Page 90 of Mind Pucked

I’ve nearly lost my mind as I dive down on top of him and send my right fist into the side of his face. There’s something about him bringing Amelia into this whole equation that sets me off. I’m not sure that I even know what I’m doing, only vaguely aware of the fact my teammates are screaming at me from somewhere in the distance.

Wayne raises his fist and drives it into the cage of my helmet, sending it whacking against my nose. I think I hear bone crack as the metal meets my nose.

“Damn it!” I scream at him as I land another blow.

I’m also vaguely aware of the fact that the crowd has gone silent and there are cameras getting every moment of this, but I don’t care. Not even when Wayne gains the upper hand and flips me to my back. We roll over and over on the ice, fighting for any advantage we can.

Blood trickles down my nose, and I can taste it in my mouth, but it doesn’t stop me.

“You shouldn’t talk about things you have no idea about,” I seethe through my teeth.

“Has…to…be…some…accuracy…to…it!” Wayne shouts, punctuating each word with a punch to my head.

I spin again, but before I can land another hit, I feel arms wrapped around me. “Come on Jackson,” a voice calls from behind me, but it feels like it’s coming from far away.

Arms tug at him and me as they try to pull us apart, but we’re both latched on, our arms locked around one another as they pull.

“You’re outta here, Jackson,” I hear Coach’s voice call, and that finally drags me back to reality.

I pull away on my own, looking down at Wayne as his friends help him to a standing position. I don’t say anything to him as the reality of what I did hits me like a ton of bricks.

I head toward Coach, who’s standing on the edge of the ice in his tennis shoes.

“Sorry to let you down, Coach,” I say as I go to pass him, but he stops me with a hand to my shoulder.

“I know you have a lot on your plate, son, but there’s no call for this kind of behavior. You’re out for the rest of the game.” We both look up at the scoreboard to see there are only fifteen minutes left of the game. “See the medic, then join the B team on the bench.”

“Understood,” I say.

I toss my stick, gloves, and helmet on the bench, and head to the medic. I don’t say anything as he adjusts my nose. I’m glad it’s not broken, but it is out of place.

“Ow!” I say as the medic jerks it back in position.

“Well, it’s what you get for thinking you’re Rambo or some shit,” the medic teases as he hands me a rag to soak up the blood.

After I’m clean enough, I hold ice to my nose and then sit down to watch my guys win the Stanley Cup without me as I wonder what in the world I was thinking. Sure, what Wayne said about my wife angered me, but talking about Amelia like that…there must be something wrong with me.

How can I feel so strongly for a woman who thinks I’m capable of killing her brother?

I shake my head as the guys come sliding off the ice. I know Coach will let me celebrate with the guys in the locker room, but it’s no thanks to me that my guys won by the skin of their teeth.

“Congratulations,” I say as I hug my friends close in a celebratory hug. “I’m sorry to all of you for my behavior tonight,” I offer them as we all pull apart. “It won’t happen again, but hey, we won the Stanley Cup!”

My team joins me in a chant of whoops and hollers, and they seem to have forgiven me for my ridiculousness.

“Blue Jays rule! Blue Jays rule! Blue Jays rule!”

25

AMELIA

The game was interesting, to say the least. My heart thumps in my chest, wondering what exactly caused that fight between Jackson and the other player. I know I’ll likely never know the answer.

It doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, since the Blue Jays won, but I’m sure Jackson is beating himself up over it.

Jackson’s mom and dad are taking Hayden for the weekend to give both Jackson and me some much-needed time off, but as I hand the sleepy little girl over to his mom and gather my things to lock up the house, I have no idea what I’m going to do with my night.

Once they’re gone with her, my phone buzzes with a message from Brooke. I smile as I read it.

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