The puck drops, and the game is on. I push forward, my skates slicing through the ice, but my mind is elsewhere.
Amelia.
She's here. After all this time.
I barely react as the opposing center takes possession of the puck, slipping past me with ease. Aiden yells something at me, but I don't catch it. My focus is shot. My body is here, but my head? Not so much.
"Wake up, Sinclair!" Aiden barks as I narrowly avoid a collision.
I shake my head, trying to snap out of it. Just in time to see one of their forwards power through our defense and-
Goal.
The red light flashes. The crowd erupts.
1-0. Shadow Blades.
Damn it.
I inhale deeply, gripping my stick tighter as I skate back to center ice.
Enough. I can't let this mess with my game.
I shift my weight, grounding myself. The next faceoff is mine. I lock eyes with the opposing center, my usual confidence returning.
The ref drops the puck.
This time, I react instantly-winning the faceoff and passing to Aiden. He takes off, speeding down the ice. The defenders close in, but I'm already moving into position.
Aiden flicks the puck back toward me. I take the shot.
GOAL!
The buzzer sounds, the crowd cheers, and just like that, we're tied 1-1.
I don't look at Amelia this time.
She's not why I'm here.
The scoreboard reads 3-3 as we enter the final minutes of the game. Every muscle in my body is burning, but I push forward, adrenaline keeping me sharp.
One last play. One last chance.
Aiden steals the puck, weaving through the defense. He spots me across the ice and passes. It's a risk-the defenders are closing in fast.
But I see my opening.
I take the shot.
The puck rockets toward the net, slipping past the goalie's outstretched glove.
GOAL!
The buzzer blares. The arena erupts.
Final Score: 4-3.Midnight Howlers WIN.
Aiden yells in victory, tackling me in celebration. I let out a breath, a small grin forming.
We did it.
I glance at the stands. Just for a second.
Amelia is still there.
And for the first time in years, I feel like I finally won something more than just a game.
The roar of the crowd fills the arena, our team's name echoing from every direction. My chest rises and falls, breathless from the match, but also from something else entirely. A win. Not just on the ice, but something deeper.
We huddle together, arms wrapped around each other in a tight group hug, celebrating the hard-fought battle. Sweat, exhaustion, adrenaline-it all blends into one electric moment.
Aiden is the first to break away, shaking his head with a knowing smirk. He leans in, voice just low enough for only me to hear.
"Gonna see my girlfriend now." he murmurs, already glancing toward the stands.
I mirror his smirk, my voice just as quiet. "I'll come with you." My gaze flickers toward Amelia. "Because there's someone even more interesting sitting beside your girlfriend."
Aiden follows my line of sight. His eyebrows lift before a slow whistle escapes his lips.
"So that's what had you off your game at first." he teases. Then, with a grin, he jerks his head toward the stands. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go meet them."
We made our way toward the arena seats where they were sitting. With each step, the crowd's cheers grew louder, the energy in the air nearly buzzing.
And maybe that's what finally caught Amelia's attention.
Or maybe it was me.
Just as I expected, she froze the moment she saw me approaching. Her fingers clenched around the fabric of her dress, and for a second, I almost felt bad for flustering her. Almost.
Beside her, my future sister-in-law beamed at Aiden like he had just scored the game-winning goal. Yeah, these two were absolute fools in love.
But what really caught my eye was how tightly Rain was holding onto Amelia's arm, blushing as she looked at Aiden. Amelia, on the other hand, looked about two seconds away from ripping her hand free and dashing out of there at any moment.
Rain clearly wasn't letting go without a fight.
And then-
With one final yank, Amelia pulled too hard, lost her balance, and crashed onto the floor, her head smacking against the chair in front of her.
Ouch.
I moved forward instinctively, but Rain beat me to it, already crouching down to help.
Amelia's face burned red, her embarrassment written all over her features.
And I-
I couldn't hold back my laugh.
Aiden shot me a glare, clearly trying to maintain some sort of composure-but I caught the way his lips twitched, fighting his own laughter.
"Stop it, Aiden." Rain scolded, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Sorry, darling." he said instantly, his voice dripping with sincerity.
Rain softened at his words, a smile replacing her frown as she pulled him into a hug.
And in that instant, Amelia's glare snapped toward me.
I just raised an eyebrow, smirking in that taunting way I knew would get under her skin.
Rain and Aiden broke their hug, and Aiden invited both of them to the celebration party at the restaurant. Rain nodded excitedly and nudged Amelia, calling her name, while Amelia was still busy glaring daggers at me.
"Amelia!" Rain practically screamed, snapping her fingers in front of her face.
Amelia blinked, startled. "I'm here! I'm here!"
"Gosh, where were you? I've been calling your name a thousand times already."
Let me think… Busy staring—uh, I mean glaring—at my handsome face.
Rain huffed before turning back to Aiden. "Anyway, Aiden invited us to their victory party!"
I could see the hesitation flicker across Amelia's face. She didn't want to go. No, she didn't even want to stand near me, let alone spend an entire evening in my presence.
But me? I was eager for her to join us, silently pleading, 'Please say yes'.
"Uh… I… I can't go." Amelia mumbled hesitantly.
What? This isn't how it was supposed to go. She should have said yes.
I was about to speak and persuade her, but—just like before—Rain beat me to it again.
She leaned in, whispering something to her. Amelia stood still, considering it for a long moment before finally whispering back. Whatever she said made Rain beam with excitement.
"So, Amelia will be joining us!" she announced.
Before Aiden could respond, I cut in smoothly, "Perfect. I mean, everyone's coming with their girls. We should too."
Amelia stiffened, her glare intensifying. Rain and Aiden exchanged confused glances.
I smirked before offering a mock-apologetic shrug. "Sorry. I misspoke. I meant 'you should too'. And of course, we'd love more company. Amelia is more than welcome."
But we all knew it wasn't an accident.
Because sooner or later, she'd be mine again.
I masked my smirk with a fake, polite smile.
I am too good at this.