Page 59 of My Pucked Up Enemy

“Nina.”

I turn to find Derek, Parker, Connor, and Alex coming down the corridor, still half in uniform, but glowing with the victory buzz.

“You’re doing good work,” Derek says without preamble. “Don’t doubt that.”

His words catch me a little off guard. Warmth flows beneath my ribs. “Thank you,” I say. “And thank you for what you said in there.”

He nods once. “You earned it.”

Connor offers a boyish smile. “Can’t argue with results.”

Parker gives me a short, respectful nod. “Whole team feels different now. That’s you.”

Then there’s Alex.

He doesn’t say anything. Just looks at me. Like we’re back on the ice and every wall between us is made of glass.

Derek clears his throat. “We’re having a team dinner tomorrow night. You’ve earned a seat at the table. Come celebrate with us.”

I blink, a little stunned. “Really?”

“Really,” he confirms. “Don’t make me go through HR.”

I laugh under my breath, tension dissolving. "Okay. I’d like that."

Alex grins. "Karen from HR is gonna lose it when she sees you sitting next to me."

Parker smirks. "Thank God she’s not coming. Total buzzkill. Bet she’s got the league on speed dial. ‘Code Red: players are showing progress!’ Next thing you know, we’re getting benched for positive thinking."

Connor shakes his head with a smirk. "If she tries to bench Nina, we riot."

James rounds the corner just in time to hear that and shouts, "That’s it! Nina’s gone full Coach."

Alex shoots me a sideways look. “She’s scarier than Coach Stephens, honestly.”

"Only because I know where you hide your protein bars," I tease.

Connor groans. "Damn. She’s in our heads and our snack drawers. We’re doomed."

We laugh together, that easy camaraderie wrapping around me like a warm hoodie. For a moment, it’s not about wins or press conferences or boundaries. It’s just a team. A weird, brilliant, ridiculous team that somehow let me in.

And I don’t take that lightly.

They nod and move off down the hallway.

I stand still a moment longer, their laughter fading behind them.

I helped get them here.

And maybe I don’t need to prove anything more than that.

I exhale and turn toward the exit, heart still thumping from everything that’s happened tonight.

I’m good at what I do. This is proof. This is mine.

Now if I can just keep my heart out of the game…

Chapter eighteen

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