“Deflect on me if you want, but you know I’m right.” Bodhi lets out a breath. “Don’t let him get in your head. Your life does not have to revolve around hockey.”
Realistically, I know it doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean I can just stop caring. I can’t switch my brain off from what I’ve always been told.
Hockey is your number one focus.
Nothing is more important than hockey.
Relationships get in the way of a successful hockey career.
I’m tired of listening to him. I want to bemorethan a hockey player.
That’s why I like being with Zhuri. She makes me feel like a person. It’s freeing to be acknowledged for more than what I’m capable of in a pair of skates.
If it’s all I can have, I’m happy to have her friendship.
That’s better than nothing.
twenty-seven
Cameron
“Zhuri!”IshoutasSidney is headed toward her. She finds me and shoots the puck my way before he knocks her into the boards.
I take the puck and fly down the ice toward Lev. What I thought was a breakaway, though, isn’t because Theo comes up and blindsides me.
Wes snags the puck before Theo can send it down the ice and sends a slap shot toward the upper corner… that Lev snatches out of midair.
The guy is too goddamn good. We can hardly ever score on him, even in practice.
Wes throws his head back and groans as Lev shouts, “Try again, Caddel.”
“Just you fucking wait, Morozov,” he chuckles. “You can’t stop everything.”
Lev smirks. “The nine shutouts I had last year disagree.”
“It’s more fun when we’re not on this end of it,” I laugh.
Zhuri glides up to me, sending snow shooting over me as she stops. “How the fuck did you guys lose in the playoffs with a brick wall in the goal?”
We head back over to the bench as we go for a line change before I answer. “Lev pulled his hamstring and had to miss a few games. That’s how.”
“I’ve never seen a goalie like him.” She shakes her head in disbelief. “Avery has always been good, but Lev has an insane level of talent.”
I squirt some water from my bottle into my mouth and swallow. “Honestly, between the two of them, the Comets are going to have an incredible inaugural season.”
“Especially if we keep playing like we have been in practice. You and I play well on the same line.”
“The way Wes has played today, he’ll be right there with us on the first line.”
“Sounds good to me,” Zhuri replies before leaning back and watching our teammates.
Michael, Aili, and Amalia went in for us at the line change, and while they are playing well together, they’re not outplaying the line of Isla, Nico, and Asher. They’re also getting pummeled by the defense since both Sid and Bet are out there.
Michael seems to be the weak link of this line. True to what he told me before, he is making an effort to be a team player with the women, and it really shows when he’s out there with Aili and Amalia. But it doesn’t feel like his heart is in it. Hopefully, he can get past that soon because as long as he’s on this team, we need him to be fully present every time he’s on the ice.
I watch as Isla sends the puck through the five-hole, sliding between Avery’s legs and into the net.
“Nice shot, Icy,” I yell.
