Page 68 of Wrong Pucking Jersey

“Your room.”

“At the dorm?” That would be amazing.

“Yes,” he agrees. “And your place.”

“A queen-size bed wouldn’t fit in the attic, Maddox,” I point out. It’s not like I tried, but the way the attic is set up after renovations made it feel impossible to fit anything bigger than a double bed.

“I’ll make it work,” he assures me. I bet he already has a vision in his imaginary mind. “Only if you let me.”

There he goes. Asking for my permission the way he knows how.

“Okay.” I’m genuinely not worried about what he’d do. That’s how much I trust Maddox. “As long as it’s not time-consuming.”

“Cool,” he whispers and plants a kiss on my neck that has me shivering in his hold.

“Text me when you’re going home.”

“Okay.”

I look over my shoulder just as he leans back to let me go.

We share a look.

Then a kiss.

“No matter how busy this season gets, Mikayla, try to rely on me more, okay?”

Maddox’s plea has me smiling lovingly back at him.

“Okay, Maddox. I’ll rely on you.”

That was a promise I planned to keep.

Tension From A Broken Bond

~MADDOX~

“It’s been a good five minutes,” I mutter to myself, but here I stand.

In front of the door of this closet, as if I’m locked from the outside.

Waiting here seems senseless, yet I’m wondering if anyone saw us enter this little equipment closet.

I wasn’t thinking.

No, that’s not the right way to explain my reaction.

I was thinking, only that thought process revolved around my Mikayla and her being in the midst of a panic attack.

My baby girl always dealt with anxiety and panic attacks for as long as I knew her, but they were triggered by two essential things—massive crowds and feeling overwhelmed.

After Mr. Champion decided our fate, I wondered if the whole idea of being on her father’s rival team made her worry. I guess if you considered this being a brand-new position, she could have been concerned about her father’s job security.

Coach Johnson has been looking for a coaching job for a long time.

I wasn’t sure what he was doing to maintain his finances to pay their mortgage and other bills of survival, but then again, I knew Mkaykay mentioned them receiving insurance money after her mother’s passing.

No matter the past, her father having a new job and now her aiding the opposite team that could beat his team’s efforts may be risking his position.

---