Hands Off The Ice King novel Chapter 165

The locker room was oddly silent the moment I arrived. I sat on one of the benches, whistling under my breath as I wrapped tape around my wrists.

I only looked up when I felt my teammates eyes on me. With a raised brow, I leaned against the lockers and crossed my arms over my chest.

“What?”

Forest, who was bouncing his leg at the very corner of the bench, let out a deep breath.

“Are you not nervous?”

“You look like this is just another ordinary game,” Spencer said.

I shrugged. “That’s because it is.”

Scott clicked his tongue. “I envy you, really.”

“It’s our fifth championship game. You guys can relax.”

“That’s why it’s even more nerve-racking,” Forest sighed. “It’s our fifth championship game, and people’s eyes are on us more than ever. We’re also going against the Pucks, who beat us once and nearly beat us again last season.”

“And I was right,” Desmond spoke up for the first time, clicking his tongue. “Coach Dennis and Delaney didn’t come in. Connor also didn’t attend practice, and he’s nowhere to be found now.”

Desmond ran his fingers through his hair before exhaling heavily.

“The odds are against us, Levi, but you don’t even look nervous.”

“Well, we should just play like this is our last game. Give it our best and shoot for the stars,” I casually said, and they all looked at me in disbelief.

“Seriously. Why do you always say something cool?” Spencer asked, sounding more annoyed than impressed.

I sighed and looked around at my teammates.

This wouldn’t do.

If they walked into the rink carrying this much nervousness, we would lose before the puck even dropped.

I stood, immediately capturing all of their attention.

“We already beat the Pucks during the playoffs. The only reason they won against us during the practice game was because Connor played more than I did.”

“So it doesn’t really matter if Connor isn’t here. He’s the weak link of the team. He’ll only let the other side score and make it harder for us to catch up. Patrick’s better than him, even though he isn’t originally a center.”

“As for Dennis and Delaney, we already know all of his plays, and we’ve already made them ours. If you ask me, I’d even say Forest’s a better strategist than him because he’s been playing much longer.”

“And of course,” I said, a confident smile spreading across my face.

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Hands Off The Ice King

They all waited in anticipation for my final point, making my grin widen even more.

“You have me.”

“Oh, come on,” Desmond scoffed, though there was already a playful smile tugging at his lips.

The atmosphere became lighter than before. Exactly what I needed.

“You’re so confident. You can’t even skate the same way you did in your prime,” Scott teased.

“True.” I admitted with a shrug. “But I have something this season that I didn’t have before.”

They frowned in confusion.

Right on cue, the locker room door opened.

Beth came in first, doing some last-minute checks. Behind her was Lia.

And, of course…

The person I was talking about.

While Hope was busy talking with Lia, I walked over and gently pulled her toward me.

I turned back to my teammates, who were still watching the scene with curious expressions.

Without a second of hesitation, I lifted Hope’s chin and pressed a slow, tender kiss against her lips.

She froze.

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Her beautiful eyes widened in surprise as she stared back at me.But before she could even react, I turned back to my teammates.

“My lucky charm.”

Groans, whistles, and exaggerated exclamations echoed throughout the locker room, making me even more amused.

At the same time, I felt Hope smack my chest.

I looked back at her. There they were. Those lovable, rosy cheeks that always gave her away.

“What was that for?” she asked.

“Just boosting the team’s morale.”

She shook her head in disbelief before she smiled up at me. That one smile could make every nerve inside me settle more than any pep talk ever could.

“Are you ready?”

I nodded without the slightest hesitation.

“More ready than ever.”

“Hey, asshole!” Desmond called, grabbing my attention.

How did I know he was talking to me? I just did. No one else could make an exclamation sound like an insult and a greeting at the same time.

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Hands Off The Ice King

“Come here. Let’s do a cheer.”

I turned back to Hope.

She smiled and nodded.

“Go.”

I walked over to the huddle, Desmond quickly throwing an arm over my shoulder.

“Ah, fuck, man.” He sighed dramatically. “I kinda envy you. When am I gonna get something like that?”

I glanced at Lia, who was still talking with Beth, before looking back at Desmond.

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