We go through multiple line changes before Nico finally sinks one in on his second shift.
The rest of the first period is scoreless. We might not get any more goals, but at least Lev doesn’t give any up either.
Jack seems to have made it his mission to fuck with my head now.
We line up again for the faceoff at the start of the second period, and Jack smirks at me, trying to get under my skin.
“What’s it like being friends with Zhuri?” he asks. “You used to fuck any woman that gave you the time of day.”
“That’s not who I am now.”
He keeps prodding, but I keep ignoring him.
When the ref drops the puck, I smack it over to Wes, who starts heading down the ice. Jack covers me while I follow after him, determined to not let me get by.
Wes passes the puck over to Zhuri before one of the Lasers’ defenders knocks him into the boards. Z snags it but can’t go anywhere since she’s surrounded.
“Cam!” she shouts, passing it over to me right between Jack’s legs. I take control of the puck and speed down the ice, Jack still on my tail but falling further behind.
I bring my stick back for a wrist shot, and I send it right into the back of the net.
The buzzer sounds, and the Comets fans in the stands cheer as my teammates congratulate me on my first goal of the preseason.
We start skating back to center ice for the faceoff, and Jack follows me like a shadow.
“Nice shot, Cam.”
“Cameron,” I huff.
“I don’t believe that you’re not fucking around anymore,” he smirks.
“Then it’s a good thing I don’t care what you think.”
“I’ll tell you anyway,” he says, speeding up and stopping right in front of me. “I think you want to have some fun with your ‘friend.’”
I try to shove past him. “No-fraternization clause, dumbass.”
“So?” Jack eyes me. “Zhuri’s always been a little rebellious when no one is looking. She was a lot of fucking fun in the bedroom.”
“Watch it, Ledger,” I say through gritted teeth, and his smile only grows because he knows he has me.
“She was great on her knees. So good at sucking dick.”
All I see is red as I drop my gloves and rip off my helmet. Jack laughs as he follows suit because this is exactly what he wanted.
“Watch your fucking mouth,” I shout, swinging my fist at his face. “Keep Zhuri’s name out of it.”
“Such a strong reaction for being friends,” he smirks, dodging my next punch. “Seems to me like you want your own dick sucked.”
He lands a punch on my face, and I can feel blood coming from my lip. It doesn’t seem bad, but it still stings.
I push him down on the ground and grab him by the collar of his jersey as I straddle his legs. The refs are blowing their whistles and darting to us, so I make sure I can finish this quickly.
“She already did, motherfucker.” I lean closer, getting right in his face. “Zhuri’s mine now, Jack. I don’t want to ever hear her name from your mouth again. You’re no one to her, just the piece of shit ex that decided what she wanted wasn’t what mattered. But don’t worry. I’m taking better care of her than you ever did.”
I take one final swing at him before the refs pull me off, and my fist lands right over his eye.
Good. He deserves a black eye.
