Page 65 of Alive and Kicking
Nox smirks at me. “It’s not the most fashionable but it has a purpose. There are UV lights along the inside rim. It’s supposed to stop people from being able to take photos of your face.” He pulls out his phone and turns it around to show me something. “I tested it to make sure it works.”
In the photo, I can see Nox wearing the hat, but his face isn’t visible. It’s like there’s no contrast to be able to make out his facial features. I smile at him. “This is great. I look stupid in hats, which is why I never wear them, but this is so worth it.”
I turn the hat over in my hands and study it to figure out how to turn the lights on. There’s a very subtle bump on the underside of the bill that I press in with my thumb. The lights turn on and I slip the hat on over my head. The light is a little irritating, but it’s worth the discomfort to keep Nox from having to scour social media sites to remove any traces of my face.
“This is great. Thank you so much.” I reach forward to grab his hand and we both turn toward the door together.
It makes me so happy when he just does things to show he cares like this. He doesn’t even stop to ask what I need, he just notices that something needs to happen and then does it. Whenever the guys need something, he just nonchalantly makes it happen. It’s not a big show, and he doesn’t expect to receiveanything in return. Growing up in the mafia taught me that it’s better to pay your debts immediately because you never want to owe someone something you’re not comfortable with giving. But with the guys it’s not like that, they give and receive without keeping tabs.
Like a family. Sometimes I feel like I might not be part of it, but then they treat me exactly how they treat each other and it gives me hope that I really do fit in with all of them.
At the game, our team is giving it their all. We’re ahead by one point at the second intermission and I’m practically vibrating in my seat as I wait for the game to start back up again. Nox and Zane are sat either side of me, keeping me warm by leaning close to sandwich me between them in our seats.
The team is in their box as the coach talks to them, and my eyes stay on Sloane as he listens. A guy next to him leans in and says something to him, making me narrow my eyes at him. I knew I should have worked on lipreading. Unfortunately, I have no idea what the guy said, but I do catch him looking in our direction with a smirk on his face.
I can see Sloane’s teeth grit together from here. He looks pissed but just shoulders into the guy as he walks away from him and goes to stand next to one of his wingers. The new guy braces one arm on Sloane’s shoulder and shoots a glare at the guy who pissed him off. “What’s going on with that?” I ask, using my chin to gesture to the team.
Zane hadn’t been paying any attention, instead looking up at the ceiling like a meteor will burst through at any moment to put him out of his boredom. But Nox just shrugs his shoulders. “Idon’t know. Some of the guys don’t get along. The look over here makes me think he said something about Sloane’s relationship with you.”
I can’t help but agree. “Should I stab him?” I glance over to Nox with a completely steady gaze.
I won’t admit whether or not I’m actually being serious, but if Nox thinks it’s a good idea I might as well go for it. Though the lowered lids and deadpan glare make it pretty obvious that he’s not supportive of the idea. “No,” he says simply.
I frown but accept his response and agree that killing off Sloane’s teammates probably wouldn’t be the best course of action. Then they would have an alternate player taking his spot and that could ruin their chances to get all the way to Nationals.
The whistle blows and everyone gets to their places. Our team steals the puck, and Sloane ends up with it. He flicks it back and forth with his stick, advancing and dodging through the opposing team. When he has nowhere to go, he passes it to another teammate who darts through the other team while they’re still focused on Sloane. He makes it easily to the goal and takes a shot.
The goalie leaps to the side to stop the puck, but misses it by millimeters. Our side of the crowd cheers and I can see Cain from a few rows away stand from his seat and shout in excitement. Sloane skates over to his teammate who made the shot and pats him on the back. “There’s no way the other team will catch up at this point,” Nox says dismissively as they get back into position for another play.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
Nox looks out over the ice. “Their defense sucks. Ours is way better. Any time their forwards get the puck their defense has a hard time defending it from our guys.
Not even a full three minutes after Nox says that, the other team make a goal. Zane and I both look at him, but he avoidseye contact. He wasn’t wrong though, the other team tries to get another goal over and over again but their defense really is lacking. By the time the final whistle blows, our team beats them by two points. Sloane and his teammates celebrate on the ice, and he grins up at the three of us in the stands.
Zane holds his hands up in a heart and flutters his eyes at Sloane who just rolls his eyes before skating off with his team into the locker room. I stand from my seat with a new energy coursing through me. And when the others get up I hurry off to the locker room to wait for Sloane outside, pushing past people as everyone tries to leave their seats at once.
At some point I loose the guys to the crush, but I make it down to the locker rooms before any of the players make it out of the room. I’m bouncing on my heels when Sloane finally exits. Without giving him any warning, I take a running start. His eyes widen when he sees me but he has no trouble catching me when I jump into his arms. “You guys did it!” I exclaim as he spins me with a laugh.
Unlike a certain French toast loving hooligan, he doesn’t set me back on my feet dizzy. Instead, his lips meet mine in a quick kiss. “We did. They made that goal after the last intermission and I was a little worried we might go into overtime with a tie. But we did it, the team has worked so hard for this. Regionals here we come!”
I press my lips to his once more, letting the kiss linger this time. There’s flashing around us and Sloane curses against my lips as he whirls around to hide me from the flashes. I grin at him. “It’s okay. Nox got me this special hat that messes with the cameras. They won’t get a good photo of my face.”
He smiles at that and carefully sets me down onto my feet. “Where are Nox and Zane?” Sloane looks around, obviously not having noticed that they weren’t here before.
They make their way into the hall at the same time and find us immediately, Zane rushing over to pull me into his chest. “Don’t wonder off like that. Someone could have found you.”
I roll my eyes. “Listen, I was fine. It’s crowded, nothing would have happened with that many witnesses.”
Zane frowns at me. “It’s still dangerous.”
I’m about to show him dangerous when someone starts shouting for Sloane. “McKenna! McKenna! Over here…” When Sloane’s eyes find the guy with a camera talking to him, he frowns. “Is it true you’ve turned down NHL scouts trying to recruit you for some big-name teams?”
Sloane’s brows crease. “I’m not playing professionally. I’ve already got everything I could need.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders before doing the same to Zane with his other arm.
The guy tries to ask Sloane more questions, but he just starts walking away with Zane and I tucked under his arms. “They’re totally going to think we’re a couple too now. You do realize that right?” Zane looks up at Sloane and I giggle.
Sloane blinks at him. “What? No. I meant that you guys are my family!”
