Page 63 of Break my Heart

A shiver slides through me before settling deep in my core.

And that right there is the reason I need to explore this.

23

Hayes

I drop my stick into the holder by the door and head straight to my locker with one thought dominating my mind.

Ava Philips.

Ever since she walked in on me naked a few weeks ago, she’s been living rent free in my brain. It started out as curiosity, and now it’s turned into something I can’t shake no matter how hard I try.

“All right, team, gather around!” Coach Philips’s voice booms across the locker room, snapping me back to reality.

I turn, joining the guys as we form a loose circle around him. Despite everything between me and Ava, my respect for her dad is unwavering. The man’s a legend. He played most of his career in Chicago, and now he’s coaching us to the playoffs.

But damn, seeing him brings a tidal wave of guilt, knowing I’m thinking about his daughter in ways he wouldn’t like.

“We’ve worked hard all season to get here,” Coach starts, his voice commanding our attention. “But now it’s time to dig deeper. The playoffs are a different beast. Every shift, every second counts. You’ve all proven you can hang with the best. Now it’s time to prove you are the best.” He pauses, eyes scanning the room, and I can feel his words settle over us like a weight. “Remember why you’re here. For the love of the game, for your teammates, for the fans. You wear this jersey with pride. When you hit the ice, leave everything out there. No regrets.”

A roar rises from the team, our adrenaline already kicking in.

“Wildcats on three!” Ryder calls out. “One, two, three—Wildcats!”

The chant reverberates throughout the room. Even as we break away, it doesn’t take long for my thoughts to drift back to Ava. She’s been in my head all day, and I need to see her. Need to feel that connection again, like I did this morning.

I unlace my skates, carefully setting them in my locker, while the other guys toss their gear aside without a second thought. Most of my teammates have no idea what it’s like to hustle for hand-me-down equipment. I don’t take the university’s gear for granted.

By the time I strip down and hit the showers, I’m already thinking about heading over to Ava’s place.

Colby knocks my shoulder on my way out. “Hey, Van Doren, you down to grab food with the guys?”

I shake my head. “Not tonight, man. I’ve already got plans, but thanks.”

Colby, the nosy bastard that he is, arches a brow, all too interested. “Plans, huh? Who’s the chick?”

“No one you know.” I keep my answer vague. The last thing I need is for the guys to catch wind of this. It’s not that I don’t trust them, but word spreads fast in the locker room.

For Ava’s sake, I’d rather keep it under wraps a little longer. I can’t help but glance at Coach’s closed office door.

My teammate’s expression turns gleeful. It’s like the guy can sniff out a lie within seconds of it leaving my lips.

“Oh, really? Why don’t you give me a name, and we’ll see just how true that assessment is?”

Yeah, that’s not going to happen.

Can you imagine if any of these guys found out I was hanging out with Coach’s daughter?

Maybe “hanging out” isn’t quite the right term for it.

But I still won’t be sharing that with Colby.

As soon as I shove my feet into my shoes and grab my bag, I stride from the locker room.

“Hey, where are you going? You didn’t answer the question! Inquiring minds want to know who you’re spending time with!”

I give Colby the finger before disappearing through the door with a sigh of relief.

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