Rhys

"Game 4!" Jaxon yelled as he rushed into the locker room from the restroom to tie his skates. "We are taking the game," he started singing.

Every head turned toward him at once; while some team members laughed, others just rolled their eyes at his antics.

It was Game 4 now, and luckily for us, we had won Game 3. If we won Game 4 tonight, the series would be tied, which would give us a much better chance. But if we didn’t, we would be staring down the barrel of elimination, two games away from being kicked out of the finals entirely.

I could feel the weight of it sitting on my chest as I stood in front of my teammates, looking around at faces that showed the same exhaustion and fire I felt in my own bones.

Miller sat on the bench having a conversation with Philip about taking turns on the ice, Theo was adjusting his pads, and Kayden and Jaxon were both laughing at Luca, who was tying his laces wrong, while the rest of our teammates were speaking amongst themselves.

Leo was even present with his assistant doctors, checking injured teammates and patching them up.

I cleared my throat loudly. They all turned, and once I had their attention, I began. "We fought our way back in Game 3, proving we still belong here. The Bears are still good and they could turn the game around, but we can win this round. This is Game 4. We do not let them build a three-one lead tonight. Do you all understand!" I shouted.

"Yes, Cap," they all responded.

I took a deep breath and let it all out before continuing. "Kayden and I have been through enough off the ice lately with all the noise about us, but none of that matters once we step out there. This is for the Cup, for each other, and for the fans who have stuck with us through the tough nights. We are the Northern Avalanche. We do not quit, no matter what."

Jaxon grinned from his spot on the bench, twirling his stick between his fingers. "Captain’s right. If Damian Fernandez thinks he can dance around us again like he did in the first two games, he is in for a surprise."

Everyone erupted with cheers.

After winning the third game, the momentum had returned and it changed everything.

Kayden gave me a small nod across the room, the kind that said more than words ever could. I knew he was thinking about the same things I was—the trending headlines that had tried to blame our relationship for the early losses and the dream we both shared of lifting this Cup together.

We had come too far to let it slip away now.

"Thank you," I mouthed to him.

He smiled back at me.

Just then, the coach’s whistle resounded in the locker room and, without words, we already knew that it was time.

We grabbed our sticks, donned our helmets, and filed out into the tunnels.

The roar of the crowd was wild as we skated out of the tunnel. It was thunderous, and I could feel it vibrate through me. It was much better than Game 3, when we had received little cheers until we actually won.

Now, seeing them cheering for us brought out the energy needed for the game.

I looked toward the opposite side of the ice where the Southbridge Bears were skating out. Damian Fernandez caught my eye and gave me the same smooth, teasing grin he had flashed in Game 1, but I looked away immediately as if he wasn’t there.

Not tonight, I thought.

While we warmed up, the commentators’ voices echoed over the speakers. "After dropping the first two games, the Northern Avalanche showed their championship mettle with a gritty win in Game 3. Now in Game 4, with Rhys Calder leading the charge as captain, the question is whether they can even the series or if the Bears will push them to the brink of elimination. And of course, the off-ice story everyone is still talking about—the Calder-Vale relationship that has dominated headlines. Will the personal connection fuel them or become a distraction in this must-win game?"

I hated how they made my relationship the reason for our losses, and I was tired of hearing the way they reduced it to a business relationship.

I tuned it out and focused on the feel of the ice under my blades, getting ready for the game to start. And when the puck dropped, I forgot everything else and focused on what I had set my mind to winning the cup.

The first period started brutally as soon as the puck dropped. The Bears came out flying from every angle, forcing us into immediate defensive battles.

Damian Fernandez was everywhere. He took the puck at center ice, looked around for his signature cross-over pass, and despite Jaxson’s best efforts to stick-check him, Damian used his reach to protect the puck. He moved with a frustrating, effortless grace, drawing both me and Kayden toward him before he flicked a no-look pass to the back post.

"Back door!" I screamed, but I was a second too late.

The horn sounded, signaling the end of the first period.

I took a lap back to the circle, my lungs burning with the cold, dry air of the arena.

Damian skated toward me and chuckled loudly enough for me and anyone close to hear.

"Still distracted, Calder?" he muttered, leaning low over his stick, his eyes gleaming behind his visor. "I hear the tabloids have a new story coming out tomorrow about you and your boyfriend."

"Then you should buy a copy," I retorted, digging my skates into the ice. "Because tonight, you’re going to be too busy looking at the scoreboard to read."

He chuckled again. "Who knew that you would ever have a boyfriend?" he asked, changing the topic.

I tried to respond, but Kayden beat me to it, his voice sounding beside me as he skated toward us. "What is going on here?"

Damian waved at him. "Hello, dear little boyfriend. See you around, Riri," he muttered as he skated away.

I rolled my eyes at the stupid nickname he had given me back in college, but that was the least of my concerns because standing beside me with a questioning look was Kayden.

"I’ll explain later," I told him. "Let’s join the others."

Kayden nodded, but I noticed the frown on his face through his visor; however, I couldn’t say anything else, especially when we were still in the middle of the game.