Page 102 of Mac Meyers Needs Me

CHAPTER 36

MAC

“You got this,” Lovett assures me as we step onto the ice.

I bump his glove as we skate to center. Aside from practice and classes, I’ve spent the past couple of days holed up in my room, frustrated over my idiocy. I should have been honest with Fee weeks ago, but my fears kept me silent. I didn’t want to upset her, or get into a fight that resulted in her not talking to me, and both have happened. I feel like shit.

But I have to put my worries in a box so I can prove to my team, myself, and my hopefully still girlfriend, that I can play hockey. My confidence needs to come from within, and that extends far beyond what happens on the ice today. So I take a deep breath as I move into position and channel my energy into the game.

We win the puck drop, and Stiles passes to Lovett. I skate down the ice, Steele behind me, Stiles to my right. Lovett dips behind the crease and taps the puck to Stiles, but his shot goes wide, and I move in, snatching it before Ottawa can steal.

Steele blocks another player from getting to me with a shot to the ribs, and I pass back to Stiles. He’s having an off game though, and an Ottawa enforcer nabs the puck. Steele is already on him, though, fighting to regain possession. Sticks chop the ice and elbows fly—there’s nothing clean about our play—but we’re tied and we want the win. I want it so badly I can taste it.

I finally hook the puck and send it back down the ice. Lovett chases it, and Stiles moves back into position. Lovett passes to him and I angle myself to the right of the net. Brody passes to me, and I take the shot, but it bounces off the goalie’s stick. Lovett nabs it on the rebound and sends it back toward the net, right before an Ottawa player checks him to the boards.

It’s the perfect shot, flipping up into the air, but it’s sailing right toward the goalie’s open hand. The next three seconds are a comedy of errors. The puck hits his glove, but he loses his balance and goes down on his side. He tries valiantly to keep the puck from falling backwards with him, but it’s too late. It hits the net behind him and gives us the goal we need to win the game as the final buzzer sounds. It isn’t pretty, but I played better tonight than I have since the beginning of the season, so I’ll take it.

Coach joins us in the locker room and gives us a way to go, guys, but you can play cleaner speech. We shower and change into our street clothes, the buoyant mood slightly tempered.

As we’re climbing onto the bus, Coach gives me a chin dip. “Good work out there tonight, Meyers. I know you’ve been putting in the time this season, and the extra effort is paying off. You almost had that goal.”

“Thanks, Coach.”

I slide into the seat next to Gage who’s frowning at his screen. It seems to be a common theme these days.

“What’s going on?”

“Something with my sister’s bestie. She’s having roommate problems this semester.”

“They’re both in res, right?”

“Yeah. My sister has a private room, but I guess her bestie has this roommate who is up all hours of the night and has some…weird habits.”

“What kind of weird habits?”

“Apparently she likes to be naked a lot.”

“Like full birthday suit?”

“Or close? I guess yesterday she came home from class and her roommate was sitting in her computer chair wearing only a crop top.”

“No underwear?”

“Evidently.”

“That’s uh…wow.”

“Yeah. So I guess she slept on my sister’s floor on a yoga mat, which is fine for a night, but not ideal for the next month and change. They're trying to figure out a solution.” He slides his phone back in his pocket as we arrive at the hotel.

Food is waiting for us in the lobby. We opt to take ours up to our room because Brody is people’d out, and tonight wasn’t his best game. I get it.

“So what’s going on with you and Fee?” Chase asks once we’re congregated in his and Brody’s room. “And don’t say nothing, because my girlfriend already spilled the tea.”

“Why are you asking if you already know?”

Chase folds a slice of pizza in half and takes a huge bite. “Because I want your side of the story.”

I sigh and explain what happened.