Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Nolan knocks the puck free, and I’m off, pushing it hard down the ice. The goalie comes out of the box to tempt me, and I chuckle. He wants to play. I give him credit, but I don’t give him the satisfaction. I’m in the attack zone before anyone catches up with me. My line is doing what they can to ensure I have a direct shot at the net. I don’t stop and rear back. Instead, I take the puck right to the crease and send it. I see it nestle in the webbing and pump my arms as my knee drops to the ice. I slide a bit until my teammates stop me, and then we’re following our routine.
When I get to Jude, he says, “Thanks for the cushion.” Jude hasn’t been on his game today and is down on himself for some reason. When Coach called a time out earlier, I thought he would pull Jude, but gave him a pep talk instead and reminded us we’re a team and need to function as one. When you play like a team, you’re unstoppable.
The final buzzer sounds, and I barely have enough time to breathe before my teammates have me in a circle, patting my shoulders or helmet. We gather at center ice, congratulate each other, and wait for the other team to leave before showing our fans some appreciation. When the last of our opponents have exited, I raise my stick high in the air, the others follow, and then I slap to the ice. The sound of forty-some sticks hitting the ice at varying times is music to my ears.
After accolades are handed out in the locker room, I shower and dress slowly. I asked Thea to wait for me at the mouth of the dungeon—the long hallway leading to the equipment and trainer’s room, the locker rooms, and the entrance to the ice. Tonight, her brother is gone. He’s made it a point to tell me, and subsequently her, he’s got a date and isn’t planning to return. Of course, Thea ran with this and reminded me every chance she could by shoving pineapple in her mouth and winking. At first, I was confused why all of a sudden she was eating so much fruit, and then I looked it up. I’m not one to embarrass easily, but holy fuck, I was not prepared for what I read. And talk about performance anxiety setting in before we’re actually in a position to do something other than the blowies she’s given me or me getting her off with my fingers. I’ve never been one to shy away from sex but having sex with Thea is something entirely different. I like her beyond what the word like even means, and that scares me.
Jude and I are the last ones to leave—we planned it this way. The thing is, Thea and I haven’t gone on an actual date. I don’t count going out for ice cream with Lacey as a date or Thea making me dinner every night. I know we’re in college, and dating is what we make of it, but I want her to feel like she means something to me. With Coach’s permission and the help of her brother, I hopefully planned the night well.
“Okay, I’m going to head out. Are you sure she’s waiting?”
“Yes, she’ll be there.” Jude gives me a high-five and takes a box I handed him out to Thea. I get cleaned up, put my skates back on and head toward the ice. It’s dark in the arena, but the emergency lights give off enough glow we won’t need anything else. I set my phone on the bench and turn on one of the playlists I created for Thea and me. After skating out to the center of the ice, I wait. I’m not the most patient man ever, so the seconds that tick by seem like an eternity, and I start to wonder, what if Thea wasn’t waiting for me?
Every insecure thought I had goes away when she steps into view. Even though it’s dark and I can’t see her clearly, I imagine she’s smiling.
“Hey,” I say as she skates onto the ice. I haven’t gotten around to asking her why she doesn’t play hockey or figure skates, since usually once one member of the family turns to some sort of skating, the others follow. Ally wanted to train for the Olympics, but my mom could never afford a coach or the ice time.
When Thea gets closer to me, the smile I imagined is definitely there. She’s wearing my away jersey over the top of my sweatshirt, which I know is three times too big for her, but she doesn’t seem to mind, and her knit hat, along with her matching mittens, has the NU logo on them.