Page 4 of My Pucked Up Enemy

Derek’s head pokes in. “Hey, Doc. You’ve got your first one-on-one in an hour.”

I look up. “Already breaking them in?”

“Softball to start,” he grins. “Ethan. Thought you might like a warm-up round.”

I nod, even as my eyes drift back down toward the ice.

Chadwick’s stepping off the rink, helmet under one arm. Sweat dripping down his temples. He looks like he just won a war. Or lost one.

He doesn’t look up.

Doesn’t need to.

That energy is coiled, cold, unreadable. It rolls off him like fog. He disappears into the tunnel without a glance in my direction.

But I feel it. The challenge. The wall. The unspoken dare.

Yeah.

He’s going to be the hard one.

Well, I’ve never liked easy, so bring it on.

Chapter two

Alex

“She’snotbadlookingfor a shrink,” James says the second we step into the locker room.

Ethan snorts. “She’s terrifying. I’m pretty sure she could castrate a guy with just a stare.”

“Speak for yourself,” James replies, grinning. “I’m considering scheduling a session. Just me, her, and a box of tissues.”

“For your feelings?”

“Sure, let’s go with that.”

“You dirty dog.”

I drop onto the bench and yank off my skates, tuning the guys out.

The energy’s typical post-practice chaos with wisecracks flying like pucks in warmups. But underneath it, there’s a charge in the air. A little too much laughter. A little too much deflection.

I know it because I feel it too. That itch beneath the skin. That voice that whispers,Something’s off and we’re all pretending it’s not.

The shrink showing up just pressed on it.

Parker walks in behind us, slower, like he’s still thinking about what she said. He nods toward the hallway. “She didn’t flinch. I’ll give her that. Most people fold after five minutes of Henderson mouth.”

“You’re welcome,” James says with a dramatic bow.

Parker ignores him and looks at me. “What do you think?”

“About what?”

“Dr. Erwin. You think she’s gonna help?”

I pull off my pads and toss them into my locker. “We need to win games, not share our feelings.”

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