“That’s not what I asked.”
“It’s the answer I have for you,” she snips, and clearly I’ve struck a nerve.
“Didn’t you just say the dream is to be able to do what you love and provide at the same time?”
“That doesn’t mean that dream is realistic for everyone.” She lifts her chin in that defiant way of hers where I almost feel like she’s looking down on me, even as I’m standing over her. “Look, I asked you for help. To make me the best goalie I can be. That’s not because I want to play pro, or beat records, or anything like that.” She cracks her knuckles, and my eyes dip to the movement. Her hands are small, delicate almost. “I want to win the championship.Thatis a dream that’s within my reach. That’s why I’m putting pressure on myself. Because this is my last chance at it before I graduate and my life becomes work and numbers from sunup to sundown.”
What a depressing future.
It’s not like I’m living much better…
“I know you can make me better,” she says, voice growing stronger and more determined with each word. “I don’t want to play how I did today. That’s not a showcase of what I’m capable of. If you want to know what my goals are, then it’s to win the Frozen Four.” She flicks her eyes to mine, and all the air is sucked out of the room when our gazes lock. It almost sends me back a step. “Can you help me get there, or are we both wasting our time?”
Silence falls over us.
Her spirit, her fire, it stokes the long since burnt out embers inside my chest, reigniting them into a small flame that if I breathe oxygen into it, might just spark back to life completely.
The realization is slightly terrifying, but that just pisses me off. When did I turn into this…this…coward? Scared of a challenge? Of feeling something again just because it could possibly be taken away?
I can’t keep running from it.
“I can’t make any promises,” I say.
She cracks a smile. “I wouldn’t believe you if you did.”
This smartass. “But I’ll try. I’ll teach you what I can, and it’s up to you to take it and run.”
Her entire face lights up from inside out as she practically beams at me. “Thank you. I appreciate it a lot.”
The door swings open, and Lennon and I both whip our heads toward it as the team comes streaming in. Red cheeks and exhausted faces pass us one after another. I step back as a few of the girls immediately swarm toward Lennon.
“Are you okay?” Maria asks. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
Lennon shakes her head as embarrassment creases her face. “I wish I could blame my shitty play on an injury, but nope, just a bad day.”
Austen taps her stick against Lennon’s leg pads. “It happens to all of us.”
“Shake it off for the next one,” Aubrey adds. “We tied it up, so don’t feel too guilty. Charlotte got us back on the board, and Austen sunk another.”
Lennon grins at the two of them, her smile completely transforming her features. It’s almost as if I can see the heavy cloud that was hanging over her slowly evaporate with the chatter of her teammates. She looks lighter, refreshed.
It brings a pang of sadness, remembering similar times with my own team. Maybe it will be good for me to go to Decker’s engagement party and see some of them again.
Alice steps into the locker room, and when we make eye contact, she raises a brow in question. I dip my chin, letting herknow Lennon’s fine. She trusted me with her, and I’m going to actually try to be worthy of it.
13
Lennon
Coach Holloway is late. With every minute that ticks on the clock above the door, my annoyance grows stronger and stronger, until it boils my blood. I thought we had a moment, a breakthrough even, at our game last weekend. He seemed sincere when he said he was going to help me, but now he’s almost twenty minutes late.
My teeth ache from clenching them, and I decide to get started on my own. If I’m going to be up this early, I might as well make it worth it.
Even if he doesn’t show.
I grab a pair of dumbbells and adjust the weight bench into a seated position for shoulder presses. It faces the mirror so I can watch my form as I do a round of reps. It’s only been a few weeks of heavier conditioning, but there’s already more definition in my arms than before. My bodyfeelsstronger, and now I just need it to translate onto the ice.
Which would be nice if Coach was here to help with that…
