Shattered Dreams [EDITING] - Chapter 81: Chapter 81

COREY'S POV:
Being out on the ice now is thrilling and I'm so glad I've been able to fall back in love with the sport. Cheers erupt from the crowds cotinuously because we have managed to stick to the lead and they were on the edge of their seats as the final minutes ticked down.
I feel very on edge too as I have no idea where Nadia is but I am trying to push thoughts of her away from my mind so I can focus on this to be able to win.
One of the opposition team manage to make it into our side of the rink but Liam manages to come behind them and tackle him, stealing the puck back away. I breathe out a sigh of relief army teammates make their way to the goal. Coach yelled out to us that we should attack as well as defend because we have been strong on the defensive. We know we have won as the score is far from tight and so now scoring is just about being greedy, so we can show off to the rest of the league how much better we are than everyone.
The air inside of the rink is now thick with anticipation. Every pass and every shot carried the weight of the season. It carried the weight of months of blood, sweat, and sacrifices we have given to be playing here tonight. I look to Willem, who seems to have the same idea as me as a massive smile spreads across his face, his teeth sheltered behind his gum shield.
With only thirty seconds left, we break into the oppositions zone, passing back and forth to each other in an attempt to confuse the other team. I pass back to Willem and he possesses the puck up the boards, weaving in and out of the opponents like he is the flash. He is so close that I can see his eyes search for an opening as defenders draw to him like magnets.
Willem looks stumped on what to do, as he has someone coming towards him from all directions. He keeps his cool and hesitates before deciding whether to pass or take a stab at it. The timer is quickly coming to a stop, causing us and the crowd to hold our breaths as he goes to pass but then quickly pulls back, averting the defenders from his direction as they try and find where the puck has gone. I laugh out loud in glee as he managed to pull off the oldest trick in the book and watch as he makes a sudden, decisive motion and sends the puck flying towards the goal.
Nerves pool inside of me and the crowd is silent, it's like all time has stood still and the only thing moving in the arena was the puck and only when it hit the back of the net were we able to move again. The sound was drowned out by deafening roars coming from the audience. Willem drops his stick, his chest heaving as we all scramble around him in pure joy. This is the best feeling in the world, to be here with my teammates as we hear the buzzer go off, confirming our win.
The rink was a sea of chaos, with fans screaming, our teammates embracing and the air was thick with disbelief alongside joy at the fact we have done it. The SeaHawks stood frozen, with their mouths agape as they try and come to terms with their loss. I can't imagine how heartbroken they must be feeling right now but I don't think of it for long because I would rather be celebrating this amazing win.
Coach Grayson, alongside a hobbling Jasper come rushing onto the ice to join in the embrace and for the first time in a long time, no one had any ill feeling towards another teammate, right now we are simply just a team. As we all celebrate together, laughing at the fact we have finally made it after trying so hard to get here today, I look up at the pure happiness radiating from our supporters, which mostly consist of our family members. I look at my parents and siblings, who are also hugging each other and I grow emotional at the sight, as it's the first time winning a match where I have genuinely feel loved and supported by them.
I definitely feel as though I have done them, Nadia and my team proud. I focus back on my best friends as we all sing our team's anthem, laughing again at the fact we have managed to do it.
This year, the trophy will be ours once more.
During our celebrations, various things are thrown onto the rink, including flyers and phone numbers, which I spot Nathan picking up a few of them and sliding them into his pocket.
"We did it!" Willem cheers in my ear, causing me to cringe at the noise.
"We did" I reply back, equally as loud but I save him from doing it right in his ear.
"Together." He adds, giving me a pat on my shoulder, but I decide to pull him in for a hug. In no time our teammates have caught wind on the embrace and they all join in, so that we are all hugging once more, practically squashing Willem and I in the process.
When we all break apart, in the corner of my eye, I spot Nadia leave the locker rooms, where Jasper appeared from only a few minutes earlier. I try not to let jealous seep into my veins but it's too late.
I'm trying very hard not let my concern or anger show on my face but that is proven impossible when Willem comes back up to me again. "Cheer the fuck up, we just won the season!"
"I'm happy, I promise." I lie, tracking Nadia as she wheels herself out of the arena.
"Tell that to your face and your stalker tendencies," He pokes me in the nose and I slap his hand away and look at him sternly, waning him to never do that again. "Trouble in paradise already?"
"No, but she just came out the locker rooms." I tell him, and his mouth drops open.
"No fucking way," He jokes, looking like he's about to drop to the floor. "How dare she use the hockey changing room when she's a figure skater."
"Shut up you dick, that's not what I mean." I declare and he holds his hands up, silently telling me to calm down.
"Why did Noddy come out the locker room after Jasper?" Nathan comes up to us, and realisation appears on Willem's face.
"They would've just been talking. Jasper has a new girl, we know this." Her brother defends her, as if that thought was even crossing my mind. I can't help that now he's mentioned it thinking about the what if between the two of them. Jasper has been much happier recently and I trust my relationship with Nadia, but I still sometimes get that nagging thought in the back of my mind, telling me that she was much happier with Jasper.
I look towards Jasper, where he is laughing and conversing with Finn and Logan and my mind flashes with images of the pair of them together. They have slept together whilst I was seeing her before, so that doesn't mean it won't happen again.
"She wouldn't do that to you," Willem defends her, seeming to have crept inside my thoughts like he always seems to do. "Not again."
"Whatever is up with you three, you need to can it because we have somewhere to be tonight." Coach Grayson tells us once the crowds have quietened down.
"I'm not in the mood. My leg hurts." Jasper groans and I'm quite glad because I don't want to have to be in his presence when trying to enjoy the high that I was on when we won, although now I am not in much of a celebrating mood either.
"Tough shit, mate because you have a wedding reception to get to." Coach announces and we all cheer in surprise at this.
"What the fuck? Why didn't either of you tell me?" I ask Coach, who is now my brother in law, which is so weird for me to even think about, let alone say.
"We wanted to keep it a secret until we won that trophy, give you all a proper celebration for it, whilst also celebrating the wedding." He explains, us all listening intently. My relationship with coach has gotten much healthier. We have started talking more and I am past him keeping it all from me because I understand it's what they both wanted, especially considering I wasn't ready for a bombshell like that. I needed to heal my relationship with the family I already had before adding anyone else into the mix.
Also, it would be extremely hypocritical of me to still be holding a grudge about it, considering I went behind my best friends back and fell in love with his sister. It's the same scenario but different circumstances, so I decided to be the bigger man and approach Coach, apologising to him about how I handled the situation and he gladly accepted, giving me a hug, which made me freeze at first but then I soon warmed up to it, considering he is my brother in law now.
I suppose I better stop calling him Coach now,.
"I can't believe you married Corey's sister, coach." Liam comments, tapping him on the back in a silent congratulations.
"Does the age gap not creep you out?" Nathan decides to add and we all groan at him. I have thought about the age gap but it isn't that peculiar considering they are both adults and it's a scary amount of time. Plus, they are both happy and that's the only thing that counts, age, and other people's opinions shouldn't play into their happiness.
"Do you ever learn to shut your mouth?" Cole murmurs, clinging to his girlfriend as she whispers what I assume are sweet nothings into his ear.
"You better all go home and iron your suits and find yourself a date. The reception starts in a few hours and you can all drink now that the season is over, although most of you still drank anyway," He sighs, knowing us too well. "And Nathan, I won't be shocked one bit if you turn up without a date so don't put yourself under too much pressure."
We all laugh at his subtle dig towards Nathan for his earlier comment and we all begin to make our way off the ice.
"I'll be glad to get out of this gear, my limbs ache." Willem groans, sounding as tired as I feel.
"I'll be having an ice bath when I get home." I comment, feeling every bone in my body burn with every step I take.
"Can I join you? You can be my date if you say yes." Nathan comes up next to us and I roll my eyes at the mere sight of him.
"Why on earth would I want to be your date?" I question him, as we walk towards the locker rooms to get changed.
"So you don't have to drag Nadia out when she will want to be sleeping." He replies, not realising how much this actually means to me. Willem stops for a second and looks at me and he looks as though he could cry at this simple thing. His sister's condition is being recognised by our teammates and they don't ask questions, or assume, they just go about their day the same way and do everything they can to make her feel normal.
The way they protected her from being looked at without me even having to ask will stick with me, as it means so much to her that they did that.
"I'll be dragging her, she gets us free drinks." Willem comments, turning the moment away from serious.
"That's because she's so sexy." Nathan thinks out loud and Jasper hits him on the back of his head as he walks past him, muttering that he's a dickhead and my mind wanders back to seeing them both come out of the locker room.
"I'm going home now," Willem announces, trying his best to ignore Nathan's yet again sexual mark towards his sister. "Do you want me to ask Nadia to go with you? Or should I leave it?"
"No, tell her, then I can ask her about it myself." I confirm, dreading what the answer may be.