Page 124 of Stand Your Ground

And I fully supported her in that decision, too.

The ache in my chest was strong when I thought about all she’d been through, about how callous her parents had been, how complicated things were between her and her sister. I couldn’t change that, no matter how I wished differently, but Icouldbe with her in this new chapter and make the future brighter than the past.

That was a goal I would score, no matter what challenges stood in my way.

“Fabri.”

I glanced up, blinking out of my thoughts as Coach McCabe stopped in front of my stall. His expression was sharp, the way it always was before a game.

“Coach,” I greeted.

He nodded for me to stand, and once I did, he folded his arms over his chest and looked around the room before back at me. “I’m starting you tonight. First line.”

The words punched me right in the chest.

First line.

Me.

Coach clapped a hand on my shoulder pad with a wry grin. “Don’t look so surprised.”

“Is that what I look like? I was going forshocked to death.”

“Hey, don’t joke about this, alright? You know as well as I do that you’ve earned the chance. Don’t cheapen that with self-deprecation.”

I swallowed, pride swelling in my throat even at the lashing. Because he was right. I had earned it.

And it meant a hell of a lot to me to hear that he saw that, too.

With one final squeeze of my shoulder, he released me without further fanfare. “Show me you can land it home.”

And then he was gone, moving on down the row.

I sank back down into the bench in front of my locker, staring at the white of my tape, hearing the blood rush in my ears. A year ago, the pressure of this opportunity would have crushed me. I would have heard Coach Leduc’s voice, sneering, reminding me I’d never be enough, that if I slipped even once it proved him right.

But tonight, that voice was nonexistent.

I wasn’t that kid anymore.

I’m going to be a dad.

Maybe it should have scared the piss out of me, the inescapable truth of that. I knew parenthood wasn’t for the weak. But instead of terror, I only felt steadiness. I was like an old oak tree, rooted deep to something stronger than my own fear.

“Yo, Fabio,” Vince called from across the room, snapping me out of it. “Try not to whiff it in front of the home crowd tonight, yeah?”

He must have overheard Coach telling me I was starting. Or maybe McCabe had talked to him before he even told me. Vince was first line, too, after all. And I saw it in my friend’s playful smirk with the chirp.

He was trying to relax me; to let me know he believed in me, too.

Aleks snorted, tossing a roll of tape to Jaxson. “He’s not you, Tanny Boy. Man’s been hot as hell lately. You just pay attention to your own game.”

“Andyoupay attention to your hands,” Will cut in, scowling like always as he leaned back in his stall. “One wrong slash and you’ll be cozying up in the penalty box before the first intermission.”

“Please,” Aleks scoffed. “The refs love me.”

“Yeah, like they love root canals,” Will shot back, earning a chorus of laughter from the guys.

“Don’t act like those penalties I get don’t get the crowd fired up,” Aleks kept defending.