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Hayden

An electrifying atmosphere greets me inside the arena on game night against the Golden Gators from Long Island University. The buzz of hundreds of fans settles into my bones, making my muscles twitch in anticipation.

We cannot afford to lose this game. We must win against the Gators to keep our place in the championship. My teammates and I are ready to take them down tonight.

I glide across the ice, doing warmups alongside my teammates.

We’ve spent all our free time practicing and training for this game. Glancing toward the other forwards, I see sheer determination in their gazes. They’re ready to win this game.

I skate past the goal line and high-five Logan.

He has recovered from his injuries and is back in action. With him on the team, I have no doubt we’ll this game.

I skate by the boards and suddenly, my gaze falls on someone among the fans in blue and gold.

There he is , my mind whispers as I gaze toward Liam.

Dead center in the bleachers, wrapped in an oversized Knights hoodie, Liam holds up a crooked banner that reads: #7 on the ICE but #1 in my HEART

There’s a huge, messy heart at the bottom with my name scrawled across it. Even through the distance, I can see Liam’s cheeks blushing red as he happily waves at me like a maniac.

I laugh under my breath.

Gods, my boyfriend is a total sweetheart!

I’ve had plenty of fans cheer for me over the years but nothing’s ever made me feel so warm and happy as Liam’s poster. Seeing him jumping and waving the banner makes me feel like I can fly!

The sharp screech of a ref’s whistle brings me back to the present moment.

I follow my teammates and get into position.

My gaze fixes on the puck as the referee holds it in his hand, ready to drop it.

The moment the puck touches the ice, it’s go time.

I push forward, fast and relentless, until my stick has the puck in control.

Taking the first face-off, I pass the puck cleanly to Henderson, the left winger of the Knights.

He skates past me at blinding speed, maneuvering around the two defensemen from the Gators, and drives the puck toward the net like he has a vendetta against their goalie. He takes a shot and scores a goal!

A huge roar breaks out from our fans.

I take a moment to breathe while my gaze searches for Liam in the crowd.

It’s a few seconds before I locate him in the sea of blue and gold. This time, he’s holding up another banner that reads: The Knights are Roaring! Go Thunder!

“Looks like your boyfriend’s turned into a massive fan,” Mitchikov says, skating past me and chuckling hard behind his helmet.

“I’m surprised he’s not on the ice with us,” Henderson comments, grinning up at Liam. “He was there at every practice session last week.”

“Let’s make it worth his time,” I tell my teammates, signaling them to go back to their positions. “Let’s win this!”

“Go, Knights!” Mitchikov’s voice thunders over the buzz of the fans as he skates toward the boards to block the forwards from the Gators’ team.

As the game progresses, I realize the Gators are a good team. They’re all big guys with fast feet and sharp elbows, but they also seem a little disoriented. I have a feeling they have a lot of new members on their crew this season which has made coordination difficult and patchy.

I’m sure Logan and Coach have figured out their weakness by now as well.

By the time, the second period ends, I score two more goals for the team.

Fans in blue roar their excitement. Looking toward the bleachers, I search for Liam. He’s jumping up and down, waving a banner that reads: Gators Eat Farts!

I laugh hard.

Where the hell has Liam been all these years? His banners are taking away all my exhaustion and filling me with quiet chuckles.

For the first time in my life, I’m realizing what it feels like to have a friend and a family cheer for me during a game. My teammates are also loving Liam’s enthusiasm and they’re constantly high-fiving me for it.

Liam makes me so damn proud. I can’t wait for the game to end so I can go to him and devour him whole!

The whistle blows again and we’re off to play the third period.

For now, the scoreboard reads: 3-1

Unlike our last game, we’re not allowing ourselves to relax.

Logan and the rest of the team are staying focused.

Mitchikov and Aminov are circling me and the other forwards but they’re also keeping a lookout for Logan, our captain and goalie. They’re being hyper-vigilant, constantly pushing and shoving the Gators so they don’t dare play foul with us.

The Gators manage to score another goal, quickly leveling up with us.

I push forward, ready to gain control of the puck even as my muscles ache from the checks and the relentless grind of the game.

Skating to the faceoff circle, I lock eyes with the opposing center. Henderson comes to a stop beside me and leans in slightly. “You win the puck and I’ll keep on your left. Mitchikov will follow us and make sure their forwards don’t get a chance to strike us.”

I nod, gripping my stick hard. “Let’s break them.”

The moment the puck drops, I snap it up with everything I’ve got. Henderson is at my side, catching it cleanly and darting across the ice like a bullet. I take after him, keeping pace.

“Hansen, right-wing!” Henderson shouts.

Hansen is the youngest player on our team this year. He’s a freshman and has the talent to become the center. He zips past the boards and takes the pass from Henderson.

I hover near the blue line, waiting and anticipating.

Hansen decks one defender and spins around another while dropping the puck back at me. My breath hitches the moment I have control of the puck again.

I don’t even stop to think. I just focus on the net, pull back my stick, and fire a shot.

The puck slices through the air and slams into the top corner of the net.

Goal!

The roar from the stands is deafening. Even though I can’t see Liam in the crowd of fans who’ve all stood up to cheer for us, I know he’s there, cheering for me like a maniac and waving a banner with a funny quote on it.

But the game’s not over yet.

Coach barks for Mitchikov and Aminov to tighten up our defenses.

As the game progresses, they keep the Gators busy by blocking them from striking us. They even check some of them hard when they try to go after Logan.

The crowd erupts the moment the final horn blares.

The scoreboard flashes: 5-2, signaling the Knight’s win.

I skate toward my teammates, waving my stick high in the air. A big grin comes onto my lips as the euphoria of the win crashes over me.

“Told you we’d break them!” Henderson shouts, tackling me in a bear hug.

“Yeah, that was great, man,” I tell him breathlessly.

Mitchikov and Aminov bump gloves with me and Logan. Both their faces are bruised but they’re grinning happily.

Our injuries and bruises mean nothing when we’ve won.

Coach punches the air, jumping high, looking like he’s on some kind of potent energy drink. Chuckling, I glance toward my teammates.

No, they’re not just my teammates.

They’re my friends and brothers who’ve given me a new life.

Without them, I could neither win the game on the ice nor off it.

They’re the reason I’m able to stay in a relationship with Liam. Without their support, my heart would’ve withered away. I love Liam so much, I can no longer imagine a life without him.

Logan, Mitchikov, and Coach also kept their promise to protect me from my father. He tried to ambush me last night but didn’t succeed. Without his ominous presence around the rink, I was able to give my hundred percent to the game.

And because I have my team’s support, I do something I never thought I’d have the courage to do in front of this many people.

Skating toward the boards, I locate Liam and blow him a kiss.

Right there in the open, in front of both schools, the other team, and our fans.

Liam catches it like a dork, smiling like I’ve just given him the moon.

At this moment, under the glaring lights and echoing cheers, I don’t care about anything else. For the first time in my life, I allow myself to breathe fully.

I have hockey.

I have my teammates.

And most of all, I have him .