I’m fuming in the locker room as I watch Eloise smile at a few of the younger players on the team. She’s doing her best to connect with everyone, and I can see how she could benefit the team. Iknowshe would benefit the team, and it makes me so angry that she would.
I don’t want her here.
Winnie starts chatting with her, and the two laugh loudly.
It grates on me.
I try to unclench my jaw as Brynn sits beside me. She watches me for a minute. I can feel her eyes on me as I sit there, fuming. She’s getting too close and being a good sport for the team. But there’s something about her that makes me want to scream and shout and stomp my feet like a toddler.
We have a preseason game soon, and I don’t want her to succeed. I want her gone.
Brynn nudges me, trying to gain my attention, and I can barely pull my gaze from her. “You’re beingridiculous,” she hisses.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, looking at Eloise’s smile. She’s got this massive grin that shows off her crazy bright and straight teeth, and her brown eyes crinkle. Her skin has a golden undertone that makes her clash with the harsh white of the ice and fluorescent lights. Like she spent the summer working out outside.
I bet she did.I saw how she was shooting and sprinting on the ice. It’s like she didn’t take a break.
She certainly looks better than a lot of the younger players, and I know that the coaches are going to keep her. Lawson would be an idiot if he didn’t.
And I’ll begrudgingly admit that she’s a good player.
I still don’t like her.
“You have an issue with her, and you’re going to have to quash it pretty quickly,” Brynn whispers. “She’s going to be offered a contract soon—if not already—and we need her.”
“I don’t need her,” I snap, leaning down to tie my skates. Brynn sighs and goes to get ready, and I’m on the ice faster than anyone else today. Lawson is still setting up, and I can see the way a bushy eyebrow goes up, wondering what I’m doing. He knows I hate being the first on the ice, disturbing the freshness of a cleaned rink.
It feels like a curse, being the first to cut up the ice. It always has. I like to let someone else be the reasonthat we lose.
Usually, it’s the other team, but sometimes it can be one of us - flubbing it when the shot matters, tripping over air, you know, classic things that drive hockey fans wild.
“Matthews, I’m pairing you with Harper today,” he says gruffly. I set my jaw, making sure I don’t say anything that could jeopardize my position on the team. I’ve got two years left on my contract, and I need to make everything count.
“Gotcha.”
He raises the other bushy eyebrow, and I have the opportunity to look into his soulless eyes- the ones that kill me every time I step onto the ice. “You’re chipper.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I ask. I sound salty to my own ears.
He puts the clipboard down. “Is there anything I need to know about Harper? Are ya’ll exes or something?”
My cheeks heat at the thought. “I-what? Coach, what? No, of course not. She’s straight, I’m straight.” I cough. “We’re both straight.”
He looks at me a moment more. We’re at a standstill, unsure of what to say, and he shrugs. “Right, okay.”
“I’m serious, Coach, there’s no worry–”
He raises his hands in defense. “Well, if there is an issue, tell me now or hold your peace, because fromeverything I can see, you’re a perfect match on the ice. I just need you to not fight.”
My cheeks must be bright red. “We won’t.”
“You’re a leader on the team, so act like it then.”
I nod and watch as a rookie, Lily, steps onto the ice with a few others, starting their warm-ups. I follow suit, trying to get lost in my ability to glide across the ice. I know the choice I have to make.
I’m about to make a stupid decision.
Eloise has already left for the day. She’s not sneaking back onto the ice to do more practice, which is excellent because I want that time to myself. This is my barn after all. There’s the group of rookies that were talking with Eloise, I should get to know them but we’re going to cut a few of them pretty soon, and I don’t want to get their hopes up - but they’re chilling, chatting, talking about how practice went and their hopes.
