Page 121 of Puck Happens

And neither did I.

25

Liv

After the Bruisers’ season opener, I went to work the next day only to be greeted breathlessly by Veronica and Marci. Veronica was a physical therapist for the team and Marci was the equipment manager.

They’d welcomed me the first week with brunch in Old Montreal. I’d asked them about the men connected with the team I needed to look out for, and they told me Coach Renaud was working hard to eradicate that kind of shit.

But Mike in marketing gave them the creeps.

We’d been fast friends ever since.

“Did you hear?” Veronica asked, the edges of her box braids practically trembling.

“You had to have heard,” Marci said.

“My parents just left this morning and all I have heard for days is my mom in my ear telling me I needed warmer clothes. What’s going on?”

“Dillon Le Coeur quit hockey.”

It was like the building fell down. “That…can’t be true.”

“Marci is being dramatic. He’s threatening to quit the Bruisers,” Veronica said.

“Why?”

“No one knows,” Marci said.

I hadn’t told them about me and Dillon, we weren’t that kind of friends. Yet. But I’d told them about the bullshit pranks and the video when they asked why I left the team.

“You’ve got connections with the team. Go find out,” Veronica said.

“And then tell us,” Marci said. “Hockey drama is the best!”

They made plans to meet for lunch in the cafeteria and I agreed without thinking. I couldn’t think. My brain was static noise and nothing else. There was no way I was reaching out to the team to find out what was happening.

Could I text Cody?

No, instead it was best to just not pay attention.

Except as the days went by, the rumors continued to spread as Dillon didn’t play against Nashville.

Chaos in the Bruisers’ locker room. McKay has lost control of his players.

Was Dillon being benched? Traded? By Friday, headlines screamed that Dillon and McKay were in a standoff for control.

Of what?

I broke. I mean, anyone would break, right?

I texted him.

* * *

Liv: What is happening over there?

Dillon: Hey babe, how is Montreal?

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