Page 115 of Rival Darling

I glanced down at the Devils jersey I was wearing, before looking back up into his eyes. “That night at the bonfire, I told Jeremy I’d finally found a guy whose jersey I wanted to wear. I didn’t know it then, but that wasn’t a lie. I want to be with you Reed. For real.”

His face lit in such a large, beaming smile I couldn’t help but return it.

“But only if you win the game,” I said. “I didn’t come here to watch you lose.”

A thunderous cheer sounded around the arena, and I looked past Reed to see the entire Sunshine Prep team celebrating with Jeremy. He’d scored another goal, pulling the Saints ahead by two.

“Looks like I have some work to do then.” Reed grinned, and there was such a determined look in his eyes I almost felt sorry for the Saints players—almost. As Reed was released from the box, I turned back to the bleachers, quickly finding the nearest seat so I wouldn’t miss a moment.

When play restarted, Reed seemed like a different person than the one I’d seen trudging onto the ice just after I’d arrived. He erupted back into the fray like he was going into battle, and it was incredible to witness how quickly he took charge of the game.

He was barking orders at his teammates and challenging Saints players for the puck, leaving them sprawled on the ice at his feet. It looked like the small black disc was glued to his stick as he weaved around his opponents, and every pass he whipped across the ice to his fellow Devils found its mark.

It didn’t take long for Reed’s influence to pay off. He shared passes with both Grayson and Parker to move the puck up the ice before sending a pinpoint shot past the goalie into the corner of the net. A cheer went up from the crowd as the siren behind the goal wailed, and nervous anticipation flooded my veins. The Devils were now only down by one.

Reed continued to help his team dominate the game, and I could see Jeremy becoming more and more frustrated. He just couldn’t keep up with Reed when he was playing with this much skill and determination. My ex’s annoyance reached another level as Reed scored again to tie the game at four goals each. This time, the goal was all about sheer power. Reed had received the puck right in the center of the ice, and although it looked like he was way too far from the goal, Reed sent his shot flying past the goalie before he could even see it.

The Devils didn’t have it all their own way after that, and as the minutes ticked away, I was growing increasingly nervous. Anything could still happen, and if the Saints managed to score another goal and the Devils lost the game, Reed would still be blamed.

With less than a minute left on the clock, Reed dazzled the crowd with some lightning-quick stick handling as he weaved and maneuvered the puck around almost every Saints player on the ice. Eventually, there was only Jeremy between Reed and the goal. As they closed in on each other, Reed pretended to shoot the puck, but then he subtly flicked it to Parker who was racing past his right side.

Jeremy didn’t change course, and he deliberately slammed his forearm into Reed’s chest even though he no longer had the puck. The Devils fans around me jumped to their feet and shouted in disgust while chaos erupted on the ice as the Ransom players surrounded Jeremy. But I only had eyes for Reed, who was lying motionless on the ground.

I wanted to run down from the bleachers, scale the glass, and rush onto the ice to check he was okay, but just as I started for the steps, Reed slowly climbed to his feet.

The umpires had managed to separate Reed’s teammates from Jeremy, who was now being pushed toward the penalty box, his face red with anger. He glared at Reed as he passed, but when Reed turned, I saw a smile tug at the corners of his lips, and he sent Jeremy a taunting wink.

The Saints were now down a player, and it was Ransom’s turn to take advantage. Despite the seconds on the clock speeding toward zero, Reed was calm and composed. Only a few moments after the game restarted, he regained possession of the puck and shot off down the ice with it. The defenders tried to block him, but with a quick feint and a burst of speed, he raced toward the goal effortlessly. The Saints desperately tried to keep up, but he was unstoppable.

When he sent the puck past the goalie and into the net, scoring the winning goal, he was mobbed by his teammates, and the cheers from the Ransom fans were deafening. I joined in with them, shouting as loudly as I could, hoping Reed could hear me at the bottom of the pile of Devils celebrating on the ice.

When Reed came off the ice after the game, he found me immediately and swooped me up in his arms. I laughed, my cheeks growing warm as he spun me around because it felt like the entire arena was watching us, and I could still hear people cheering Reed on.

“Everyone is going to think you’re up for an encore of your performance,” I said.

"They might be waiting awhile,” he replied.

“Shame.”

He laughed and lowered me to my feet once more. “So, I won the game…”

“You did.”

“I guess that means you’re stuck with me.”

“I guess so.” I reached up and pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips before I nodded behind him. “I think you might be needed.”

Reed’s coach was waving him over, and there was a hard look on his face. Reed let out a grunt. “I don’t think he wants to compliment my Axel.”

“Hmm. Maybe not.”

“Can I come find you once I’m done? If I survive Coach Ray.”

“Sure.” I smiled. “I’ll wait out front. I need a ride, and I was thinking I could grab one with my boyfriend if that’s okay?”

The beaming smile that lit up his face might have been the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. “Yeah, I think that’s okay.”

I was grinning as I watched him go. Apparently, I was a hockey fan after all. I’d just needed the right guy to cheer for.