My gloves are somehow already on the ice and I grab the front of his jersey and his chest protector, holding him right where I want him.
“Aww, you gonna defend her honor?” He smiles right before I drive my fist into his face. His head whips to the side, blood flying onto the ice before he looks back at me. “You motherfucker,” he snaps. His teeth are covered in blood, except one of the front teeth is now missing.
He comes at me and we’re both throwing punches. Both of our helmets end up on the ice and I manage to keep him far enough away that he can’t quite get a good hit on me. I hit him in the jaw and then in the side of his torso.
“Break it up!” One of the refs yells at us, but I can’t stop now.
Aiden stumbles backward as I hit him in the face once more and I go down with him, landing on top of him. Just as I’m about to hit him again, I’m hauled up, ripped away from his body. “Enough!”
Aiden lies there for a second, his eyes a bit out of focus and I don’t get a good look at him as I’m pushed away. Adrenaline courses through me and I can’t feel my hand. I look down at it and just from the first sight, I know it’s broken.
“Get him out of here,” the ref barks at our bench as he pushes me over to them. Theo pulls open the door and I stumble onto the bench. I don’t know where the hell my gloves, helmet, or stick are.
Coaches Ford and Frost both look at me, their eyes widening slightly as they look down at my hand. “Get him in the back. He’s lucky if they don’t throw him out of the game,” Coach Ford orders Gabe, one of the athletic trainers.
My legs are wobbly and my heart pounds harder as I blindly walk toward the tunnel. Gabe meets me there and falls in step with me as we head back to the dressing room. Dr. Herr, one of the team doctors, meets us at the end of the hall with an icepack.
“What the hell happened, Matty?”
I shake my head, tasting the tinge of metal on my tongue. “Motherfucker kept running his mouth.”
Dr. Herr clicks his tongue. “Guess he deserved it then.”
“Oh, he did,” I say, my breathing erratic as I sit down in my stall. “Shit,” I mumble, the throbbing starting as I look down at my hand.
“Yeah,” Dr. Herr agrees, his face wincing. “That’s definitely broken.”
Gabe shakes his head. “Let me help you get your gear off and we’ll get someone to take you to the emergency room.”
“What about the game? The period isn’t over yet.”
Dr. Herr lifts his brows. “There’s no way you’re playing with that hand… and that is if you didn’t get ejected.”
“Shit…”
Gabe helps me get undressed and into my street clothes while Dr. Herr calls the emergency room, letting the orthopedic doctor on call know we’re coming in.
“Do you have all your stuff, Matty?” Gabe says as he grabs his keys. “I talked to the coaching staff and they said for me to go ahead and take you.”
“Yeah, it’s right here,” I say, setting the icepack down as I rise to my feet to fetch my keys from the top of my cubby. I tuck them into my pocket, making a mental note that I’ll need to come get my car somehow. I grab my phone and the screen lights up with an unread message.
I open it, ignoring my throbbing hand when I see Jade’s name.
Jade
Hey. I wanted you to see this when you get off the ice, instead of during the game because I don’t want you to worry.
My stomach drops and my surroundings fade away, my eyes widening as I quickly move my gaze to her next message.
Jade
I’m in the emergency room because of some heart stuff. I’m okay and waiting to be discharged now.
I was wondering if I could see you soon. We need to talk.
I don’t bother grabbing the ice pack as I stride toward Gabe with my phone in my good hand. Fuck my other hand. None of that matters right now. I just need to get to her. I need to see her with my own two eyes to know she’s truly okay.
Matteo
