“Pull the other leg, Storm.”
I wiped my hand over my face. “I shouldn’t be doing… what I’m doing.”
“You mean with whom you’re doing it.”
I nodded. I didn’t know Ewen well, but of all the people I knew, and let’s be honest, I hadn’t talked to anyone willingly in the last seven years. After a while, people quit reaching out and I sure as fuck didn’t reach out to them myself. So, Ewen was it when it came to who I could talk to.
“Yeah. That’s what I mean.”
“Lemme ask you this… do you have a connection with the boy?”
My head bobbed as I answered, “Like I never dreamed possible. We’ve not known each other for long, but from the moment Isaw him, something slid into place in my head and, fuck as cheesy as it sounds, my damn soul.”
“Lucky fucker.”
My lips pursed and twitched at Ewen’s scowl. I tried to keep the self-satisfied smile off my face, but it refused to stay locked up.
“I hate you.”
Laughter broke free, my head falling back on my shoulders. “What’s that saying…” I paused for effect, then snapped my fingers, “Oh, right! Liar, liar, pants on fire.”
“Prick.”
Another bout of laughter burst forth, taking my breath and heating my face while my lungs burned from lack of oxygen. The alarm on my phone trilled, and I sighed as I silenced it.
“I gotta get to the arena,” I said, rising to my feet, Hawk’s leash in my hand.
“Before you go, do you make a difference between him and the other guys on the team? Or do you treat them the same?”
I refused to lie. “There’s a difference. Not in how I treat them or in how I make decisions about who plays where and for how long, but in the level of worry I have and how I express it. He’s my boy. Turning off how you feel about someone, yeah, it’s not possible. At least not for me.”
“Fair enough.” He paused, and I moved to leave the room, stopping dead when he asked, “Are you with him so you can live the life of a player vicariously?”
Rage blazed through me. Leveling my gaze with his, I replied, “No. And you should thank your lucky stars I like you.” Thetimber of my voice, low, measured, and clipped, left no doubt about how I felt about his question.
Ewen stared at me, the threat not even registering that I could see. I returned the gaze seriously, caught off guard when a bark of laughter flew from him. He pushed his hands against his knees to stand, then came toward me.
“Just checking, Coach. Have a good trip.”
I stared at him, the anger from his insinuation still burning in my gut. “Thank you. And go fuck yourself.”
“Life would be so much better if I could figure out how to do that. Literally anyway. I’ve fucked myself over in so many other ways I’ve lost count.”
He smacked my shoulder in a bro hug before I left, still contemplating how I could whip his ass for what he said without the former Marine putting me in the grave before I landed the first punch.
THIRTY
AIDEN
Sasha’s whistle chirped, the short, high-pitched peal burst throughout the empty arena. Every player on the ice groaned in relief. We were exhausted—every one of us. We came to a halt. No one bothered attempting to stop themselves, just letting their momentum die on its own.
Sasha, Will, Joey, and Matt had been kicking our rear ends—day in and out, on the ice or off. Even in the film room and gym, they rode us hard. I got it. I really did. Manchester University wanted another championship. I’d lost count of the number of times I’d heard ‘We’re due’ from a student, professor, or member of the town or university staff. The U was nicknamed the NHL Training Camp for a reason. The team had the highest percentage of collegiate hockey players playing in the NHL. Almost all the guys on the team dreamed of signing a pro contract.
So, yeah, I understood why they were pushing us so hard. Any other day, I’d appreciate every moment I got on the ice, whether the coaches were trying to make my legs fall off or not. But nottoday. Today, I was seriously over it and just wanted the whistle blown so I could get out of here.
I had plans.
Starting next week, we had games scheduled for every weekend until winter break. We were even playing Thanksgiving weekend. None of us was going home for the holiday. Instead, we would spend the day at the arena, eating, watching football, and goofing off on the ice.
