Page 25 of Icebound Attraction

“Hey, man!” he throws at me.

“Hi,” I reply briefly.

“Stressed?” he asks.

“What, do I look stressed?”

He just looks at me. Chase knows me too well. He knows when I don't feel like talking. We line up a few more pucks and he steps into the net.

“Let's see how many you can put in when there's someone in goal,” he says jokingly.

I accept the challenge.

Puck after puck is flying towards the goal and I'm completely exhausted.

After successfully venting my frustration, we sit down, and my best friend puts his arm on my shoulder.

“You'll be fine, brother.”

I inhale and exhale with difficulty.

“I flunked another exam, man,” I say dejectedly, shaking my head.

“It's not that bad.” he tries to cheer me up.

“I just don't understand this shit. If it goes on like this, I'm going to fail at everything.”

Chase looks at me seriously.

“Maybe a tutor could help you?”

“No one will take me seriously as captain anymore if I need a tutor. I can't risk my reputation, Chase, you know that” I retort, annoyed.

“It's a suggestion, bro. I'm trying to help...”

“I know, I'm sorry. It's just that this whole thing is getting on my nerves.”

He rubs my shoulder to reassure me.

“It's not a weakness to seek help, Liam. Just think about it.”

We sit in silence for a while, then the guys from the team arrive for training.

“You're early,” exclaims a puzzled Tyler.

Coach Franklyn is also surprised that we're already here, but he gives us a nod before clapping his hands.

“Let's go, boys!”

We're all skating on the ice and suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see Emily near the bench.

Once again, her aura captivates me.

Today, she has gathered her blonde mane into a braid, which makes her face stand out even more. I raise my hand in greeting and she smiles.

Before my body acts up again, I turn away and concentrate on my training. Might as well keep my distance!

Once showered, I quickly head home to avoid any distractions.

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