BtB: All About The Game

The face off came and Kyle came up with the puck and started working toward the Python zone, Mikey moving fast to the back of the zone, looking for a pass. Craig moved to the top of his circle, Luke holding the blue line. A couple of shots and rebounds, led to a Python break out, McMannis threading the needle between Luke and Kyle, giving Stevenson the breakaway. Everything was in tune this time and I snagged the puck easily, Stevenson pulling up in front of me.

With that shit-eating grin, he asked, "She moans pretty good, doesn't she?" My glove came off and my stick fell to the ice as I grabbed the front of his jersey and was about to swing when Luke checked up both to the ice. I lost my grip on him and we fell, Luke and then Craig getting between us. When he reclaimed his stick, Stevenson made a couple of hip thrusts and I felt my blood boil even hotter. I looked at Ashley and Becca and saw that Ashley was crying, Becca's arms wrapped around her. That did it. The next time I got the chance, I was going to beat the life out of him.

The next time came after the next face off. Luke gave me the signal: he was going to let Stevenson in. All I had to do was stop him. I grinned and nodded, looking to Ashley and thumping my glove repeatedly over my heart. She smiled through her tears and put her fist between her heart. We knew we'd make it, regardless of what happened.

I knew this was it. If I stopped this next shot, the next two or three, we could win this game and go to the Finals. I didn't care who it was, I was stopping it. I took a deep breath and then up at the ceiling, seeing out Conference Championship banner from last season. I looked down just in time to see the puck drop.

McMannis won the draw and he passed back to the defenseman on my left. He moved up and around Kyle, passing up to the blue line and to Stevenson, Luke a step behind him as he crossed the line. Luke slowed down and Stevenson unloaded and unloaded hard. Without blinking and eye, I swatted it away, barely moving. Luke let him get the puck off of the boards and he passed back to the defenseman, who shot. I dropped and let the puck hit me in the chest, letting the rebound slide back to Stevenson. He wristed it and I just smacked it aside again.

Over the next minute, I stopped eleven shots; my guys were letting the Pythons have a field day. The announcer came over the intercom and stated that there was one minute left in the overtime period. It was time. Stevenson blasted a shot from the top of the circle to my left. Instead of swatting it, I gloved it and dropped it to the ice. A second later, Kyle and Craig had outraced the Python defenders and were almost on top of Knight. Neither was sure who scored the goal since they were both just flailing at it as it bounced on the ice. The buzzer went off and I dropped to the ground crying. It was all over.

The team celebrated at center ice as the announcer declared us Conference Champions and said that we would face the Wild Bunch for the league championship. To me, though, none of that mattered. I stayed kneeling on the ice, my head bowed and tears streaming down my face.

I saw a shadow over me and looked up. Kyle and Luke stood over me and offered me hands up. I stood and they skated me over to the door where Ashley and Becca stood waiting for me. I dropped my stick, blocker and glove. We stood there looking at each other for just a second and then I wrapped my arms around her, both of us crying. Soon, we took out reunion to a side hallway.

"Will, I'm sorry. I didn't think it would ever come up. I told you because I wanted you to find out before he said anything."

I looked into her eyes and then smiled. "Baby, it's okay. It doesn't matter now. It's over with. Besides. I'm much better in bed than he is."

She laughed and I kissed her. Without saying another word, I knew everything was going to be okay.