Page 78 of Puck Struck
I don't answer. My phone buzzes on the table and I drop my eyes to the screen at the message from Tessa.
Ethan's at school. Still waiting on test results, but he seems better today. How's the road trip going? Nice game last night!
I tap out a quick reply.Good. St. Louis tonight. Glad E is better.
She responds immediately.Everything ok? You seem short.
Even through text, she can read me too well. I send back a thumbs up emoji, knowing it won't fool her, but hoping it'll stop her from texting again.
Carter's still watching me when I look up. "Whatever's going on between you two, fix it before the game. We need our top line clicking if we're going to sweep this trip."
He pushes the chair back, the sound grating against my ears, and stands up. He leans down and claps me on the shoulder. The bad one, of course. I can't hold back the wince this time, the white-hot pain shooting down my arm and exploding into my fingertips like tiny electric shocks. My hasty tape job from this morning is already loosening, and I make a mental note to have the trainer redo it before the game.
This is the part no one sees. The grinding, daily battle against my own body, the way it's slowly betraying me season after season. How many more shots can I take? How manymore checks into the boards before the whole thing just gives out?
My career’s hanging by a thread. Ethan's health problems hang over me. And now I have to deal with all these unresolved feelings about Cam, who's breached the barbed wire surrounding my heart.
The team bus leaves for morning skate twenty minutes later. I grab a seat near the front and sit alone, my eyes fixed on the streets of St. Louis. They pass by in a blur of concrete and glass. I rotate my bad shoulder slowly, discreetly, hoping nobody will notice. Even the slightest movement sends pain radiating down my arm. I dig into my bag and pull out a bottle then pop two Advil.
I feel Cam's presence behind me, the weight of his gaze on the back of my neck, but I don't turn around.
I'm too fucking raw to deal with him right now.
Once we’re at the arena, we run through drills, work on power plays, and fine-tune our systems for the game. Each pass, each shot is a battle against the stabbing pain in my shoulder. I can't lift my arm above shoulder height without feeling like someone's jamming an ice pick into the joint. Coach Enver seems pleased with the overall team effort, but I see the concern in his expression when he looks between me and Cam.
Coach walks over to us when we’re packing up our gear, a clipboard tucked under his arm. "Shaw. Foster. A word."
We follow him to a quiet corner of the visitors' locker room. He eyes us both, arms crossed, jaw tight.
"Look, I don’t care if there’s something going on between you guys. Whatever you do off the ice isn’t my concern. But when you show up for the game tonight, you better have your shit sorted. We're too close to clinching a playoff spot to let personal drama interfere."
"Yes, Coach," Cam says, his voice even.
"It won't be a problem," I say.
Coach Enver looks unconvinced but nods sharply before walking away.
I turn to leave, but Cam catches my arm, his fingers wrapping around my wrist. The contact sends an unwelcome jolt through my system.
"Logan."
"Don't." I tug my arm free. "Not here."
"We need to talk."
"You made yourself pretty fucking clear last night."
His expression tightens. "That's not fair."
"No?" I step closer, lowering my voice. "You walked out. That was your choice."
"I had my reasons."
"Yeah, well, keep them to yourself. I took a chance, gave a shit, and then you threw it all back in my face. I’m done with it."
I shoulder past him, ignoring the flash of hurt in his eyes. It's easier to be angry than to acknowledge the hollow ache in my chest. And besides the loss of something I thought might be real, I still have a fucking stalker to deal with on top of it. Even with the security I set up for Tessa, Ethan, and the house, they won’t be completely safe until that fucker James is put away.
But I can’t think about that right now. I need to keep my head clear for this game. I’ll figure everything out afterward, see what other insights Mike can share. I will fix this since I broke everything in the first place making dumbass choices.
