Where The Ice Gives Way Chapter 126

**Charlotte**

The puck drops, and Blake’s stick snaps down, shoulders low, knees bent. The puck shoots backward to one of his players. Then he’s gone, pushing forward with long, powerful strides, his skates cutting hard through the ice. The other team rushes him from the side. Blake lowers his shoulder and takes the hit without losing speed. The boards rattle as the other player bounces off him, but Blake keeps moving, stick out, eyes forward, already calling for the puck again. Beside me, Jessica lets out a low whistle. “This is so hot.”

Annabelle elbows her. “Watch the game.”

“I am watching the game.”

I laugh, but my eyes stay on Blake.

The puck slides across centre ice. Theo catches it near the boards, taps it once, then sends it through the gap between two players. Blake reaches it first. His stick pulls it in, quick and clean, and he cuts left so sharply the player chasing him skids wide. Charlie is already moving up the right side, and the pass goes hard and flat across the ice. Charlie catches it on his stick, lowers his body, and drives toward the goal. My hands curl around the edge of my seat. “Go,” I whisper. Charlie shifts the puck from one side of his stick to the other. A defender closes in. Charlie twists his shoulders, slips around him, and shoots. The goalie drops. The puck hits his pads and bounces out, and the whole rink groans. Charlie skates past the net, then loops back into position as Blake bangs his stick against the ice, calling for the next play. Mara leans closer to me. “That was a good shot.” I clap and give Charlie a thumbs-up when he looks my way. His grin flashes through his cage, quick and bright, before he turns back to the game.

The puck continues to move faster than my eyes can follow. One second it’s near our goal, the next it’s at the boards, then it’s loose in the middle with three players fighting for it. Sticks hit the ice in sharp little cracks. Skates spray white shavings. The boys shout things I don’t understand, but their bodies answer each other. Theo spins backward near the blue line, laughing at someone from the other team while keeping his stick out. The puck slides toward him, and he catches it without looking. He flicks it across to another player, then takes off, pushing hard. Jessica grabs my arm. “Theo is such a menace.”

“He’s going to get himself hit,” Annabelle says.

“He probably wants to.”

Theo proves her right ten seconds later when he shoves into a player along the boards, steals the puck, and skates away with a grin so wide I can see it from here. I yell right along with the crowd.

The first period keeps moving. Blake wins another puck drop. Charlie chases a loose puck into the corner and comes out with it even though two players press him into the boards. Theo gets shouted at by the referee for something he definitely did on purpose. By the time the horn sounds, my throat feels rough. The boys skate toward their bench. Charlie lifts his glove toward me, and I wave both hands. Blake taps Charlie’s helmet with his glove, then looks up at me again. I smile. He taps two fingers against his chest, right over the jersey number, then points at me. The butterflies in my stomach dance.

The second period starts harder. The other team comes out fast, pushing tighter. Blake gets crowded every time he touches the puck. One player leans into him near centre ice, shoulder first, trying to knock him off balance. Blake plants his skates, and he barely moves when he’s hit. The other player stumbles back, and Blake moves around him, pulling the puck with him. The crowd roars, and I jump to my feet. “Yes!” I shout. Mara laughs and claps beside me. Wellington scores first, and it happens so quickly I almost miss it.

One of our players steals the puck near the boards and sends it to Blake. Blake doesn’t hold it. He passes straight to Charlie, who is cutting across the right side with his stick ready. Charlie catches it. He pushes, and the goalie moves to follow him. Charlie pulls the puck across his body and shoots low, and the puck slides under the goalie’s pad and hits the back of the net. I jump up screaming, all the pride in the world rushing through me. Mara is on her feet beside me, and Gareth is clapping, loud and proud. Jessica reaches over and grabs my sleeve while Annabelle laughs beside her.

On the ice, Charlie gets swallowed by the team. Theo throws both arms around him and nearly knocks him down. Blake skates in, grabs the front of Charlie’s jersey, and pulls him into a hard, quick hug. Then Charlie looks up, his eyes find me. I’m still screaming, still clapping, still probably embarrassing both of us, but his grin breaks wide, and the scoreboard changes.

The other team ties it near the end of the second period with a shot through too many bodies. The third period starts with everyone louder. I stop thinking about how many people are around me. I stop watching the exits. I stop checking where Gareth’s patrols are standing. I just watch the game. Blake shoots, and the goalie blocks it. He shoots again on the next shift. Then Theo gets the puck near the boards and sends it across. Charlie passes it straight into Blake’s path. Blake catches it in full stride. A defender steps into him. Blake moves left, and the defender follows. Blake pulls the puck back, cuts right, and the defender slides past him with one knee dropping to the ice. The crowd rises, and my hands grip Mara’s arm. Blake drives toward the goal. The goalie drops low. Then Blake snaps the puck high, the red light flashes, and the rink erupts. I scream until my voice cracks.

Blake’s teammates slam into him. Theo jumps into the pile. Charlie skates in laughing, hitting Blake’s helmet with both gloves. Blake looks up through all of it. At me. I’m standing in the front row with his name on my back, and my hands pressed to my mouth. He points at me, and it does all sorts of crazy things to my insides. 

The last minute is chaos, but Wellington holds on. Then the horn sounds, and Wellington wins. The stands break open around me. On the ice, Charlie is laughing with his team. Theo has both arms raised. Blake skates out from the middle of them, flushed and breathing hard, his eyes already searching the stands. I step forward until my hands touch the rail, and he finds me. I cheer for him. For Charlie. For the team. For the name on my back. Blake’s smile spreads slowly, bright and wide. And for one loud, beautiful moment, everything feels right in the world.