Page 27

27

TASHA

G ame day.

This wasn’t my first hockey game, but it was my first time going as Trevor’s girlfriend. Girlfriend. Wow, that sounded weird, yet natural. Trevor Hall’s girlfriend. It did have a nice ring to it.

We were lying in bed after the BBQ, talking about our friends making bets on us, Trevor’s fingers tracing my spine, when he turned to me and said those three words.

“Be my girlfriend.”

He said it so casually it took me a minute to realize he was being serious. When I glanced up, he was already looking at me with a smile on his face.

“Be mine,” he added.

“As in?” It was like my brain couldn’t comprehend him wanting to be with me.

“As in, make it official.” His fingers never stopped moving along my back. The thought of exclusivity stirred something warm in my chest.

“Does that mean I get to call you my boyfriend?” I asked .

“Yes. I’ll even get ‘Tasha Davis’s boyfriend’ tattooed on my forehead.”

I laughed. “Good.”

“So, is that a yes?” Trevor waited for my response.

“Promise to make me food all the time?” Trevor grinned at my request. “Of course.”

“Then it’s a deal.” I mirrored his smile before he pulled me in, sealing it with a kiss.

Thinking back to last night made me grin like an idiot. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately, thanks to a certain someone. I was glad he decided to ask me when we were alone, instead of in front of our friends like he previously planned. It was a moment meant for just the two of us.

“Why am I so nervous?” I played with the hem of the jersey I was wearing as Josie, Mila, and I waited to go through security outside. Up ahead, the arena was lit up, ready for hundreds of fans to go inside.

The place was packed. Everyone we passed was dressed in the Toronto Knights team colors—a sea of blue and white. A good chunk even had their faces painted. Waiting in line, we were surrounded by people who wore Boone, Hall, and Young jerseys. It was moments like these that reminded me just how popular the guys were. Wyatt, Trevor, and Bryton were the faces of the team. They weren’t just some random players.

“Don’t worry, it gets easier.” Josie patted my arm, sending me a reassuring smile. I wasn’t the one playing, but I felt like my heart was going to break free from my chest.

When I left Trevor’s place earlier so he could get ready, he was cool and collected. He seriously didn’t seem fazed at all. And then there was me, who was internally freaking out for him. It was the first game of the season. First time the Knights would be back since winning The Cup Championship .

I couldn’t even imagine the pressure they had on their shoulders. Having won it all, they were expected to excel again and win another championship. I had faith they could do it, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous for them anyway.

“Will it ever go away?” I asked the girls.

“Not really,” Mila answered. “You just get better at ignoring it.”

“That’s not reassuring at all!” I called after her as she walked through after a security guard checked her purse. Josie laughed as she followed behind, then it was my turn.

Only holding my phone, we made it through the check quickly before making our way into the arena. Josie and Mila were here more than I was, so I let them lead us to where we were going.

Before I left this morning, Trevor reminded me he reserved a seat for me front and center. And not to forget to wear his jersey so everyone would know I was taken.

“Our men are going to kill it.” Mila beamed as we walked down to the lower level.

The closer we got to the stands, the louder it got. The game wasn’t set to start for another half hour, but the place was almost filled. Fans filled almost every seat, ready to cheer their team on. I’d never seen fans so passionate about something.

“Hey, Terry.” Josie greeted a security guard who stood down by the lower level. I assumed he normally watched over the same section if she knew him by name.

“Hello, ladies.” Terry grinned at us. “Ready for the game?”

“Oh, you know it,” Mila replied back.

“Gonna be a good one.”

As the three of us came out of the tunnel toward our seats, I was hit with exactly how loud the arena was. I forgot how bad it echoed, and it would only get worse when the team came out .

We walked to our seats that were right up front behind the plexiglass. I could feel eyes on us but that came as no big surprise. Josie and Mila were known among Knight’s fans. It was expected since Mila dated Bryton longer than Josie and Wyatt had been together. When the two of them were first caught hanging out, people went insane over it.

Josie didn’t care that much about the attention anymore. She was used to the staring, which came with the territory of dating a star hockey player. I had a feeling I was about to be put in the spotlight after tonight.

There had been a few articles written about me after attending a few games with Josie. Mostly wondering if I was sleeping with any of the players when I was just there to be with my best friend. But after tonight, that would change, especially when they caught sight of the person's jersey I was currently wearing.

I wasn’t too worried about it, though. I'd grown up in the spotlight since I was young. I had cameras in my face at events and articles written about my family. It came with who my parents were. I didn’t care what people wrote about me either. They could say what they wanted, believed what they wanted. As long as the people I cared for loved me as I was, I didn’t care.

If some random hockey fans wanted to come at me for dating Trevor then let them. He was dating me, not them.

“How does it feel being Trevor Hall’s girlfriend?” Josie asked. After eating, Josie pulled me aside at the BBQ, and we talked for a bit. I apologized for keeping it from her, but she wasn’t upset. She was just glad I was happy and letting myself get close to someone again.

“Weird?” I shrugged, not really sure what the right word was for it. “I mean, it felt right but also odd.” I had shut myself off from any possibility of being with Trevor and now here I was, falling for the one guy I said I wouldn’t .

“You two are very cute together. I don’t think I've ever seen Trevor so happy.” Mila beamed, leaning around Josie to glance at me.

“We are pretty hot together.” I grinned. “I think we’re gonna rival hockey’s cutest couple.” I nudged Josie’s shoulder.

“Yeah, right.” Jo rolled her eyes. “Wyatt and I are the golden couple.”

“Uh, excuse me? Bryton and I are the ‘it’ couple, thank you very much.” Mila noted.

“Eh, you guys keep those titles. Trevor and I are going to be the power couple.” Now that had a spectacular ring to it.

The two snorted.

“Uh-huh.” Jo patted my arm in a condescending way.. “We’ll see about that.”

Moments later, I felt the shift in the air as the game was about to start. There was an electric hum in the atmosphere, like the calm before a storm. The crowd’s murmur grew, voices rising in excitement, and the arena lights seemed to shine a little brighter, casting sharp shadows across the rink. I could feel the tension, a quiet buzz that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It’s as if everything is holding its breath, just waiting for that first puck drop.

Sharing excited grins with the girls, I turned back to the ice as the lights dimmed and the announcer’s voice through the speakers above us. I barely heard a word the guy said as he talked about both teams before introducing our opponents. As they skated onto the ice, the crowd's boos were so loud it was all we could hear.

When it was our team's turn, the tension in the air became almost tangible.

“Welcome your Cup Champions! ” The crowd roared so loud, the ground beneath us shook, the plexiglass in front of us rattling .

Player after player skated onto the ice, but I only had eyes for one. He was one of the last ones out.

“Your favorite left winger, who holds the title of most assists— Bryton Young !” Mila screamed, jumping up and down. I laughed as the people around us cringed away at the volume of her voice. Not that I blamed them, she could burst an eardrum with her yelling.

“Now, give it up for your right winger, a beast on the ice— Trevor Hall! ” I shot to my feet, clapping my hands as I shouted for my boyfriend.

I gave shit to Mila for screaming so loud but mine rivaled hers. Pretty sure I was going to lose my voice by the end of the night. Everyone else around me cheered for Trevor.

My eyes were glued to number eighteen as he skated out onto the ice, tapping sticks with his teammates. Even under all the gear, Trevor was massive compared to some of the players. He truly was intimidating out there on the ice.

“And now, your captain, who led the team to another Cup win— Wyatt Boone !” I almost went deaf as the stadium ignited into a fit of cheers. . If I thought Trevor and Bryton’s cheers were deafening, it was nothing compared to Wyatt’s. Beside me, Josie went crazy for her fiancé.

I watched as Trevor skated toward me, everyone else around me fading as I focused on the grinning face beneath his helmet. He came up near the glass, knocking on it once before zipping away.

Bryton was next to come up and acknowledge his girlfriend. He winked, and she blew him a kiss. Then, it was Wyatt’s turn. He slid to a full stop in front of Josie, tapping the glass three times before she did it back, their own little ritual before every game.

We stood there, watching as our men skated around the rink, warming up. I kept my eyes on number eighteen as he skated. He looked so natural being out on the ice, hockey stick in his hand as he slapped pucks around to his teammates.

From the many, many conversations I had with Trevor about hockey the last few days, I knew the team had a few new players they drafted this year, but they managed to keep all their original players. Apparently, it was something that didn’t happen all that often.

Which was good because they all worked together like a well-oiled machine. They all knew each other so well, on and off the ice. The better the team got along outside of the game, the better they worked together when it counted.

Before our vacation to Australia, the guys held practice for two weeks straight, doing mini camps that were mandatory for everyone to attend. With new players, they had to work extra hard to come together. But from what Trevor said, the new guys meshed really well.

“So, number fifty is new and so is number seventy-seven.” Josie pointed out the two as they skated past. “Seventy-seven was a trade from another team. He’s apparently been in the league for a few years now, but number fifty is fresh out of the draft.”

Josie listed off a bunch of facts about the players and the other team. I was almost sure all that information came from Wyatt.

“You should become an announcer,” I teased. “I think you know more about the teams than they do.”

“Wyatt’s an excellent teacher.” Josie blushed.

“Bryton teaches me all night long about how great hockey players are,” Mila piped up.

“Trevor certainly has no issue letting me know how endless their endurance is.” I added.

“Very good endurance.” Josie nodded. All three of us stared at one another before laughing. Sitting with my friends and joking about the guys made me happy they knew the truth. I didn’t have to sit and pretend like I didn’t wake up this morning wrapped in Trevor’s arms.

We spent the next few minutes talking back and forth and taking pictures. I managed to take a gorgeous selfie of all three of us, which I quickly posted and tagged them in. Who would have thought a hockey arena would have the best lighting?

Movement on the ice drew our attention as the teams moved to their sides, ready to play. My nerves skyrocketed as Trevor moved to stand next to Bryton and Wyatt. I watched as the three of them knocked each other's sticks before the referee blew the whistle.

Everyone took off at the sound, their skates tearing up the ice. The screams around me ricocheted off the plexiglass when the first body hit. We were seated so close I could hear the smash of the player’s body against it.

Being this close to a hockey game was almost unreal. You could practically feel the intensity radiating off the players. You got a firsthand look at how fierce the game really was. I didn’t fully understand how physical the sport could be until I started attending with Josie.

When Josie and I lived together, she would make me watch games with her, but if I thought some fans were insane, they had nothing on Josie. The girl would scream her lungs out at the TV, so into it you couldn’t tear her away from the game. After getting our third complaint from our neighbors, I banned her from watching it with me and told her to yell into a pillow instead.

It was literally her dream to be here cheering with the rest of the fans. I couldn’t deny that seeing it in person was better than watching it on a television screen. There was something about getting swept up in the whole thing with everyone else. I had to admit, it was almost addicting.

“Pass it,” Josie muttered under her breath .

My eyes tracked Bryton, who currently had the puck. He barreled down the ice toward the goalie, an opposing player hot on his heels. The other guy went for Bryton only to be shoved into the plexiglass. The hard hit echoed around us. The person who hit him skated off seconds later, not bothering with a second glance. I caught sight of the jersey number and smirked to myself when I noticed Trevor’s last name on the back.

That was my man.

Trevor’s hit helped Bryton slap the puck to Wyatt who easily scored. The three of them worked so well together it was mesmerizing getting a front row seat to see it. It was like they knew where the others were without even looking.

Trevor would get the puck, skate forward a few steps, before hitting it toward Bryton without even turning his head. If Wyatt had the puck, the other two were right behind him, slamming players against the wall.

I yelled alongside Josie and Mila as our men played. By the time it was intermission, the Knights were up 4-0. While the team went to cool off, the three of us made our way up the stands to get drinks, my throat dry from all the yelling.

“How are you doing with your parents?” Josie asked as we waited in line for a beer.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “The gala is coming up, and I’m going to have to go.” There was no way I was getting out of that one. My parents would come get me whether I kicked and screamed or not. I had planned on not seeing or speaking to my parents after the whole arranged marriage thing but with the gala that wasn’t going to be possible.

“Wait, your parents host the Davis Charity Gala?” Mila looked at me with wide eyes. I nodded. “I can’t believe I never put two and two together. Of course.” She smacked her hand against her forehead.

My parents’ charity gala was pretty well known. When the wealthiest of Toronto’s elite all got together it was usually a big deal.

“That’s one of the biggest events of the year!” The look on Mila’s face was priceless. I guessed for those who had never been, the event was a big deal.

“It’s not that great, trust me,” Josie said. She only had to go once to know it wasn’t all it was made out to be.

“You’ve been?” Mila looked at the two of us like we were suddenly celebrities.

“I went as Tasha’s date a few years ago. I mean, the food was pretty good.” I snorted at her nonchalance. Although, she was right. The food they catered was pretty damn good. “But the people, not so much. They are the snootiest, bitchiest people.”

“Well, damn. Now I don’t want to go.”

“Trust me, you aren’t missing out on much. If I didn’t have to go, I wouldn’t.” I replied.

“Are you going to take Trevor?” Josie asked.

I thought about asking if he’d want to go, but I wasn’t sure it was something he’d like to do. Getting dressed up and standing around having to make small talk with random people wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Plus, if he came, he’d meet my parents. I wasn’t worried about how he’d act. No, I was worried about how they would.

I waited until we got our beers before answering.

“I’m not sure I want to throw him to the wolves.” Cause that’s what I would be doing. I knew he could hold his own, but it wouldn’t be a pleasant night in general. “And that’s not even including my parents.”

“I would kill to see your parent's faces if you showed up with Trevor on your arm.” Josie shot me a mischievous grin. I mean that would be a huge plus. Even if they found out about us before then.

I knew I’d have to make a decision soon, but as we headed back to our seats, I pushed it aside for the time being. I’d ask Trevor another day. At that moment, I just wanted to focus on my man winning his game.

The third period of the game was brutal. As soon as the other team hit the ice, they came out with vengeance. Trevor and Bryton seemed to be getting double teamed, and slammed into the glass with more force than necessary. Each one rattled the plexiglass I almost thought it would break.

I flinched with every hit Trevor took, clenching the arm of my seat. God, no wonder Josie got so nervous during games.

The score was now 5-3 with only fifteen minutes left of the game. Next to me, Josie was yelling for Wyatt as he skated back onto the ice, zipping down the rink toward the net. Everyone else from our team was occupied with their own opposing player to cover him.

I watched as Trevor managed to break free from the two guys trying to block him. He booked it across the ice toward Wyatt, moving faster than I thought possible. All three barreled toward Wyatt.

“Come on, come on,” I muttered under my breath, white knuckling my armrests.

Trevor came up to the guy right behind Wyatt, knocking him with his shoulder. The guy stumbled to the side, but he reached his arm out, grabbing Trevor by the top of his jersey and pads. They were right in front of us as I watched him yank Trevor, trying to throw him off his feet.

The guy apparently didn’t realize just how big and strong Trevor was. One second he was gripping Trevor’s jersey, and the next, he was getting slammed into the glass directly in front of me. It rattled so much I swore I felt it as whistles started blowing.

From where I was sitting, I could see the pissed off look on Trevor’s face, under his helmet, as he said something to the guy. Definitely wasn’t something nice by the looks of it.

Trevor was yanked backward and let the guy go as a referee came forward holding up a penalty card. I shot up out of my seat along with everyone else. The yells were deafening as Trevor shook his head and pointed at the opposite team.

“He didn’t do anything!” I yelled.

He didn’t. The other guy was the one who started it first, pulling on Trevor’s jersey, which was not allowed.

“What the hell!” Josie shouted beside me. I stood there, stunned, as the referee called him out and pointed toward the penalty box. I didn’t have to hear Trevor to know he was cursing. The other guy totally got away with it while Trevor was required to sit in the box for the next ten minutes.

The Knight’s might have been leading but ten minutes without one of our best players wasn’t ideal. It could give the other team plenty of time to score.

Wyatt and Bryton came up to Trevor’s side, patting his shoulders as they steered him away from the referee before he could say something that would get him ejected. I wish I could hear what they were saying as Trevor shook his head and skated toward the box.

“Stupid ass ref,” Josie grunted as she sat back down.

I kept my eyes on Trevor as he took his helmet off and sat down in the box. His hair was dark with sweat and stuck to his forehead. Even from here I could see his jaw was clenched.

There had to be nothing worse than sitting out and watching your team play without you, especially with only fifteen minutes left in the game.

While the game continued, I kept one eye on Trevor. Watched as he kept shaking his head, putting his hands in his hair as he struggled to remain still.

The minutes ticked down until Trevor had only one minute left in the box. The Knights did a good job at holding off the other team, but they got close to scoring a few times. These last five minutes were going to be rough.

I couldn’t help but grip Josie’s arm as Trevor’s time was up, and he shot out of the box like a bat out of hell. The other team had no idea what they just did by putting him there.

His teammates tapped sticks with him before lining up for the puck drop. I could almost feel the tension in the air as they prepared for the final face-off. The crowd around me grew even more frenzied.

The Knights gained back the puck easily as they all worked as a team, moving around the ice like one unit. Those ten minutes in the box really lit a fire under Trevor. I swore each hit was twice as hard as they were at the start of the game.

As the clock ticked down to thirty seconds, all of us were on our feet. Beside me, Josie and Mila were yelling just as loud as I was.

The other team stole the puck and darted down the ice toward our goalie. Even if they scored, they wouldn’t win, but they made it personal by putting Trevor in the box so there was no way they were going to allow even one goal at this point.

I watched with bated breath as they neared the net. Trevor, Wyatt, and Bryton swarmed the guy. Snapping their sticks as they wrestled the puck away. Just as the buzzer went off Wyatt managed to get the puck and sent it all the way across the ice in the other direction .

5-3 was the final score.

I turned to Josie and Mila with a scream. The three of us threw our arms around each other, jumping up and down. I could barely hear anything over the roaring of the crowd. The girls and I babbled about the last play as the teams shook hands. I turned back to the rink after a moment to see the players starting to leave the ice.

Looking over to my right, I noticed the tunnel where the players came and went. A few players were already walking through the tunnel back to the locker room.

Without a second thought, I ran toward the spot, weaving in and out of people getting out of their seats. I didn’t know what came over me, but I needed to see Trevor. Needed to touch him. I noticed a few fans were leaning over the edge, dangling their hands to get a high five from the players.

Before anyone could get the spot I wanted, I shot forward, colliding with the wall. It was the perfect place where I could lean over the railing and see who was getting off the ice.

I only had to wait a second before Bryton came into view. He noticed me right away and sent me a smile. I gave one back and patted his arm as he passed by. Next was Wyatt, who gave me a nod. Not even a second later, I caught sight of the one person I was waiting for.

With a smile that split my face in half, I waited for him to notice me. Almost like he could tell I was there, he lifted his head and met my eyes. The smile that broke out across his face made my heart pound.

There he was.

With two huge strides, he came toward me, thrusting his hockey stick into someone's chest. Going up onto my toes, I reached out to him. In one swift motion, he grabbed me and hauled me over the railing. My legs automatically wrapped around his waist and my arms came around his neck, my fingers gripping the back of his sweaty head but I didn’t care. Not as he grinned down at me with the world's biggest smile. And it was all for me.

“Good game,” I murmured.

“Did you enjoy it?”

I nodded. “Especially when you rammed that dickhead into the glass.” Trevor threw his head back, laughing at my words. Then I said, “You’re crazy.”

“Crazy for you,” he shot back, making me laugh in return.

“Cheesy.” I leaned my face closer to his, my eyes flickering down to his lips for a split second. “But good, cause I’m crazy for you too.”

As our lips met, I swore I heard the sound of cheers, followed by some whistles. But I didn’t care. Didn’t care that there was a possibility tomorrow morning everyone, including my parents, would know about Trevor and me.

What did it matter?

Everyone deserved to know that Trevor was all mine.