Page 74 of Power Pucking Play

I can see the confusion on Kruger's face, the frustration when I don't take the bait.

He tries again in the second period, a dirty slash to my ankles that the ref somehow misses. But instead of dropping gloves and showing this motherfucker what I'm made of, I skate away and keep my composure.

And it pays off. With less than a minute left in the second period, we're down by one goal. But then Kruger taunts as we line up for a face-off. "What's the matter, De Luca? Lost your edge? Or just scared?"

I meet his eyes, letting a slow smile spread across my face. "Nah, man. Just got better things to do than dance with you all night."

The look on his face is priceless.

We win the game 3-2, and I manage to rack up two assists without a single penalty. As the final buzzer sounds, I can't helpbut scan the crowd, looking for a familiar blonde head. But Lexi's nowhere to be seen.

Probably for the best, I tell myself. We need to be careful, after all.

And speaking of careful...

Avoiding the locker room reporters is harder than I thought.

The Lexi rumors. My restraint with Kruger. My sudden improvement on the ice.

They all want answers, but I give them nothing.

After a quick shower and change, I head out of the arena and immediately pull out my phone.

I shoot Lexi a quick text. "Game's over. Where are you?"

She replies almost instantly. "At your place. Waiting for you."

A smile pulls at my lips as I hop into my car and start driving.

By the time I make it home, I'm exhausted but wired. The adrenaline from the game is still pumping through my veins, mixed with a heady cocktail of hope and anxiety about Lexi.

I'm so lost in thought that I almost miss it. The faint trace of Lexi's perfume.

A grin spreads across my face as I push open the door. "You know, Brookes, breaking and entering is still illegal, even for star reporters."

But the smile dies on my lips when I see her face. Lexi's standing in the middle of the room, looking like she's facing a firing squad rather than her...whatever I am to her.

Dressed in a sleek black dress, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, she looks stunning.

But there's something in her eyes. A sadness that wasn't there before.

I close the door behind me and take a few steps towards her. "What's wrong?" I ask softly, reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair away from her face.

She sighs and leans into my touch. "Nothing," she says with a shrug, but I can tell she's lying.

"Come on, Lex. You know you can't hide anything from me."

She looks up at me and for a moment, it feels like we're the only two people in the world. Then her gaze flickers away and she takes a deep breath. "I, uh, wanted to tell you that you had a great game tonight. You were...you were amazing out there."

I take a step toward her, frowning at the way she tenses. "Thanks. I was hoping you'd be there. I wanted to show you..."

"Gio," she cuts me off, and something in her tone makes my blood run cold. "We need to talk."

And just like that, I know. I know before she says another word that this isn't going to be the reunion I was hoping for.

"Lex," I start, reaching for her, but she takes a step back.

"Please," she says, and I can see the tears shining in her eyes. "Please don't make this harder than it already is."

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