Page 68 of The Pucking Kiss

“Do you like it?” he smiled, taking the ring out of the box and putting it gently on my finger. “It’s a promise ring.”

“Bryan….” I stuttered, rendered speechless by the thoughtful gesture.

“I know that I have a past, and there are some people that want to tear us apart. But I wanted to give you this ring as a reminder that my commitment to you is real and that I meant it when I said that I really want to do this with you. We are far too young to be thinking about marriage, and who knows where college will take the two of us? But with this ring, I promise to be with you.”

My eyes began filling up with tears, and I hugged Bryan. “This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“Romai, I love you,” Bryan blurted out the word. “I really do. And I want you to know that.”

“I love you, too,” my response was automatic, and the words rolled off my tongue easily, as if it was the most natural thing in the whole world.

He kissed me softly on the lips. It was a lingering kiss, and it solidified what we had just admitted to each other. I nestled my head against his shoulder after we had pulled away.

“You’re a real romantic, you know,” I chuckled, admiring the way the ring looked on my finger. It sat there perfectly as if it was meant to be there all along.

“Only when I’m with you,” he mirrored my laughter, “Trust me, this is a new side to me I’m just discovering as well.”

“Well, I’m glad that I bring it out of you. You make every moment feel really special for me, and I feel like I’ve really lucked out with you.”

“And I feel the same way about you. It must mean that we are meant to be together. Sometimes, it feels like I’ve known you forever.”

“It does feel that way for me, too,” I nodded. “I used to think I was just getting ahead of myself, but now that you’re admitting these things to me, I know that it was mutual all along.”

“You and me for life, baby,” he grinned.

With my ring settled firmly on my finger, we sat by the river and stared at the stars. It felt like a fitting ending to a perfect day.

Chapter 26

Bryan

The day had finally arrived, and it was the biggest game of the season --- a championship final between the two best teams in the entire state. As the Captain, I felt that there was a lot on my shoulders, and I had to prove myself tonight.

“You’ll be amazing,” Romai said to me right before the game started, dropping a small kiss on my cheek. “I believe in you.”

“You’re my good luck charm,” I smiled, trying to ignore the nervous energy I felt bubbling inside of me.

“Go get them, champ,” she blew me a final kiss as I departed and stepped into the arena. The cold chill seeped into my bones as I skated onto the ice for the most important game in my sports career so far.

We were up against the Shadow Riders, and they had a reputation for being ruthless on the field. I knew that any chance of victory meant that I had to be performing on top of my game alongside my other teammates.

“Come on, guys,” I said to my teammates, “This is make it or break it. We need to show these guys who is really boss.”

“Yes, Captain!” they all chimed back in unison.

As we entered the rink, the crowd broke into thunderous cheers, and the energy in the air was electric. There was so much hope tied to this victory that I knew that I could not let anyone down.

The one thing that gave me comfort was knowing that Romai was there somewhere in the stands, cheering me on. Her support made me feel insulated against the pressure of everyone’s expectations of me.

As the game started, the Shadow Riders proved that they were worthy opponents. From the get-go, they started off strong and took control of the puck early on. Luckily, our goalie was like a brick wall, stopping each shot that they took and giving us the head start that we needed to win this game.

As a team, we fought to take control of the puck, passing it over with precision. I weaved my way through the opponent’s defensive line, passing over to my teammates each time someone tried to take control of the puck from me.

I was in the attacking zone now, and the goal was within my reach. As I took control of the puck once again, I felt a surge of adrenaline. The crowd was going wild as an opening had been created for me.

I knew that it was now or never.

Everything blurred into the background as I applied laser-sharp focus on the net in front of me. The opponent’s goalie glared at me, waiting for me to take the shot.