The second shift isn’t any better. I miss another pass. I hesitate. My movements are delayed. Even when I’m not thinking about her, I still can’t get my brain to engage.
I try to get the puck out of the zone. They get a shot in from the point. Cross blocks it and it changes direction, just at the right angle for one of their wingers to tip it in.
Gray slams his stick against the ice. My stomach sinks as I skate back to the bench. That’s three goals that were my fault so far. I sit down on the bench, my eyes flicking up to the jumbotron.
3-1.
“You need different skates?” Theo tilts his head to the side, squinting his eyes. “Or maybe a sequin dress?”
I grab my bottle, squirting water into my mouth before I turn it and squirt water at his face. “I’ll fight you, Simmons.”
“Won’t be much of a fight,” Shaw quips, rolling his eyes. “Matty’s too distracted thinking about what his costume might look like.”
The muscle in my jaw twitches. “I’ll fight you too, Shaw.”
Theo arches a brow. “Jeez, we’re your best friends. What has you ready to fight us both?”
I stare at him, irritation rolling over me. “Neither of you are helping.”
I have no one to blame or be irritated with other than myself. I shouldn’t be letting this bother me like this.
I don’t know why I haven’t heard from her yet.
“Neither are you,” Shaw snorts. “You were doing so well last month. What happened?”
Theo looks at Shaw. “There’s another period left. Maybe he’ll turn it around.”
It’s wishful thinking because the third period only gets worse.
Coach is short shifting me and when I finally get the opportunity to shoot, I fuck it up. I get a rebound shot while the goalie’s still in the left side of the net. Half the damn thing is open to me and what do I do?
I shoot high and wide, sending it over the net and into the glass. The crowd groans, my shoulders sag, and Coach calls me off the ice. No one bothers to say anything to me on the bench. I don’t blame them. I deserve the silence after the shit game I’ve played.
Coach benches me for the rest of the period. I can’t blame him for it. I’ve been nothing but a liability on the ice tonight.
In the last two minutes, Coach pulls the goalie and sends five skaters out instead. They end up in the other team’s zone, applying the pressure and Theo ends up sneaking in a goal.Coach sends one of our other wingers, White, back out onto the ice, putting us back at full strength. The energy is still off, even if everyone’s buzzing from our second goal, and we end up losing the game by one.
“You had half the net,” Theo says quietly, pursing his lips as we’re sitting in the dressing room. “You had plenty of time. You had a clear shot.”
“Hell, he could have done a full routine before taking a shot,” Shaw chimes in.
I close my eyes, turning away from them as I strip off my gear. “Can you both please stop?” I mutter, letting out a deep, exasperated sigh.
“What has you all out of sorts?” Theo questions me as I turn back around and sit down. “I thought Jade was distracting you in a good way, not a bad one.”
“Yeah,” I huff, shaking my head. “Me too.”
“Shit, so it is her,” he says, scooting closer as Shaw busies himself with his skates. “What happened?”
I rake my hand through my damp, sweaty hair. “I went to her house four nights ago. I haven’t heard from her since.”
“Oh shit.” Theo’s eyes widen. “Did anything happen?”
Shaw’s head pops up, eyebrows lifted as he looks between us.
“We kissed, but nothing more,” I admit, letting out another breath. I don’t tell him I asked her if she wanted me to fuck her. He doesn’t need to know that. “She said she’d call me and I haven’t heard from her.”
Shaw laughs loud. “Dude. You’re out here shitting the bed on a whole game because you haven’t heard from her?”