Page 2 of Power Play

“Fuck,” he says. Then he opens his eyes and looks at me. “I guess I should go out there. Can we meet somewhere later? Will you meet me back in here in, like, an hour?”

I nod, smoothing out my dress and running a hand through my now-messy hair. He leans forward and kisses me again, long and slow. Then he opens the door and slips back out as fast and furious as he came in.

I slide off the dryer and get myself together. I take a breath and wait for the room to get loud again before I slip out myself. Then I go upstairs and grab my keys from the counter. I walk over to Demi, who’s squished on the couch with some others, watching old videos of a high school dance contest and laughing hysterically.

“Where are you going?” she asks, her eyes instantly full of worry.

“I’m just tired. I can’t hang anymore,” I say with a smile. “Mom life. Can someone give you a ride?”

She nods, making a sad face.

“Be safe, please. I love you.”

“Love you, too. Tell Tyson I said bye.”

And then I slide out the front door, down the steps, and into my car, and I go back to my life. Just like Levi Buck will go back to his. And I will be a blip on his high-profile radar. He won’t remember the few minutes of passion we shared in the laundry room of my brother’s basement. But I’m pretty sure I will be hard-pressed to forget them.

present day

CHAPTERONE

levi

“Buck, bro, you good?”Roy asks, leaning over top of me. “Fuck. Coach, get the medic out here!”Every sound is muffled. All the voices, the screaming fans, the sounds of the skates cutting through the ice. I feel a pounding in my head. I feel the trickle of blood running down my face. My limbs feel heavy, and my whole body feels like Jell-O.

And then I can’t hear anything.

And then I can’t see anything.

I open my eyes slowly, looking around the hospital room. Everything is itchy. The hospital gown, the socks, and the bandage that’s wrapped around my head. I pull the oxygen tube from my nose, which feels like overkill, and look around.

There’s no one here.

I feel around for the call button and press it.

In a few moments, a tall nurse with long braids tied into a bun walks in. She has blue scrubs on and a badge that readsAngela.

“Hi, Mr. Buck. How are you feeling?”

I wince as I scoot myself up into more of a seated position.

“Got a bit of a headache,” I say, forcing a half-smile. She smiles back, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. It’s a smile out of pity.

“Well, I am glad to see you awake. Your team manager was just here a little bit ago. I think her name was Madison? She brought some of your personal items. They’re over here,” she says, walking toward a bag on the windowsill and grabbing it. She brings it to me. “Your phone is in here, but I don’t recommend looking at the screen too long.” I nod.

“Thank you,” I say. “So…what’s the verdict?”

She has her back to me as she plays with some buttons on the screen of the machine that takes my vitals. She enters a few things into the computer, then turns back to me.

“Dr. Bratstein will be back shortly to go over the results of all the tests and imaging you’ve had done in the last few hours. I’ll let him know you’re awake. Can I get you anything else?”

I stare at her, my eyes narrowed as I lean back against the too-soft pillow.

“Angela,” I say. “Please, level with me.”

Her eyes drop to the floor slowly, and she fiddles with the edge of the clipboard in her hand. Finally, she looks at me.

“I really can’t say much,” she says. “But I just want you to know that, no matter what happens, you’re more than a hockey player.” And with that, she turns and walks out my door. I lean back against the pillow again.

---