Page 91 of Devious Obsession
What if I cost them the game for this stupid challenge?
I keep looking over at the penalty box. It’s just a few feet away, practically taunting me. But Steele doesn’t so much as glance over. I get that, too. He needs his head in the game, and my momentary distraction could’ve cost them.
No, itdidcost them.
When the power play is up, Steele is released from the penalty box. The Devils are pressing hard, on the heels of their goal. Steele, as a defenseman, charges back into the fray without hesitation. He shoves one of the Devils away from crowding Miles. The other Hawks move around the ice, and Greyson intercepts a pass.
He takes off, chased by Devils and Hawks alike.
The charge lights up the stadium.
It’s a one-on-one play, suddenly. Greyson versus their goalie.
He shoots.
Violet screams as it soars over the goalie’s shoulder and sinks into the net.
We all leap to our feet. The Hawks zoom toward Greyson, crashing into him in celebration. They slap his helmet, his arm, his back. He’s grinning widely; he skids to a halt in front of Violet. He pats his chest, then points at her, and damn it. My heart melts a little bit.
She’s feeling it, too, because her face goes totally gooey.
It’s kind of sweet and kind of gross.
I refocus on Steele. He’s on the bench now, and Greyson joins him. They drink water and exchange words, their attention fixed on the ice. My fingers itch, wanting to… I don’t know. I’ve got restless energy that doesn’t have a way out.
“They’re up by one,” Violet murmurs, patting my leg.
Five minutes left. Then four.
Greyson and Steele hop back over the wall, replacing two skaters who return to the bench, and they rush out with an unmatched fury. Steele body checks a player into the glass, and Greyson steals the puck, passing it long to a waiting Knox.
We jump to our feet again, the whole CPU crowd shouting. Knox to Greyson. To Finch, who gets slammed into the wall by a Devil. The puck soars free, and a Devil reclaims it—only to be met with Steele.
No one is playing nice anymore. There seems to be a frenzied tension amongst the teams as the clock ticks down. The whistle blows, and Willow points. Knox stands in front of Miles, Steele and Tony Rodrigues beside him. He’s squared up to one of the Devils players who looks like he might want to start shit.
But he backs down after a long moment, skating back to his bench.
The time gets closer to running out, and I stand. I’m not alone—it seems like that palpable energy is contagious. The players feed off the crowd, and vice versa. Steele comes back out again and plays the last few minutes, and I just take a second to marvel athim. Appreciating the way he moves, the way he holds the stick.
I shouldn’t do that… but I do.
The buzzer sounds with no more goals. The Crown Point University Hawks held off the Devils. The team flies out onto the ice, surrounding Miles and Knox. They all jump and cheer and celebrate, and I laugh.
“It’s going to be a good night for us,” Violet says. She elbows Willow.
Thalia giggles.
“Get yourself one of the Hawks,” Willow says to Thalia. “Even if it’s just for a night, because god damn, they’re going to fuck like animals.”
I cover my mouth to hide my wild laughter. Thalia blushes, glancing at me. But hey, I don’t have anything to add. It’s not like I have a habit of seeking out hockey players on a winning high.
Just one, I suppose.
We head out of the stadium and wait by the locker rooms. I’m getting weird looks, but I brush it off. Until a whole group of girls turn their heads to watch me as they pass.
“Do I have something in my hair or something?” I ask Thalia, glaring at the girls.
She glances from them to me, then shakes her head. “I think it’s the jersey.”
