Page 193 of On the Breakaway

“Fine.” The disappointment in his voice hurts worse than Damon’s fists had. “If you won’t tell me what happened, then tell me this.”

I brace myself.

“Was it worth it?”

My stomach twists as Avery’s face flashes through my head. Her stepping backward, looking lost and completely unsure of me.

There are a thousand ways it was worth it and a thousand ways it wasn’t, but the only two that matter are my team and Avery’s opinion of me.

I shake the image from my head. “No.”

“That’s what I thought.” He grabs a folder from his desk. “The fight will be reviewed tonight. But based on what I saw? I’d be shocked if it’s less than three games.”

Part of me wants to argue that one mistake shouldn’t erase an entire postseason, but I know better. I’d thrown Woods onto the ice when the puck was on the other side of the rink. There was no way of getting out of that unscathed.

But three games?

That could be the rest of this series. The rest of the season.

Fuck.

Coach continues. “And depending on how they classify it, it could be longer.”

I stare at the wall.

The series.

The Cup.

Everything could be gone.

“You better hope like hell,” Coach says quietly, “that your teammates can win without you.”

I don’t miss the implication.

Because if they can’t win this series, this fight will become the thing people talk about forever. They won’t talk about our comeback this season. They won’t talk about the impressive showing up to this point. They’ll talk about the captain who traded everything his team worked for all year for one punch.

Coach stands, opening the door behind me to indicate that the meeting is over.

“Get out of here.”

I rise, my legs feeling wobbly underneath me.

“Coach.”

He pauses, but I don’t even know what I’m trying to say.

Sorry doesn’t seem big enough, so I end up just nodding.

Coach gives me one in return. “Don’t let this happen again.”

The locker room is still full when I walk back in, and considering most nights, guys are gone as soon as Coach dismisses us, I know they’re waiting for me.

Everyone looks up when I enter, and Nathan is the first one to speak.

“Well?”

I sit down heavily at my stall. “League review tomorrow.”