Page 3 of Rule 5: Never Crush on the Captain
“Fuck off.”
His eyes probably widen, but I’m focused on Evan whose eyes aren’t doing anything. Like opening.
The medics rush to the ice, the faint scraping of their skates merging with the pounding of my heartbeat.
“Daddy!” Stella’s scream sails over the shocked crowd.
The medics secure Evan’s neck with a brace, then load him onto a stretcher.
I’ve seen them practice with human-sized dolls.
This is the real thing.
Fights are common, becoming unconscious isn’t.
Evan’s had injuries before, we’ve all had, but he’s never not opened his eyes.
Oh, God.
He has to be okay.
I skate after the stretcher. I have to follow him.
“Get back on the ice, DeLuca,” Coach Holberg yells. “This game isn’t over.”
“But McAllister—”
The other players shoot me confused looks. Half of them probably don’t even remember that Evan and I used to be friends.
“Now, DeLuca,” Coach Holberg barks, losing his Swedish cool. God, I didn’t know that was possible. But then I also didn’t think Evan would be hauled off the ice. Coach rakes his hand through his thinning blond hair, and his pale blue eyes are as piercing as any laser.
My stomach wobbles, and I swallow back the lingering fruity taste of my last sports drink. I rejoin my line, avoiding looking at my teammates. My protective gear is suddenly way too heavy and utterly ineffectual.
CHAPTER TWO
Evan
I force my eyes open, then squint against the glare of an annoyingly placed ceiling light. The arena is gone, and I’m on my back, staring at a stark ceiling that’s far too close. There’s no swoosh of skates, no thwack of sticks, no hum from the crowd.
I am definitely not on the ice anymore.
I struggle up. I need to get back out there.
“Relax, Evan.” Dr. Novak fixes a professional smile on me beneath her immaculately trimmed heavy darks bangs. “You can rest. You gave us a scare.”
My head aches, and my eyes are groggy. “I, um, aim to entertain.”
“You succeeded.”
Somebody snorts. Coach Holberg slaps a hand on my shoulder. “Good to see you’ve come to. I’m going back out. Take care of yourself, Evan.”
A thought occurs to me, and I tense. “Did Stella see?”
Dr. Novak’s eyes soften. “I’m sure the girls are looking out for her.”
“Good.” I jerk my head into a nod. The world spins, and my throat swallows around an acrid taste that wasn’t there during the game. “What’s wrong with me?”
“You had a hit to the head.”
