Page 23 of They All Puck Me

As I turn the corner, Coach Bergman's voice catches my attention. I pause, not meaning to eavesdrop but unable to stop myself.

"Olivia," Coach says, his tone serious, "you need to be careful getting too close to the players."

"I… I don't think that's what I'm doing coach…" Her voice carries a mix of curiosity and defiance.

"This isn’t just about your article," Coach continues. "Relationships with players can get messy. It could compromise your work and theirs."

I lean against the wall, closing my eyes. He's right, of course. But knowing that doesn't make it any easier to keep my distance.

"Thanks for the warning, Coach," Olivia says. "But I'm here to do my job."

"And you're doing it well," he acknowledges. "Just remember why you're here."

I push off the wall and continue down the hallway. My mind races with conflicting thoughts. How can I focus on leading the team when all I can think about is her? And Noah—he's been acting weird lately too. It's like we're all caught in this tangled web.

I reach the locker room and slam my hand against the door frame before entering. Noah looks up from tying his skates.

"Everything alright?" he asks, his brow furrowed.

"Yeah," I lie, dropping onto the bench beside him. "Just a long day."

He gives me a knowing look but doesn't press further. We’ve been friends long enough for him to read between the lines.

"You talked to Olivia?" he asks casually, but there's an edge to his voice.

"Yeah," I admit, running a hand through my hair. "Coach caught us in the video room."

Noah's eyes widen slightly. "Caught you?"

"Not like that," I snap, then soften my tone. "We were just going over some game footage."

Noah smirks, but it's forced. "Gotcha."

Before I can respond, Ethan walks in, his expression as stormy as ever. He glances between us and scoffs.

"What's got you two all riled up?" he asks, throwing his gear into his locker.

"Nothing," I say quickly, not wanting to drag him into this mess.

Ethan narrows his eyes but doesn't push it either. He sits down across from us, still radiating that brooding intensity he's known for.

"We've got practice tomorrow," I remind them both, trying to shift focus back to hockey. "Let's make sure we're ready."

Noah nods, though his gaze lingers on me a moment longer than usual. Ethan grunts in agreement, already lost in his own thoughts.

As we settle into silence, I can't shake the feeling that everything is about to change—whether we're ready for it or not.

But for now, all we can do is focus on what we do best: playing hockey and trying not to let our personal lives screw it all up.

10

NOAH

Leaving the gym, the cool evening air hits me, refreshing after an intense workout. I spot Olivia on a bench, looking like the weight of the world is on her shoulders. It's not like her to look so... defeated. My chest tightens at the sight.

"Hey," I call out, striding over. "This bench taken?"

She glances up, and I see her eyes are red-rimmed. Not crying, but close enough to make my gut twist.

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