Page 138

Story: Bad Little Puck Bunny

I grip the railing tighter, my breath caught in my throat.

The opposing goalie is ready, crouched low, but Caleb flicks his wrist at the last second, sending the puck straight to Eli, who slaps it into the net.

The goal horn blares. The crowd erupts.

“Holy shit!” I yell, jumping as Remy grabs my arm and shakes me.

“That was fucking insane,” she shouts, eyes wide. “They are on fire tonight.”

I nod, unable to tear my eyes away from the ice. The scoreboard flickers. Final seconds. The other team rushes forward, desperation clear in their movements.

Caleb intercepts a pass, slams a guy into the boards so hard the whole rink shakes, and clears the puck. The buzzer sounds.

Game over.

We win.

The arena explodes into chaos. People are hugging, screaming. My dad is actually smiling. He throws a fist into the air, something I rarely see, and my chest tightens at the sight.

The players huddle together, arms slinging around each other’s shoulders. Helmets are yanked off. There’s a blur of movement as fans push toward the ice, and I watch them flood the lower levels.

Beside me, Maya exhales a long breath. “God, I missed this,” she says. “London’s got nothing on this kind of energy. I’m so fucking glad I’m moving back.”

Remy smirks. “Caleb’s gonna lose his shit.”

Maya laughs. “He’s been moping, hasn’t he?”

Remy opens her mouth to answer, then suddenly tilts her head. “Actually…here he is.”

I turn my head just as Caleb appears, skating toward us with that ridiculous, boyish grin. His hair is damp with sweat, his jersey clinging to him, and his whole face is lit up like a kid on Christmas. I’ve never seen him like this before. He’s not the evil shithead I once knew. Right now he’s a hot college hockey player who just won his game.

“Baby, did you see—” he starts, but his voice cuts off abruptly. His eyes shift, locking onto Maya.

The grin slips. His entire body goes still.

Maya takes a step forward, smiling. “Hey,” she says, clearly not hearing how he just called mebaby.

The tension in the air changes so fast my skin prickles.

And then, before I can even process what’s happening, Maya throws her arms around Caleb, pressing her mouth to his like she’s claiming him right in front of everyone.

“I’m back,” she murmurs against his lips. “Surprise!”

The entire world tilts.

Caleb doesn’t push her away.

His hands grip her waist. His fucking hands are on her. He’s holding her in place.

My stomach drops straight to the floor.

What the actual fuck?

Eli steps up beside me, his presence burning hot, and then his voice cuts through the haze.

“What the fuck?”

Before I can blink, Eli’s got Caleb by the collar and yanks him backward. The punch comes fast, brutal. Caleb stumbles, his head snapping back.