Page 111 of Burn

“They hired a choreographer,” Rosie tells me. “Brittney made them do it. Isn’t it amazing?”

I don’t respond.

It’s… fun, and my cheeks ache from smiling for the first time in weeks.

The announcer’s voice returns. “And now, your starting lineup!”

The guys form a tunnel with their sticks, and one by one the players skate through as they’re announced.

“Your Team Captain, and center — Ronan Pierce!” Ronan spins as he emerges from the tunnel. “Assistant Team Captain, and nearly banned defenseman — Adrian Liberty!” Adrian skates out without any flair, and I chuckle at my complete lack of surprise over the show of defiance.

“Oh, Brittney is gonna be pissed with him! He was supposed to do some weird roll,” Rosie gasps.

“Also, on D — Colton Calloway!” The announcer draws out the end of his name, and Rosie jumps to the glass, screaming and slamming her fists into it.

“That’s my guy!”

Colton plays his stick like a guitar along with the music, and when he spots her, he skates to the glass and kisses it.

Oh, Jesus Christ.

Rosie clasps both hands over her heart, and I might throw up. The whole display is so sweet, I may end up with a cavity.

Rosie glances at me, and I can’t say a fucking word. She looks wildly happy.

The announcer introduces the rest of the starting line, ending with the goalie.

“A warm welcome to the team to our brand-new Goalie — Anton Rousseau!”

Anton takes an exaggerated bow, then skates to stand next to Adrian. They’re nearly identical in height, and Anton leans into Adrian. I can tell they’re talking, and thankfully, it keeps Adrian’s attention off our section. I need to hide a little longer. Just when I think it’s over, the ice is flooded by beaver mascots with huge bushes. The crowd reaches a deafening level whenthe beavers chase the players toward the bench, trying to grab their asses.

The whole thing is so ridiculous and over the top. The players clamber onto the bench, save for the starting line, and I see the short, curvy brunette holding a camera, a massive smile on her face. Brittney, I have to assume. She pats the guys on the back as they pass her. The puck is dropped on the ice, and the arena falls silent as everyone focuses on the game.

Save for my date, who screams every time the puck goes near Colton, which is a lot. I remind myself not to follow Adrian as he flies across the ice; instead, I track Colton. When two bodies collide with the boards directly in front of us and the number 55 into the glass, I jump and liquid splashes out of my can and onto my pants.

“What a hit!” Rosie screams. “Don’t take that shit, Liberty!”

He shoves the player from the other team off, and instead of dashing off, he spins around, as if he can feel my eyes on his back. For the first time in two months, I lock eyes with Adrian Liberty, and my heart skips a beat. Fuck, it might skip a dozen beats. Sweat drips down the side of his jaw, and he breathes hard through his mouth. The action continues behind him, but he’s frozen.

Rosie waves excitedly. “Hi, Bear!” she screams.

His eyes flick to her, then back to me. They’re completely unreadable.

Behind him, motion catches my attention, and I watch as the other team scores against the new goalie. Colton approaches from behind and shoves him back to reality, and they both skate off.

I sink back into my seat, my head spinning. He was so close — inches away and only separated by a layer ofPlexiglas. I watchhim skate for the bench, replaced by another player. The air rushes out of my lungs, and Rosie’s hand lands on my leg.

“You okay, babe?” she asks softly.

“Honestly? Not sure.”

I wipe at the spot on my jeans that’s soaked with my drink, and the rest of the first period blurs by. When the buzzer sounds, the score is 1 - 0, and loud music fills the arena again. The beaver mascots perform through the break, and Rosie grabs us another drink. When she comes back, she returns to telling me about her and Colton.

At one point, she slaps my arm and says, “He told me you kissed him!”

My cheeks sear with embarrassment. “Can we please never bring that up again? Not my finest moment.”

“Okay,” she giggles. “Great kisser though, right?”