Page 12 of The Pucking Player

“You’ve got that right,” I say. “Speaking of which, we better get out there before Coach has our hides.”

Dmitri nods, standing and stretching his arms over his head. “Yes, let us go and face the day’s battles.”

I return to my locker and sit down to lace up my skates. As I do, I close my eyes and take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. This is my ritual—visualizing the ice, the puck, the perfect play. It’s how I center myself before practice, how I drown out the noise and focus.

But just as I’m settling into the calm, a hand claps down on my shoulder, jolting me back to the present.

Even before I open my eyes, I know who it is.

Adam Novak. Coach’s son. My right winger.

He’s standing over me, his expression a mix of irritation and restrained fury.

“Heard you made a move on my sister at the hospital today,” he growls, one eyebrow arched high.

Heat rises to my face, and I busy myself tying my laces. “Look, man, it’s not what you think?—”

“Oh, it’s exactly what I think,” Adam cuts me off. “It’s all over the group chat. Nate texted everyone about your little hallway moment with Sophie.”

My stomach sinks as I grab my phone and scroll through the group chat. Sure enough, Nate’s blown the lid off everything.

[Nate]:Guys, you won’t believe what just happened. Liam’s got it bad for Coach’s daughter!

[Finn]: Wait, what? Jessica or Sophie? I’ll have to fight the captain if it’s Jessica!

[Nate]: Calm down, man. It’s Sophie.

[Caleb]: Dude, Liam, are you trying to get yourself killed? Coach will murder you!

[Aiden]: Oh, young love. I remember those days. But seriously, Liam, tread carefully. You don’t want to mess with Coach’s girls.

[Logan]: Liam, bro, I know you’re a sucker for a pretty face, but this is a whole new level of stupid.

[Adam]: WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, LIAM? You better stay the hell away from my sister, or I’ll break every bone in your body!

[Nate]: Oh, it gets better. He tried to get her number, but she shut him down.

[Adam]: Good. At least she has some sense. Sophie’s too smart to fall for your bullshit, Liam.

[Caleb]: Ooh, big brother’s not happy! Liam, you better watch your back.

[Logan]: Coach is gonna rip you a new one if he finds out. You know how protective he is of his girls.

[Finn]: Tell me about it. I’ve been circling Jessica for months now.

[Nate]: I don’t think our captain cares. He’s completely whipped. You should have seen the way he was staring at her during lunch. I had to kick him under the table to snap him out of it.

[Finn]: Liam, my man, you’re playing with fire. But if anyone can handle the heat, it’s you. Just keep your hands off Jessica, or we’ll have a problem.

[Logan]: Yeah, yeah, calm down, dude. We all know that you called dibs on Jessica. But when are you finally going to make a move, man?

[Finn]: Shut up, Logan.

[Aiden]: Be careful, Liam. Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment. We need our captain focused on the ice.

[Mason]: Yeah, the last thing we need is Coach benching our captain because he can’t keep it in his pants.

[Dmitri]: The heart wants what it wants. Follow your heart, Liam, but be prepared for the consequences.

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