CHAPTER 135: MY BOYFRIEND, MY DOMINIC

And then came the next day. The Big Game everyone had been waiting for.

The lights dimmed, and the whole arena buzzed with noise.

Banners and neon cardboard signs filled the stands, glitter kept catching the fluorescent lights.

Everywhere I turned, girls were holding up giant posters.

"I ❤️ You Dominic Vale "

"Ian Han = Hockey 👑 "

"Marry Me, Jasper & Casper Covey💍💗!"

The whole place shook with the sound of stomping feet and echoing cheers.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" the announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers. "Welcome to the night you’ve all been waiting for...the faceoff between the Blackwell Falcons...."

A roar of Fal-cons! filled the air, fans slapping the railings chanting "Fal-cons! Fal-cons!"

"Versus the Estrella Wolves!"

The opposite bleachers howled like... well, wolves.

This was my first time coming to a game. It all looked strange to me.

Beside me, June was already on her feet, cupping her hands around her mouth and screaming, "Let’s go falcons. Eat the wolves alive!" like she’d been rehearsing it for weeks.

I laughed, I started feeling nervous as I looked down at the ice.

The cheerleaders lined behind the boards, shaking their pompous, bouncing their ponytails as they launched into a routine dance.

"Give me an F!"

"F!"

"Give me an A!"

"A!"

The routine ended with the Falcons mascot...a guy in a giant bird suit flapping his wings dramatically while kids in the crowd mimicked him.

I slouched in the chair, tugging the scarf June gave me yesterday to hide the fading hickeys.

My pulse wouldn’t calm down. Because this wasn’t just a game. This was his game.

Dominic’s.

Then came the moment everyone was waiting for.

The Falcons glided onto the ice one by one,

in their black and gold jerseys, helmets gleaming under the arena lights.

The announcer called their names as the spotlight hit each of them.

"NumberSeven! Our defensive wall, the man who doesn’t let a puck past him....IANNNHAN!"

He bowed to the crowds.

Girls in the stands shrieked, some holding glittery poster boards with "MARRY ME, IAN!" and "BLOCK ME LIKE YOU BLOCK SHOTS 3👅."

"Number Twelve and Thirteen! The twins you know and love...CASPER AND JASPER COVEY!"

The arena broke into double the noise. The twins blowed kisses at the fans while girls waved neon signs that read "JASPER 🔥🏒 #1!" and "CASPER, MY HEART’S YOUR PUCK!"

And then.

"Number Nine! The heart and captain of our Blackwell Falcons....DOMINIC VALE!"

My heart raced seeing Dominic glide down the rink.

The rink erupted.

The bleachers shook under my feet as if the whole school was about to come crashing down.

Screams, squeals, chants. Posters everywhere..."DOMINIC, BE MINE!💝"

"#9 FOREVER!🔐"

"VALE = GOAT⛸️🏒."

Even the Wolves’ side booed loud, which honestly only made his fans scream louder.

Nari Han and her little fan club practically lost their minds. She stood on the railing, waving a sparkling sign bigger than her whole body."DOMINIC, YOU’RE MINE!💗✨" Her friends chanted his name like they were trying to summon him.

I forced myself to breathe through it, sinking lower into my seat, trying not to look like the smallest person in the biggest storm.

Dominic lifted his stick and tapped it on the ice twice, before gliding to the center line.

He looked like he was born for this.

And me? My throat tightened.. Watching him out there in his gear, it was unfair. He looks so good. He didn’t just look like a captain. He looked untouchable.

And right there, just before the puck drop...his gaze flicked up.

Straight to me.

For a second, everything else blurred. The noise. The chants. Nari’s annoying voice. June yelling into my ear.

It was just his eyes on me.

And then he did it. So subtle no one else would notice. He pressed two fingers to his lips, hidden behind his glove, and blew them to me.

A kiss.

For me.

My heart stuttered.

All I could think about was Dominic had sent me a secret.

Girls screamed. Some literally fainted, thinking he did it for them. Ugh.

Then the referee’s whistle blew, the puck dropped, and the chaos snapped back in.

The announcer started narrating every move with too much drama, but the crowd ate it up.

"Vale takes possession, he’s fast down the left wing. Wolves defense closing in Ouuuu! A slick pass to Han!"

Fans screamed. The Wolves howled.

Dominic moved fast, past the Wolves defense, his skates kept slashing across the ice.

My chest clenched as he dodged one, then two players, swinging the puck backhand to Jasper, then back to Dom.

"Covey to Vale! Vale shoots!"

The Wolves’ goalie blocked it.

Groans of disappointment rippled through the Falcon side. The Wolves’ fans erupted in howls, waving their silver and black flags.

Beside me, June screamed, "That’s okay Dom! Next one is yours!" like she was his personal cheer squad.

I wanted to yell too. But what would I even say? Don’t worry babe, you can do it.

I can only say that in my mind.

Half the school kept screaming about how hot Dominic looked in uniform.

I just rolled my eyes, when I heard them drooling about his looks.

The game was brutal. Players slammed into each other against the boards, sticks kept clashing, the referee’s whistle kept shrieking every other second.

The sound of blades kept cutting the ice. I just wanted Dominic to be okay.

The cheerleaders chanted louder.

"Push it! Fight it! Falcons never hide it!"

Nari Han cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "That’s my captain!"

I hated how much it bothered me. But before the jealousy could swallow me, the Wolves snatched the puck, the announcer gasped.

"Wolves on the breakaway! Here they go....Wolves’ captain heading for the net!"

My hands curled into fists. Dominic chased him down, fast and ruthless, shoulder-checking him right into the boards. The whole Falcon section went insane.

"Vale says not today!" the announcer laughed. "That’s captain defense, folks!"

June nearly spilled her soda, "That’s my best friend’s boyfriend. Step on their neck, Dom!"

Dominic caught the puck again.

"Vale’s got space! He cuts past defense...Han trailing. Vale winds up for the shot!"

"He scores!"

The rink exploded. Fans leapt out of their seats, stomping and screaming.

The wolves’ side groaned.

Cardboard signs shot up in the air.

I laughed, but my chest ached watching him.

The way his teammates fist bumped him, clapped his back, hyping him up.

The way the crowd roared.

To them, he was the star. The captain.

To me... he was just the boy who kissed me every night, who whispered he loved me when no one else could hear.

Then...he broke from the huddle.

He tilted his helmet up. Looked straight at me.

And tapped the blade of his stick against his chest, right where his heart was.

Like a Morsecode meant only for me.

Nobody else noticed, everyone thought he was just celebrating. But I knew. I felt it.

That’s not just the captain. That’s my man.

That’s my boyfriend.

My Dominic.