Page 71 of Offside Attraction

Rhonda had an education. She knew her own body. She’d pick up on a red flag like that, wouldn’t she?

"Nice pass!" Melissa yelled, and Rhonda nodded, her mouth too full to respond. As she swallowed, she kept her eyes on Jordan. He skated hard, weaving through defenders like they were practice pylons.

Her breath hitched as he approached the blue line and wound up for a slap shot. The puck soared through the air, and Rhonda's heart leapt into her throat. The goalie deflected it with his pads, but Jordan was right there for the rebound. He flicked it back, and the puck ricocheted off the post.

“Aww, what was that!” Penny yelled as Jordan knocked someone into the boards. Rhonda forgot to breath.

“That was a nice save,” Tina said.

"Jordan is playing dirty though," Jenna noted with a frown. Every muscle in Rhonda’s body tensed.

Aelin leaned forward. “Who’s Jordan?”

Jenna pointed. "Captain of Pucks Deep. He’s always taking cheap shots behind the ref's back."

Rhonda glanced at Jenna, her face neutral. “He’s just doing what everyone else out there is doing.” She shrugged like she didn’t have an opinion one way or another. "Trying to get under their skin."

Jenna shot her a confused look. Rhonda reached for more popcorn, and when Brett scuffled in the neutral zone she yelled, "Did you see that hit? Our boys aren't messing around tonight!" Hoping her voice was loud enough to deflect any suspicion.

The game intensified, and the insults hurled at Jordan from her friends cut deeper than she expected. She swallowed hard, cheering when she was supposed to and laughing when the others did, but every comment about Jordan playing dirty felt personal.

A few minutes into the second period, the tension between Jordan and Country that had been simmering under the surface finally boiled over. Jordan jostled with Country near the boards, their sticks clattering together. She barely registered the puck soaring down the ice. The two men exchanged heated words, their faces inches apart, and then it happened.

Jordan dropped his gloves, and Country did the same. Rhonda's breath caught in her throat as the two men lunged at each other. They grabbed onto each other's jerseys, fists flying.

The crowd erupted, but Jenna's reaction was immediate. "What the hell are they doing?" She jumped to her feet, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.

Rhonda's heart jolted in her chest as Jordan and Country grappled with each other. Jordan landed a solid punch to Country's jaw, and Rhonda winced. Country retaliated with a blow to Jordan's midsection.

"Get off him!” Jenna stood up and looked like she was about to jump over the boards.

Her dad never did anything he wanted and always made sure to blame her mother for it.

Jordan did what he wanted. He coached. He played hockey. He went out with his friends.

The referees skated over, trying to separate the two men. It was like watching a car crash in slow motion. She knew she should look away, but she couldn't. Every punch, every shove felt like a physical blow to her own body.

Had she enjoyed this before? How could Jenna watch this night after night, knowing the man she l?—

Rhonda stopped that thought short, a lump forming in her throat. What had Tina said? Falling hard.Love.

No, not that. It couldn’t be that.

Finally, the referees managed to pull them apart. Jordan and Country were both breathing heavily, their faces flushed, blood smeared on their faces.

"Unbelievable," Jenna muttered, shaking her head. She folded her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing as she watched them skate off to their respective benches.

Rhonda's hands were trembling, and she shoved them into her pockets. She tried to join in as her friends started cheering for the Snowballs again, but her voice faltered. She couldn’t look at Anne and Tina. She couldn’t look at anyone.

The score was two to two as the third period wound down, the Snowballs mounted one final offensive push. They passed the puck with precision, weaving through Pucks Deep's defence. Her heart raced as the puck found its way to Sean. He wound up and took a slap shot, the puck rocketing toward the net.

Time seemed to slow as the puck flew through the air, and then it was past the goalie, hitting the back of the net with a satisfying thud. The arena exploded with cheers, and Rhonda jumped to her feet with everyone else.

When the final buzzer sounded, she tried to be happy. She tried to match the energy of her friends. She faked it all the way out of the arena and while they waited at the top of the stairs, her legs buzzing. She’d tried to leave twice already, but kept being pulled into conversations.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, biting her lip as she watched the first players ascend, and she knew it was him before she saw his face. Her breath caught in her throat.

Jordan.

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