Page 42 of Cloudless
DECISIONS
KAM
Sweat drips down my cheek as my eyes follow the streak of black along the icy backdrop. The distant roar of the crowd fades into the recesses of my mind as my legs scream for a break I don’t have time to give.
I feel the rapid rhythm of my heart beating in my fingertips as Dax transfers the puck to me.
The familiar thunk of the puck hitting my stick has tension coiling in my legs as I propel myself toward our goal with one thought in mind.
For a single moment, my eyes connect with the goalie.
His piercing eyes stay locked on the puck by my feet.
With a nearly indistinguishable tilt of his hips, he fills my favorite corner of the net.
He doesn’t realize the power that’s coursing through my veins brings a determination that cannot be broken.
This one’s for you, Sunshine.
I flick my eyes to the right as I swivel my hips like I’m sending the puck in that direction, right where he expects me to.
A slight smirk lifts his lips as he celebrates a premature victory.
I twist to the left at the last moment with a smirk of my own.
My breath stalls in my chest as I send the puck soaring through the air toward our goal.
Silence blankets the rink as everyone collectively holds their breath as they await the puck's fate.
The goalie’s brows furrow as he switches positions too late. The puck soars into the top left corner of the net as vibrations from the stands course through my legs.
My teammates swarm me as the last seconds tick down on the clock. The emcee's voice reverberates through my chest. “He’s done it! Kamden Stryker has secured the first hat trick of the season!”
The pull of her stare from the stands is unmistakable amidst the surrounding chaos.
I don’t free my smile until my eyes connect with hers.
Everything else fades away as her smile blooms. I barely notice my friends jostle me around on the ice as I place my hand over my heart before using it to blow a kiss to my ray of Sunshine.
Satisfaction flows through me like a raging river as a blush creeps over her cheeks. Her smile grows as the crowd erupts in a deafening roar. All eyes turn to her as I openly claim her as mine.
The thrill of a hat trick is no match for knowing my girl is in the stands, cheering me on with my name on her back.
I don’t pull my eyes away from her even as shouts go through my teammates.
“Is that Cap’s girl?”
“Way to go, Cap!”
“Lila’s on the jumbotron!”
She ducks her head with a shy smile as I’m pulled in all different directions. I allow myself to be pulled away by my teammates even though the last thing I want to do is take my eyes off her.
But the quicker I get the interviews done and make it to the locker room, the quicker I get to see her. That’s all the motivation I need to kick everyone into high gear and get this shit done.
Students spill out of the front door of The Penalty Box like an overstuffed pizza roll. The sea of people part, and cheers move through the crowd as soon as I’m spotted.
Their congratulations mean nothing to me compared to my need to get inside and find my girl. This need to hold her and bathe myself in her mango scent is overwhelming.
There were too many layers separating us at the rink. Layers of glass. Layers of people. Now that she's so close, I can’t get to her fast enough.
My eyes relentlessly search for her in the crowd of meaningless faces. A flash of a red bow that matches the one tied around my wrist pulls my attention.
A sense of rightness settles in my chest as she comes fully into view. My name sits proudly on her back like a beacon for all to see. A beacon that proudly shouts, This woman is mine! My fingers itch to trace my name and feel the warmth of her skin.
She’s not the only one in this restaurant who’s sporting my name on her back, but she’s the only one who deserves it.
The only one whose presence is now as necessary as breathing.
Her laugh cuts through the elated voices around us as I close in on her. My smile rings clear in my voice. “Hi, Sunshine.”
She graces me with a beaming smile as she throws her arms around my neck. That smile that’s reserved just for me never fails to send a wave of butterflies through my stomach. “Ah, you’re here! You played such a good game!”
I secure my arms around her waist and let her mango scent override the smell of stale beer and nachos that is an ever-present staple of The Penalty Box. “It’s all thanks to my good luck charm.” The bow around my wrist is a statement as powerful as the kiss I blew to her on the ice tonight.
Her eyes practically sparkle as she leans back to look at me. “Nah. That’s all you, Trouble.”
A sudden elbow to the ribs turns my attention away from Lila to find a teasing smile on Ellie’s face. “I see how it is! You get a girlfriend, and the rest of us just disappear into the background to live our lives as side characters.”
One arm stays firmly around Lila’s waist as I pull Ellie into a side hug. “There, happy now, Shrimp?”
She rolls her eyes in mock annoyance as she grabs Lila’s hand. “It’ll do, Goose.” Her eyes turn pleading as they fall on Lila. “Come on, I’ve got to go to pee.”
The strength it takes to unlock my arm from Lila’s waist is immeasurable. “Hurry back.”
The smile shining brightly in her eyes holds me captive as my sister drags her into the crowd. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
The hole they made in the crowd seals behind them as I take my usual seat at our table.
Dax’s eyes narrow as he examines me with a tilt of his head.
“You know, you started playing the best games of your life after Sullivan came around.” His eyes swivel to Mace next to him as a smirk takes over his face.
“Maybe it’s time we settled down, Mace. Seems like that’s the best way to level up our game. ”
A sultry voice that sends chills, and not the good kind, down my spine reaches my ears. “Great game tonight, Kam.”
I reluctantly turn to find Kim’s low cut top directly in my eyeline. I somehow fully hide my cringe as I realize it's my jersey she’s wearing. “Uh, thanks, Kim.”
Her eyes crinkle as the fakest smile I’ve ever seen sprouts on her face. The overpowering stench of her perfume washes over me as she leans a fraction of an inch closer. “Are you going to the party at the Football House tonight?”
My ass cheek hugs the edge of my seat as I try to move out of her orbit. “No. You know we don’t party like that.”
I’ve had a strict no alcohol rule since I turned twenty-one. I refuse to end up like my father.
How she pouts her lips with all the filler in them, I’ll never know. “Aww, come on, Kam.” Her pink-tipped nails brush down my shoulder, and I recoil from her touch like I’ve been burned. “It’ll be soooo much fun.”
I open my mouth to reply, but don’t get a chance. A familiar hand slips under hers to replace the chill of her touch with a warmth that seeps into my bones. “He said no, Kim.” Lila’s eyes blaze with a fire that sets my heart ablaze.
Kim’s boney fingers dig into her hips as she lets out a huff of annoyance. “Kam’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
A smirk blooms on Lila’s face as her ass lands in my lap, right where she belongs. “He already did.” My arm immediately finds its place around her waist, a possession as certain as the name written across her back.
My eyes lock with Lila’s as laughter erupts from the surrounding tables. I don’t bother looking away to confirm that Kim has stormed off to find her posse that will help her self-esteem recover.
The heat of her body seeps through my layers of clothes as I pull her closer. I hardly recognize my voice with the amount of pride flowing through it. “That was the sexiest thing I have ever seen.” Judging by the look in her eyes, I know she can feel the evidence of that growing in my pants.
It’s not just that she stood up to Kim for me, it’s that we felt like a unit. An unbreakable force that can withstand the test of time and nature.
Lila’s fingers weave into the hair at the nape of my neck as some of the fire fades from her eyes. “You’re mine, Kamden Stryker.”
My heart fights to crawl out of my chest to fall at her feet. Her words sink into me like aloe on the burns left behind by those that came before her.
A slow clap starts up around us as Dax’s voice shines with approval. “That was even better than Kam’s hat trick.”
Ellie’s face stretches in an impossibly large smile as she vibrates in her seat. “I couldn’t be prouder of you, L. I can’t wait to tell Posey. She will flip her lid.”
The absence of the twins is felt around the table, but we all know how big of a deal it is for them to have their first overnight visit with their grandparents.
My voice is a feather-light kiss against Lila’s cheek as I whisper, “Do you have any plans tonight?” Her smile turns shy as she shakes her head. “I have an idea.”
“Should I be worried?”
My shrug shifts her in my lap. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”