Page 50 of Until We Burn
“That’s my boy.” He ruffles a hand through my hair. Then, an earnest look comes over his face. “Remember, this is the first game, alright? Win or lose, you keep fighting, and you keep getting better. The only way is forward.”
I nod, smiling a little. “I won’t forget that,tonton.”
His grin softens. Then he takes my helmet and places it over my head.
It doesn’t matter how many times he’s done this. It still feels like the first time I ever put on hockey gear and got on the ice.
Through my visor, I can see Uncle Manu’s eyes tearing up with pride as he hands me my hockey stick. Then he holds out his hand. I clap it tightly with mine. Our foreheads press together, and we whisper in unison,“Soyez fiers jusqu’à la fin.”
The crowd roarsin my ears.
Adrenaline pumps harder in my blood as I follow the Griffins out of the tunnel and skate onto the ice for warm-up.
Glittering strobe lights swirl the Balfur Arena. DHU Griffins fans and Lakefield Vipers fans dominate the stands in a sea of maroon and red, and yellow and green.
“Fucking druggie!”
A bag of white powder knocks into my helmet. My anger spikes. I snap around just in time to see a grinning asshole in a Vipers jersey being dragged out by security.
Familiar laughter breaks out behind me. A blur of green and yellow flashes in the corner of my eye as Simon Valdis and the Vipers skate onto the ice.
“They finally let the mutt out of his cage, huh?”
Simon Valdis hated me the second I stepped onto the ice in first year. He hated the attention I got, the fact that I got drafted before he did, and he came at me whenever he could, taking away whatever he could.
Like a typical trust fund baby, Simon reaps all of his privilege from his dad, Matthias Valdis, the former legendary captain of the Winnipeg Narwhals. Simon looks exactly like him during his glory days. Standing six feet tall, his eyes are green as poison, his hair is curly and blond, and he flashes that signature shit-eating grin that’s bright with entitlement.
“You can snort that bag after we kick your ass.”
He knocks his stick into my chest, shoving me back from the center line. The urge to throw down my gloves rips through me. Rowan pulls me back.
“Hey, easy,” he warns. “Don’t give him what he wants.” His eyes darken at the jeering Vipers fans pounding at the plexiglass. “The shit they say defines them more than it defines us.”
All I want to do right now is define Simon’s face with my fist.
But fighting gets you thrown out of games in the NCAA, and I won’t let Simon rile me up before I have a chance to beat him.
I take a deep breath in. Rowan searches my face, eyes trained on me until I ease up and nod.
Vipers and Griffins gather at the center line for “O’Canada.”
I can feel every eye in the crowd rest on me. There used to be so many leis waving around to cheer me on. Now, there’s only one. Uncle Manu swings a lei in his hand. He stands so tall and proud beside Aunt Edie and Ron King, who wave their posters in support.
My anger dies under the hope unraveling in my heart.
And that’s when I see her.
Diana looks back at me from her seat above Uncle Manu. The cool air from the arena ripples through her wavy black hair. The strands drift against those sultry, long-lashed eyes and those red lips that smile at me.
Goddamn.
Seeing her show up like this after everything she’s been through pushes me to stay calm and focused. If Diana can still show her face after being ripped apart by everyone, then I can face Simon Valdis and win.
IwantDiana to watch me win.
And she will.
DIANA
