Page 178 of Until We Burn
“Turn it off!”Anthony shouts. “Come on!”
Movement jerks in the corner of my eye. I look up at the private suite, and my blood grows cold when I see Edward, Gregory, and Jonathan walking in to stand by Matthias.
Diana.
My eyes snap to her. She sits with Stella’s arms around her, forced to take it all in as people taunt her.
“Di!” I skate towards the tunnels before the linesmen push me back.
“Stay put, son. We’re resolving this now.”
“Let me go!” I shout, “Please! I need to?—”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
I swing my stick against the wall. I hopelessly look back at her. Diana shakes her head, her stare steadfast and determined. With her head held up high, Diana pats her heart three times.
Her message is clear:I love you. Stay and play the game.
I grip my stick tight and tap my heart three times back.
I fight to tune out the sounds and noises flickering around me as I skate back onto the ice.
Simon laughs. “Jesus, mutt, I didn’t think you could cuff a girl after Andrea! Asians aren’t my type, but maybe I should steal her next.”
Rage twitches in my hand.This is my last game with the boys and I’m not going to let Simon take that away from me because I ended up beating his head into the ice.
“Are we going to play the game or not?”
“If I get her, I’ll make sure to record it for you,” Simon taunts. “Seems like Diana enjoys being on a screen.”
I grab his jersey, tugging it hard until he chokes against my grip.
“Listen to me closely, Simon. If this is going to be my last game, you are going to watch the Griffins win,” I hiss. “I want you to get it in your fucking head that you and your dad can break me as many times as you want, but you willneverbe able to keep my name off of that scoreboard.”
I shove him away and skate back into position.
Tonight, I’m not just playing to prove Simon and Matthias wrong. I’m playing for Uncle Manu, for Diana, for the boys, for the littleFrench Polynesian kid inside of me who always dreamed I’d make it here despite everyone telling him he couldn’t.
I’ll never forget what Uncle Manu told me earlier in the locker room.
“When I tell you to be proud until the end, I don’t say that lightly. Injuries and old age are gonna get you one day, Kainoa. Every hockey player will play their last game no matter what. Let go of what you can’t control and enjoy being a Griffin for as long as you can.”
The screens finally go black. The sound disappears. All that’s left is the roar of the Griffins fans demanding a win.
“Soyez fier jusqu'à la fin,”I whisper.
One last time as a Griffin, I crouch down for the face-off. I turn to Anthony and nod.
“I’m ready.”
CHAPTER 71
DIANA
This game is a bloody one.
Luke slams the Vipers’ left winger into the plexiglass. The puck skids out of reach. Rowan pushes towards it and passes it down to Kai. He takes off from the blue line, hurtling towards the Vipers’ net.
