Page 101 of Game Changer
Scott didn’t reply. Kip turned off the television and flopped over onto his side on the couch. He kind of wanted to get drunk, but that was a terrible idea.
He loved Scott so much.
How could he ever be good enough for him?
He was feeling really fucking low. And Scott wasn’t texting him back. And maybe Scott was realizing right now that he could be dating, like, a gay movie star or something.
He had been moping on the couch for almost an hour when Scott texted back.Hi! Can I call you?
Scott didn’t even wait for a reply. Kip answered the call. “Hey.”
“Kip! I just landed in Toronto! I have to tell you the funny thing that happened at the airport...”
Kip grinned and sat up. He listened to Scott’s long, animated story, and by the end of it they were both laughing and he felt a lot better. Scott had been on a plane waiting to call Kip so he could tell him all about his day.
“How wasyourday?” Scott asked when he was done.
Kip’s heart thumped happily in his chest.
“Better now.”
Chapter Seventeen
The siren signaled the end of the overtime period. The game had been grueling, ending in a 3–3 tie that would now go to a shootout.
Scott skated to the bench. He nudged Bennett when he got there. “You ready for this?”
“Nothing is getting past me, Hunter.”
“Damn straight,” Scott said, and he tapped his helmeted forehead against the front of Bennett’s mask.
“All right,” Coach Murdock said. “We’re starting with Vaughan, then Huff, then Hunter. Surely one of you millionaires can put this to bed.”
“No problem, Coach,” Huff said.
Bennett skated to his net. The Toronto goalie did the same. Toronto was the home team and they chose to shoot second, so Carter skated out to the center line.
The whistle blew, and Carter took off.
“Nice,” Scott muttered under his breath as Carter deked and swerved toward the net, fancy stickhandling being his specialty.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work and the goalie blocked the shot. Carter skated back, shaking his head. “Shit. Thought I had him.”
“Nice moves, Carter. Next time,” Scott said.
Bennett stopped the Toronto shooter, and the Admirals bench breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The bench got rowdy as Huff skated to center ice. “Come on, Huff.”
“You got this.”
Huff did what he did best. He fired a quick shot at the top corner of the net that the goalie had no chance of stopping. The Admirals all pounded their sticks against the boards and bumped gloves with him as he skated down the line. If the Toronto shooter missed, the game would be over.
The Toronto shooter didn’t miss, beating Bennett down low. Scott was up.
* * *
Kip had his hands over his mouth. He was on the edge of his seat on Elena’s couch. “Come on, Scott...” he muttered.
