Page 59 of One Pucking Secret
They actually came.
Chloe turns slightly, revealing she’s wearing one too. Her auburn hair catches the light just right, her gaze warm and steady. Seeing them together like this, here for me, fills me witha grounding energy I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.
Jasper waves again, bouncing on his little feet like he can’t contain his excitement. I can’t help but smile back, that familiar feeling of purpose settling over me. If they’re here, I owe it to them to give it everything I’ve got.
I skate back toward my team with renewed energy coursing through me.
They look at me—some surprised, some skeptical—but there’s fire in their eyes now too. It’s time to play like I mean it, because Chloe and Jasper are counting on me.
Zach’s voice rings out. “Alright, guys, one period left! One period to turn this game around. Wyatt, you’re fired up—keep that spark. Let’s finish this strong.”
“Got it,” I say, gripping my stick tightly.
“You’re going to have to try a lot harder if we’re going to win,” Alec throws in, his tone half-challenging, half-motivating. The words leave me seething, but they spark something deeper too.
“Let’s go, Knights!” Zach concludes.
“Let’s go!” I echo.
The puck drops, the sound slicing through the arena’s roar like a clean skate cutting across fresh ice. We’re back in it, the puck in motion,and I’m a live wire, every sense honed on the game—but it’s their presence that anchors me.
“Focus, Banks!” Alec’s voice snaps me back.
“Got it,” I bite back, pushing off hard with my blade, feeling the ice yield to my strength.
“Nice move, Banks!” a teammate calls as I cut through the defense, stick handling with precision.
“Stay locked in!” Coach Reynolds shouts, but he doesn’t realize it’s because of them—Chloe and Jasper—that my focus has never been clearer. They’re my motivation, my reason to bear down, to play my hardest. For them, I’ll turn pressure into power.
When the puck slams into the back of the net for the sixth time, it feels like more than just a goal. The crowd roars, the horn blares, and adrenaline courses through me. This game is mine, but it’s for them too.
“Unbelievable, Banks!” Zach shouts, his glove smacking against my helmet in a congratulatory smack as the rest of the Knights swarm me.
As we skate off the ice together, the cheers still echoing, Zach grins. “Never seen you play like that,” he says, holding my gaze.
“Guess it just clicked,” I reply, keeping my tone casual as we share a look of mutual respect.
The buzzer sounds, sealing our victory, and the Knights converge at center ice, a mass of jubilant bodies in blue and white. It’s our moment, but my thoughts are with them—Chloe and Jasper, my world watching from above, the ones who lit that spark.
I head for theexit and find Chloe and Jasper standing just outside the locker room door.
As soon as I see her, Chloe’s green eyes search mine as I approach.
“Hey, champ!” I greet Jasper, bending down to his level. His smile is a beacon, bright and undimmed by the chaos swirling around us.
“You were so cool out there!” Jasper tells me, bouncing up and down with excitement.
I rise and press a kiss to Chloe’s lips, brief but filled with the promise of things left unsaid in public spaces.
“Thanks for coming. Did you two have fun?” I ask, throwing a glance over my shoulder for any signs of lurking cameras.
“It was so much fun! You scored so many points for your team!” Jasper’s words tumble out in an enthusiastic rush.
I laugh, the sound genuine despite the tightness in my chest. “That was the plan, bud.”
Chloe’s gaze meets mine, a blend of pride and concern in her expression. “I’ve never seen you play so… intensely,” she says softly.
“Just have a lot of pent-up energy,” I say, wanting nothing more than the quiet of home, far from all the stares and whispers.
