Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
“You leave that to us,” Jude tells me. “I’ll speak to Coach, and we’ll figure something out.”
“And we,” Nolan gestures to himself and Devon, “can help you get everything set up.”
“And I,” Millie rounds up the volunteering for their various roles in our masterplan, “will help you get the supplies you need to make this the best damn grand-gesture-apology-of-all-apologies. Girl, we got you.”
And just like that, Operation Win Kyler Back is in full force.
thirty
Kyler
This is the day I’ve waited for all year, a chance to win the National Championship in Division III hockey. To say a win will open doors is an understatement. Every time NU is present in the final game, it proves how much of a hockey powerhouse we are. It shows potential teammates we are here to compete, and we do so every year. But this stage is different. Scouts from every NHL program will be in attendance, taking notes and videos of what we do on the ice—of what I do on the ice. An offer to join a team could come as early as tomorrow, or I could decide to enter the draft officially. Either way, a win changes things for everyone involved. Sure, we will raise a conference banner for the fifteenth time when the season starts back up in the fall, but it’s the coveted championship banner we want. It’s what we worked our asses off for all season. The bumps, bruises, and exhaustion all lead up to this.
I’m the first one on the side for the skate around. I need this time to focus, to imagine the game in my head, to picture a shootout with just me and the goalie. I can see it all playing out. I fake left, he goes right, but I take the shot and hit the left corner of the net. The light behind the goalie turns red, and he hangs his head, knowing the game is over. Within seconds, my teammates are next to me. Gloves tossed in the air and sticks forgotten.
Only, I don’t want it to happen this way. While I welcome the challenge of overtime and a shootout, I want a seamless game. I want goals. I like the score padded so the other team can’t catch up. I don’t want to look at the scoreboard with three minutes left and see we’re tied. It’s an uneasy feeling, and I hate the pressure. Coaches and teammates can say there isn’t any pressure, but that’s not the case. I bear the weight of winning on my shoulders. It comes with being one of the best centers in the divisions. The expectation of me is to score and score often.
The sound of my blades cutting through the ice calms me. Watching shards of ice spray against the board when I stop excites me. I need these emotions right now because my heart is heavy. I stupidly fell for Thea, to the point where the words I love you almost came out of my mouth. So many times, I wanted to tell her, but am now thankful I held back. Saying those words to her, and having everything happen, would’ve destroyed me even further because they would’ve meant nothing to her. They’re words she’s heard repeatedly from Adam Nelson.
I shudder at his name popping into my head. How can Jude and Thea even associate with people like the Nelsons? Let alone my sister. Since the revelation of Lacey being a Nelson, I’ve had a hard time believing someone as sweet as her can be half of that demented family. Although, I suppose they’re not all demented. Mrs. Nelson seems to be the only nice one, although I have a hard time believing she had no idea what her piece-of-shit husband was up to. Maybe this is how things work in their family—secrecy. When—if—I ever get married, I don’t want to be someone who hides things from my wife.
Speaking of Mrs. Nelson, she will be in attendance at tonight’s game, having made the trip to New York to watch us play. When she asked for a ticket, my first inclination was to say no, but it’s hard to deny someone who has stepped up for Lacey and my sister. Mrs. Nelson has made good on her word, and next month Ally, Lacey, and my mom move into a three-bedroom house. It has a fenced yard, is across from a park, and is within walking distance of Lacey’s school. Ally also has a brand-new car, and Mrs. Nelson has found my mom a stable job. She’s also encouraged me to cash the check from her son. I haven’t yet because I’m afraid of the ramifications. I don’t need someone to tell me to stay away from Thea. I can do that on my own. I fear Adam will see this as owning me, and no one owns me.