Tough Love - Chris Sturniolo

Barn Burner

Chris

I wasn't nervous about scoring because nothing was stopping that from happening. It just so happened that in the first two minutes, the opponent's defence fucked up and fanned the puck. I saw that shit, hit my wheels and went for it. Breakaway and boom, top shelf.

Anastasia was my girlfriend.

I turned to my team as I glided backwards, slammed into the boards and my players launched into me. That was the fastest goal I'd scored in my uni career and fuck it was extra sweet knowing what it meant. The boys tapped my helmet with their gloves and as I skated back to the bench, I looked for my girl.

My girl.

I found her immediately. Obviously I already knew where she was sitting. Right at the boards with Ella, Matt and Nick. I skated right up to the glass as she looked at me with a smirk and her arms crossed. I smiled as I approached, lifted my stick, pointed it at her, and tossed it over the glass. The girl was an athlete, and she caught it one handed. She was so effortlessly sexy, and something about her being so physically talented got me every time. She laughed and fuck, that was just another high. She looked at me and nodded with a smile and I laughed as I skated over to my bench.

58 minutes to go.

After the game, I showered in the changeroom, knowing Stasia was waiting for me. Her game was the next morning, and fuck if I wasn't gunna blow her away with my gift.

When I walked out of the rink, Matt was waiting outside the van, one arm around Ella while Nick and Stasia talked. She was leaning against the side door with her back to me and I admired her for a moment as I walked up. Her wide jeans, her tight pink crop top, long brown hair in waves around her arms and down to her elbows. Fuck she was a smoke show.

"Time to cash in," I announced. She turned to look at me and smothered a smile. She did that more and more lately and nothing gave me more satisfaction than breaking that girl. She was gunna be happy with me if it was the last thing I did.

"What?" Nick asked.

"My girlfriend and I had a deal," I stately plainly and dropped my bag as I approached her. I saw Nick and Matt's eyes meet quickly as I walked up to Anastasia, wrapped my arms around her waist and picked her up.

"Oh my god, Chris," she exclaimed, but still put her arms around my neck as she looked down at me.

"Isn't that right babe?" I asked, a full blown smile on my face. She looked into my eyes and she did my favourite thing and smiled. "Come on, give your boyfriend a kiss."

She shook her head and leaned in to meet our lips. My girlfriend.

She pulled back from our kiss and I looked at her for a moment as I lowered her back to the ground.

"Damn, okay," Matt said, scratching his neck with one hand, the other still around Ella's shoulders.

"Were you planning on telling us orrr...?" Nick asked. "That's kind of a big deal."

"None of your business bro," I said, pulling Stasia into my chest with my arm around her neck and kissing her on the head. "But Stasia's my girlfriend now. Tell them."

She rolled her eyes and sighed as she pulled my arm from around her neck. It didn't bother me. Stasia had some intimacy issues and that was cool with me. I'd slowly lower all her walls.

"Yeah, we're together now," she announced. Ella was the first to react, clapping quietly and smiling.

"Oh my god that's awesome, I'm so happy for you guys," she smiled. She was always so sweet, that girl.

"That's cool, Chris. I'm happy for you, too," Nick answered and I heard the sincerity in his voice. He knew what it meant for me.

"I agree," Matt said. I swear that was his favourite line.

"Alright now can we go eat? I'm starving," Nick said, heading for the side door.

"Sorry guys, I'm not joining tonight," I responded. Nick and Matt looked at me in a way that said they weren't expecting that.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked.

"I wanna hang with Stasia," I said and Matt nodded.

"That's cool, I can drop you off somewhere if you want," he offered.

"No, I wanna go to your place," Stasia interrupted. I looked down at her and saw something in her face. She wanted to be with the group.

"Okay, sure," I agreed. "Wanna go with them?"

"Yeah," she admitted. "I wanna have a night with some friends." Right. My mind immediately went to the night on the porch when she told me how much she wanted nights with friends on campus and I understood.

"That's cool with me," I agreed. "Let's go." Her eyes went from hopeful to grateful and my heart warmed. Fuck, I was so into her.