“Can I see it?”
I hand it over and he inspects it, turning it over in his sticky hands. “Maybe we could share it? I could have it for this game.”
A surge of panic shoots through me. I wouldn’t say I’m overly superstitious, but when the stakes are high, I don’t like to mess with something that’s working. I kept the rock in my bag for the last game and touched it before every period. It probably wasn’t the reason we won, but I’m not pumped about messing with probability today.
Still, I nod. “Yeah, we could do that. Hold on tight to it, okay?”
He grins.
I push back from the table. “I need to get ready. I’ll see you guys there.”
“Good luck,” my mom says cheerily. I get a nod of luck from my dad and Ryder holds up the rock, then drops it. The chances of him holding on to that for the next four hours before we play seem slim.
“That was nice of you,” Sienna says when the doors close on the elevator.
“And incredibly dumb.”
“You don’t really think that tiny rock is why you won the last game, do you?”
“No, of course not.”
She’s grinning.
“Maybe.”
“You’re adorable, and it makes the fact you let him keep it even sweeter.”
I grumble quietly as we enter the room. Adam and Reagan are inside watching TV.
I get my bag ready, check and double-check it.
“Would you sit down,” Adam says. “You’re making me nervous.”
“Yeah, well join the club.” I sit on the bed and then stand. “I can’t sit here. I need to move or do something.”
Adam sits forward. “Come on, babe. Let’s give them the room. We’ll be back in thirty.”
My brow furrows as my buddy and his girlfriend leave us.
“What just happened?”
Sienna climbs on my lap and threads her fingers through my hair. “I’m pretty sure they just left so we could have sex.”
“What?” A rumble shakes my chest.
“Wild guess that’s how your buddy releases his nerves before the game.”
“Right.” I shake my head. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not even sure sex could calm me down right now. Today is my last game. It’s the last time I’m ever going to play with these guys. I didn’t realize how much I was going to miss it.”
She massages my head and my scalp pricks with a chill that runs down my spine. My eyes fall closed. Now that my body is starting to relax, I’m very aware that her boobs are at nose level. I nuzzle in and she laughs. “I thought sex wouldn’t calm you down.”
“Might not, but it’s worth a shot. Besides, it was the captain’s orders.”
Waterville is big and physical, and they boast the best record in division one hockey. They’re also last year’s national champ and that title gives them both the boost of confidence of being in this position before and the hunger to hold on to it.
“I think I’m gonna shit myself,” Jordan says as we dress in the locker room. He jogs to the bathroom stall on the opposite side.
Maverick has music going on his phone and he dances around trying to keep the mood light, but the undercurrent of nerves is there for everyone.
When we take the ice, I swallow down a lump in my throat as I scan the crowd. I find my family and then Sienna and the girls, and then it’s time to go to work.
“What do you say, men?” Adam says, skating through us.
“Men today, huh, instead of boys?”
“Between me and you, if we’re going to win today, we’re going to need to play like men instead of boys.” He stops beside me. “Ready to do this thing?”
“Yeah.” I shoot a puck into the net.
“Well, that’s not very enthusiastic. Did you not work out your pregame nerves?”
“It isn’t nerves. Well, not just nerves. This is all bizarre. I never cared about it all ending until now.”
He fires at the net. “Yeah, I feel that too. The thing is, it won’t be the same regardless. Next year it’ll be a new group of guys starting out. Which means we might as well go out with a bang. Let’s give them something to aspire to.”
26
Sienna
“Oh, come on!” Ginny yells when Heath takes a hard hit from the Waterville defense.
“Sit down,” someone calls behind her and sweet Ginny turns and flips them off with such flair I have to bite back a laugh.
Mr. Scott places a hand on her shoulder and reluctantly Ginny sits back down.
“They’re going to hurt him.” She throws a hand up.
“He’s tough,” Reagan assures her.
“Is she always like this?” I ask Dakota.
“No, but I think seeing her all mini-psycho is adorable.”
Waterville scores and our entire row groans.
“This is not good,” I say to no one in particular. Rhett comes off the ice and tosses his water bottle to the back of the bench.
Dakota sighs. “I didn’t want to have to do this.”
She reaches into her bag and pulls out a T-shirt. It has Maverick’s number on it.
“Did you make that?” I ask. It looks almost like mine, Ginny, and Reagan’s but a little messier.
“No, of course not. Maverick did.” She rolls her eyes. “He was feeling very left out.”
“No property of?”
“I belong to no one, which I made very clear when he said he was going to make me one, but I promised him I’d wear his number it if things were looking bad.” She pulls it on over her head. “It can’t hurt, right?”
My gaze goes to the Valley bench. “No, it can’t.” I stand. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going? The period is about to end.”
“To get a good luck charm.”
Waiting outside of the locker room, I can hear Coach Meyers’ voice bouncing off the walls inside. Silence finally falls and the head coach pushes out of the locker room. He lets out a breath, hands on hips, composing himself before he starts down the tunnel.
The team follows a minute later. The security guard that I begged to let me loiter in the tunnel, watches me closely. I smile at him again, giving him my best, I’m not a stalker or a serial killer smile that probably conveys the exact opposite.
Rhett appears and I push off the wall. “Rauthruss!”
His head lifts slowly and his brows scrunch together when he sees me. I stay put, as instructed by the guard and Rhett walks over.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, no, I just wanted to give you this.” I hold out my hand to give him the black rock his brother gave him yesterday and then took back this morning.
“How?”
“I sweet-talked a five-year-old boy, then bribed him with a foam finger. I’m not proud.” But I knew how important it was to him. I could see his disappointment this morning.
“Thank you.” His sweaty, heavily padded body steps forward and he hugs me.
“Now, go give someone a black eye.”