Chapter 153

LIAM

My head is not in this game.

The puck drops, and my body takes over like it’s been programmed to. Years of drills and instincts move me even while my brain is somewhere else—somewhere in the stands where Emilia is wearing my jersey, silently cheering Tessa and Lacey on as they scream at refs like it’s their personal calling in life.

Lyle wins the faceoff clean, flicks it back, and I’m already shooting into open ice for a pass—

Except a Chicago defender cuts in and steals the puck faster than lightning.

Perfect.

There’s no time to curse. I pivot and chase him down, blades biting into ice, Aaron flying a stride ahead of me because he’s built like a damn rocket. Wolfe and Banks scramble back to block the lane, and Cam is already locked in behind them—crouched, tense, ready to throw himself into a save if he has to.

I keep telling myself it’s just another game.

I’ve played through worse—migraines, broken bones, concussions taped toget