”
“So, her phone is working?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” He threw his skates to the side and stood to remove his pads. “Look, man, I see the way you look at her.”
“I don’t look at her any specific way.” Roman got to his feet.
Jesse ran a hand over his face. “It’s the same way you’ve always looked at her. Rome, you know you’re my brother, right?”
Roman nodded.
“Then I need you to listen to me. I love Cassie more than anyone in this world. But what she’s been going through the past two years is not something you or I can help her with. I know you care about her… possibly a lot… but she’s not the kind of girl you should go after.”
