Lindsey

The boys did it- well, almost. They won their last game and now only have one more standing between them and the final round. Tonight, they play their last game against Los Angeles to see who will go up against Dallas for the cup.

I'm watching them play tonight with Taylor and her friend Mel. We had so much fun when we went out for girls' night: no stress, no drama, just good old-fashioned fun. We checked out a nightclub that Tay and Mel used to go to when Mel lived in the city. It was packed, but they played great music and had plenty of security to ensure things didn't get out of hand. The three of us talked and danced all night.

Mel is really cool. She used to be a figure skater and spent a ton of time on the ice. Tay even said she could have gone to the Olympics, but that's not what Mel wanted to do. She said putting that kind of pressure on herself would have taken all the fun out of it. She said skating is what she does to feel free and unburdened by life's responsibilities. It's what she does to find solace, and she didn't want to taint that by turning it into something competitive. I gotta respect her for that.

I found out that Mel used to date Tay's older brother, Justin. They met one day in college when he went to the rink to get some extra practice in and saw her out on the ice. Taylor said it was love at first sight for Justin, and they were perfect together.

After his accident, Mel left New York and moved back to her hometown to try to recover from the loss. It really took a toll on her. I can't help the pain I feel for her. I don't know what I'd do in that situation- if I lost Chase like that, I don't think I could handle it. I think I'd just shut down.

Taylor has been trying to convince her to move back to the city since she came to visit a couple of weeks ago. She says we need another girl to add to our group; that way, we aren't so outnumbered. I can't believe how different she and Taylor are compared to the other girls that hang around the team.

They're completely the opposite of what Val and Jenna D are like. I don't know what I would have done when I moved here if I hadn't gotten to know Taylor. I owe so much to her.

If she hadn't had my back with Chase during the whole 'Val trying to ruin us' thing, I'd probably be back living with my parents and hiding away from everyone again. I'm so happy to have her in my life. Heck, I'm just happy, period. I can't get over how much things have changed since I moved here- how much I've changed. A smile spreads across my face at the thought.

I look over at the two girls sitting beside me, then around the packed arena. This is home- being here with my friends, getting ready to watch my man kick some serious ass out there on the ice. This is where I'm supposed to be. This place is my home. These people make it feel like home.

As the game gets underway, I can immediately tell it will be a doozy. The jerk from L.A., Tatum, was pulling his usual crap during warm-up. He kept skating by our section and making comments and lewd gestures at us. When he saw Mel with us tonight, I swore I heard him say something about 'fresh meat,' and he definitely slid his hand over his groin when he eye fucked Taylor. He's a real piece of work.

His actions didn't go unnoticed by our guys. Chase and Liam skated by and asked what Tatum said to us. We told them it was no big deal, but they weren't having any of it. Chase said he was going to kick that fucker's ass, and Liam looked as mad as I've ever seen him.

When they went back to the rest of the team, they must have told them what happened because as soon as they spoke, all eyes turned on Tatum. Nate and T.J. looked over at us and said something to Liam, then nodded. Rob and Drew were glaring daggers at the bastard. And Damien 'accidentally' rammed into him when he was doing a warm-up lap.

The boys were already amped up enough about this game before the added Tatum drama. Now, with the extra dose of testosterone, I just hope no one ends up seriously hurt by the end of the game.

~

By the end of the second period, I could feel the tension in the atmosphere. The game was tied 1-1, and the guys from L.A. were starting to play dirty. I lost count of how many missed penalties there were by the refs that should have been called for roughing. Those boys are trying to start a fight. I'll be surprised if there isn't one by the end of this thing. Our guys are playing well, but I know they're getting pissed. They retaliated a little and gave the rival team a few hard hits of their own- just not hard enough to get a penalty call.

I sigh when the third period starts and pray that no one gets hurt. As the game starts back up, everyone in the arena is on the edge of their seats. In the first three minutes, our guys get control of the puck, and T.J. manages to score a goal. When the next play starts, I see Tatum racing toward him. He slams T.J. into the boards, and the refs blow the whistle. That's when T.J. snaps. Apparently, he's had enough.

He throws down his gloves at the same time as Tatum, and the two start duking it out. The crowd is loving it- that's the reason so many of them watch the game. A couple of L.A. boys try to get involved, but Chase and Liam hold them off, nearly starting two additional fights. It's mayhem out there, and the fans are going crazy.

T.J. lands a solid hit to Tatum's face, and they both slide down to the ice. The refs end the fight and send both guys to the penalty box for fighting. T.J. wound up with a few bruises and a busted lip, but he managed to give Tatum a black eye and a few other bruises.

It was evident by the fans chanting that T.J. was the favorite for that fight. He didn't even look upset when he took his place in the box. In fact, he was smiling as he skated over there. I'm pretty sure he looked in our direction when the fight ended, and I thought I saw him wink. I guess that fight wasn't just about retaliation for Tatum slamming him into the boards- it was for us girls too. Or maybe just one of us...

After the fight, Tatum got benched by his coach, and T.J. got fist-bumped by every member of our team and coaching staff. The rest of the game went by quickly after that. Our guys managed to put the puck in the net two more times before that final buzzer, solidifying their spot in the championship game. I've never heard the arena get so loud. Everyone was screaming for the Cobras, so proud that they won the game. I felt myself joining in, unable to hold back my excitement for our boys.

......

Once the game was over, we waited for the guys to clean up so we could all head to the bar together. The place was packed by the time we got there, and it looked like everyone was having a blast. Everyone in the building was celebrating the team's victory tonight and the fact that they now have a chance to win the championship.

I'm sitting at one of the tables talking to Mel while Taylor steps outside to take a call. Mel is finishing telling me about her job back home when Tay comes back inside. She has a massive smile on her face as she slides back into her chair.

Mel shoots me a curious look before asking Taylor, "what's up, girl? Why are you all smiles after that call?"

Taylor takes a sip of her drink before answering. "I got my job back!"

Mel and I both start screaming out excitedly as we both launch ourselves at Taylor. Our actions make half the bar look our way, and I notice curious looks from Nate, T.J., Chase, and Liam.

Chase leans closer and asks what we're so excited about, and Taylor fills him in. She then tells us that her boss found out how Max accomplished what he did- he was sleeping with one of the other account reps at AthletaWear and convinced her to back up his story about Taylor. When the woman found out Max was sleeping around on her, she went to Tay's boss and ended up revealing everything that Max instructed her to say and that it was all just a lie.

Tay's boss, Nick, took that information to his boss and the company C.E.O., who immediately reinstated Taylor and gave her a juicy raise with back pay as well as a lofty apology. They contacted Max's company and told them about the situation, and they said they would not keep someone like that on their payroll. He got fired!

That news gave us all one more thing to celebrate. After hearing Tay's news, it seemed like the night just kept getting better. Everyone was in such a great mood. Taylor was elated. She convinced everybody to come out to the dancefloor. We were all moving along to the music as one big group, just enjoying the night. Fans joined in, and some serenaded the team with songs of victory, leaving everyone in the building laughing and smiling at one another- even Val and Jenna D. were playing nice.

......

We all ended up staying at the bar until closing time. No one was ready to stop celebrating, but when last call rolled around, we started to feel the effects of staying up so late partying. Everyone said goodnight, and Chase, Liam, Tay, and I made sure Mel's ride picked her up before we went home.

Chase and I took a quick shower before lying down, but our night didn't end there. We wanted to have our own private celebration. So, we did three times before we crashed for the night. The last thing I remember is the warmth of Chase's arms around me and the soft kiss he placed on my neck before whispering, "I love you."

A/N:

Hey everyone! I can't believe we're at chapter 47 already! This is crazy! Center Chase will officially be complete in just a few more chapters! If this makes anyone feel bittersweet, don't worry, this is not the last you'll see of our favorite lovebirds. I have two additional books planned that I will be writing for this series once this book is finished. Two new mains will taken center stage and you'll still get to see Chase and Lins. I'll likely take a couple weeks to clean up my book 2 outline before I start writing and publishing chapters.

I know there are still some burning questions. Just hold tight, all will be revealed by the end. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them here, I try to answer everyone as quickly as possible. As always, I love hearing from you guys, so let me know what you think of the story in the comments, and if you've enjoyed reading please hit that vote button. Every vote/comment/read helps elevate the story so more people can find it on Wattpad and hopefully enjoy it as much as you have!

Thank you so much for checking out the story, I hope you've enjoyed it if you've come this far! And a special thanks to all who have commented/voted/followed! You are all rock stars!!

❤️