Page 28 of Three Pucking Wedding Dates

“Enough!” Reid’s voice booms as he tears me away from the fallen Ash. “Gray, what the hell are you doing?”

“Archer!” Coach roars, storming across the rink. “You’re benched! You won’t be playing next game or any game until you get your crap together!”

Reid’s grip on my arm is firm, but not painful, as he drags me away from the scene. Adrenaline still courses through my veins, but as I look up at Oakley in the stands, her eyes wide and horrified, reality begins to sink in. What have I done?

Reid leads me into the locker room, my chest heaving with each breath. I can’t shake off the image of Oakley’s mortified expression, her wide green eyes reflecting the chaos I’ve caused. Theo follows closely behind us, his eyes scrutinizing my every move.

“Gray, what the hell were you thinking?” Reid demands.

“You never lose your cool like that,” Theo adds, his tone more accusatory than Reid’s, his usual stoicism replaced by frustration.

I hastily peel off my sweat-soaked jersey and start changing out of my hockey gear, avoiding their stares. “I don’t know,” I admit, my voice cracking with the weight of my emotions. “But I couldn’t just stand there and let him talk about Oakley like that.”

“Look, we all know Ash runs his mouth,” Reid says, running a hand through his hair. “But you’ve got to keep your head in the game, especially this close to the end of the season.”

“Gray, you’re smarter than this,” Theo chimes in, leaning against a row of lockers. “You’ve gone and jeopardized everything, for what? A few crude words from a guy who doesn’t matter?”

My hands ball into fists at my sides, but I force myself to take a deep breath, trying to steady the storm raging within me. “I know, okay? I messed up. But there’s something about her…seeing her with us, here…I just couldn’t help myself. I had to protect her.”

“Protect her?” Theo scoffs. “You think throwing punches on the ice does that? You think getting yourself benched helps anyone?”

“Enough, Theo,” Reid interjects, his voice firm but gentle. “Gray knows he screwed up.”

“Does he?” Theo shakes his head. “Gray, man, we know you’ve always had a thing for Oakley, but this is just insane. Something happened, didn’t it?” he asks, narrowing his eyes at me. I struggle to find the words to explain what transpired earlier.

Before I have a chance to say anything, Reid steps forward and speaks up. “Gray and I…we both kissed Oakley, at the cooking class,” he admits.

“You’re not serious.” Theo’s jaw drops, and he looks from me to Reid, disbelief etched across his face. “I mean, sure, I’d expect that kind of behavior from Reid, but Gray? You’ve always been the responsible one. What the hell were you thinking?”

“Watch it, Theo,” I snap, my anger bubbling beneath the surface. “I don’t need you. I’m leaving.”

Reid and Theo exchange a worried glance, but I don’t give them a chance to respond. I grab my bag and storm out of the locker room.

14

OAKLEY

Acold draft slips through the hallway as I lean against the wall outside the locker room, unable to stop replaying the fight in my head. Gray had never been the physical type…he would always use his words before anything else. When did that change? And more importantly, why?

“Oakley?” Gray’s voice calls out to me, pulling me from my thoughts. He emerges from the locker room, his sandy-blond hair damp from exertion, his brown eyes filled with a mix of concern and frustration. He raises a hand, palm facing me, signaling that he doesn’t want any questions or comments. “Just…please, not right now.”

“Fine,” I mutter, crossing my arms and biting back my curiosity. Part of me wants to confront him, to make sense of what just happened, but I won’t push him, not right now at least.

“Let’s just go,” Gray says, his tone softening.

“Alright,” I agree reluctantly, my own emotions simmering beneath the surface. The doors open and close again, Theo andReid walking out. I want to ask them what happened, but even Reid has a dark expression on his features.

A gust of wind whips at my hair as we step outside. Gray strides ahead of me, his shoulders tense. Reid and Theo follow behind, their low voices barely audible over the sound of our footsteps on the pavement.

“Charlie dropped me off earlier,” Theo says, breaking the silence as we make our way back to the car.

“You can drive back with us,” Reid replies, his voice strained.

We get to the car, and Gray opens the back door for me to squeeze in, following after me. As we settle into our seats, I glance sideways at Gray, whose jaw is still clenched tight. I wish I could reach out to him, but I know better than to push my luck. Instead, I pull my coat tighter around me.

The car engine hums softly as we pull away from the ice rink, and I can’t help but wonder if we’re heading back to the house. Before I can voice my curiosity, Gray cuts me off.

“Oakley,” he says, his voice low and steady, “I have something to show you.”

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