Rhys

When the shootout finally began, I was chosen to go first. I skated slowly up to the designated spot in front of the net, took a deep, steadying breath, and tried to block out everything else.

I focused on the rhythmic scrape of my blades against the freshly resurfaced ice, letting that sound ground me.

I can do this, I whispered under my breath. Everything is going to turn out okay. I’m not just doing this for the team — I’m doing it for Kayden too.

The whistle blew, giving me the signal to take my shot. I spotted a small opening in the goalie’s stance, snapped my wrist with everything I had, and watched as the puck flew straight and true into the back of the net.

I had scored. The first round was ours.

Miller went next, but his shot got caught at the very edge of the goalie’s pad and deflected wide.

I let out a loud groan of frustration but still patted him encouragingly on the back as he returned to stand beside me. Now it was all riding on Kayden for our third and final shot in this round.

I tried to give him an encouraging smile as he skated past me, but he didn’t return it. He was clearly still sulking from the way I had cut him off earlier, and I couldn’t really blame him for that. I sighed quietly as I watched him position himself in front of the net.

In the blink of an eye, he took the shot, and the puck sailed cleanly into the net. The crowd immediately went wild, and a huge wave of relief washed over me as a smile spread across my face.

But it wasn’t over yet. Now it was the Southbridge Bears’ turn, and as expected, they sent Damian out first.

He scored effortlessly, the puck finding the net with almost no resistance.

Their right winger followed right after and also managed to get his shot in.

At that moment, the cold fear of failure started to settle deep in my chest again.

We can’t lose this time, I muttered to myself over and over like a desperate mantra. We just can’t.

When it came time for their third shooter, I started pacing nervously in front of the bench.

The entire arena had gone strangely silent as he lined up and released the puck toward the net. For a split second, we all thought it had gone in — but then Theo raised the puck triumphantly in his gloved hand and smiled sheepishly.

It was a save.

That one mistake kept the game tied, which meant we suddenly needed another shooter to step up.

"Rossi," Coach Reddick called out, signaling to Luca. "This is your turn now."

"Yes, coach," Luca responded confidently as he stood up from the bench, skated past us while warming up his legs, clearly preparing himself for the pressure of the final round.

We quickly huddled around him, forming a tight circle of jerseys and heavy breathing. The talk stayed short and focused, and I made sure to give him a few words of genuine encouragement. "I know you can do this, Luca," I told him, gripping his shoulder. "This one’s for the Northern Avalanche."

Luca nodded firmly, pulled on his helmet, and skated out onto the ice while shouting loudly, "For the Northern Avalanche!"

As I watched him take his position in front of the opposing net, the gnawing doubt I had been fighting all night clawed its way back into my chest with full force.

My vision blurred for a moment as the bright lights of the rink suddenly felt too harsh. I clenched my fists tightly at my sides because I literally couldn’t bring myself to watch. I even tried to drown out the roaring sound of the fans and the pounding of my own heart in my ears.

I closed my eyes and counted the seconds in the darkness behind my eyelids, timing it exactly with when I thought he would make the shot.

One...

Two...

I fluttered my eyes open just as Luca was in the middle of his deke. I watched as the puck flew forward, slipping right past the goalie’s glove and cleanly into the back of the net.

The entire bench erupted into a collective roar as we broke out in celebration. I high-fived Miller and Jaxon enthusiastically, but when it came time to celebrate with Kayden, we both just stared awkwardly at each other for a long moment before quickly looking away.

This wasn’t at all how I had wanted things to turn out between us tonight, but I told myself I would talk to him properly after the game — at least once we had secured the win.

Soon enough, it was the Southbridge Bears’ turn again for their final shooter in this sudden-death round. Everyone in the arena had their eyes glued to the ice, waiting patiently for the outcome that would decide everything.

I held my breath as the player took his shot, the puck leaving his stick and heading straight toward the corner of the net. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

My eyes widened as I watched it fly through the air. Theo reached out desperately, but time seemed to slow down as the puck sailed right past his glove and skittered harmlessly into the corner, missing the frame of the net entirely.

The realization hit me like a wave.

We had won Game 4.

Cheers exploded from the Northern Avalanche fans throughout the entire arena.

My teammates rushed out onto the ice and lifted Luca high onto their shoulders, screaming his name in pure joy and relief.

I let out a long, deep sigh of relief as I watched the celebration unfold around me.

"And that’s it! The Northern Avalanche take the win in dramatic fashion!" The commentator’s voice echoed loudly through the arena, amplifying the electric atmosphere.

Even amidst all the noise and excitement of the celebration, I could feel Kayden’s eyes on me from the center of the ice. His gaze carried words he didn’t need to speak out loud. He was still clearly mad at me for the way I had snapped at him earlier.

But Kayden wasn’t the only one staring.

From the left side of the ice where the Southbridge Bears were gathered, Damian was watching me with that same intense, burning look in his eyes.

Then, clear as day even across the chaos of the moment, he mouthed three simple words directly toward me.

"I miss you."