The Cocky Hockey Captain

Chapter 24 ● The Storm Inside

What I felt at that second was exactly the same as when I was riding the twistiest roller coaster at Universal. Like I could see the sky all around me and the horizon below me. Like I was suddenly dropped and it was both euphoric and terrifying.

I felt him pull away and I had to admit that I was too scared to turn. I didn't know what to expect if I did. What if he regretted what he'd just said? I would expect that. He had a lot to lose if word got out. I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched at my chest. He shouldn't trust me. He didn't know me well enough. He didn't know I was lying to everybody.

He didn't know that at that second I desperately wished I could just turn around, throw my arms around his neck and tell him that yes, I wanted him, too. That I wanted to get to know him better. Intimately. As two people who are attracted to each other did, flaws and all. As just a girl and a boy in a simple world. But then I'd have to explain everything, and I was sure that would lift the rosy glasses off his face. He'd see me for who I was for the first time, and not for who he believed me to be. It'd be over before it would begun.

I was saved from my thoughts by the locker room door banging open. Hunter and Coach Gauthier strutted out front, talking about the ugly swelling that was developing over Hunter's left eye. They were followed by Coach Martel and the rest of the team, and they froze once they saw the two of us in a shower stall, drenched in cold water and trembling because of it. Or emotion. They didn't need to know.

As Coach Martel gave us a once over he asked, "What the hell is this?"

Dean and I remained rooted in our spots, close but not enough that it'd merit putting a drastic amount of space in between us that would make us look guilty of something.

Our Captain ran a hand through his hair and said, "Charlie here needed to cool his head down."

I snorted and folded my arms, but didn't say anything. It was now that I actually needed to cool my head, and my entire body, down. All thanks to him and the way his words had set ablaze my insides.

"Did it work?" Coach asked and I nodded. "Good."

He turned around and zeroed in on Hunter, who'd been staring at me with something weird in his good eye. Coach distracted him from whatever he was thinking with an order to let himself be tended to by the Assistant Coach. As that went on Dean moved over to his locker. He ripped his jersey off of him and started wringing it. I got distracted by Brian and Pace when they suddenly appeared in front of me.

"Are you okay?" Pace asked, narrowing his eyes at my nose as though he was trying to X-ray it.

"I didn't know you hockey players were so scared of a simple broken nose."

He smiled. "That's because broken anything is never simple."

"I near had a heart attack seeing you fly out there," Brian said, his hand over his chest. "Please don't do it again."

I looked up from one really big boy to the other equally towering one, noting the concern oozing off of them. It made me smile.

"Thanks, guys. I appreciate the concern." I blinked like an innocent little lamb. "But I make no promises."

Brian sighed. "We're gonna have to babysit you, aren't we?"

The team came out for the third period with renewed energy. I remained sitting on the bench, cheering for the good plays and heckling the shit out of every passing opponent. There was a bit of a melee after the first couple of minutes but I forced my ass down and trusted my teammates, most of whom had a soling hundred pounds on me, to deal with it.

At the end of the game we won 1-0. All thanks to the goal that Hunter scored just before getting beat up for it. Every opponent was getting harder to beat, but we were a good team. Each of the guys was skilled and motivated. And if that failed they had me, whose main talent was just getting angry. I was the Hulk Bear this year.