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“It’s Jace and Rich. But I’m sure you already know that since this has been a problem for a very long time now. This isn’t the first time I’ve tried to talk to you about this.”
He huffs and tries to disguise the eye roll, but I see it anyway. Great, he definitely isn’t going to come at this from my side. I doubt he’s even going to try and see how I’m feeling. This is typical of Chad. He never really bothers with me.
“If you don’t want me here, like the guys have been telling me, then I think you should say it. You should say it to my face, not in a cowardly way behind my back. That isn’t right. That isn’t how a working environment should be.”
As I say those words, a sense of power overcomes me, because I know that I’m right. I might have messed up by escaping to Cold Springs instead of being here at work, but Chad hasn’t been ideal either. He hasn’t run this place like a manager should.
It’s definitely time to call him out on this.
“You have allowed misogyny to run rampant in this place. You have allowed people to behave like animals, and quite frankly, that isn’t something I want to walk back into. I don’t want to be here if things aren’t going to change.”
Chad stares at me, but he’s looking right through me. I can tell he hasn’t really taken my words on board. He isn’t listening to me, and at this point, I’m starting to realize that he never will.
“Okay, well, you don’t need to say anything, Chad. Your expression says it all…”
“I’m thinking!”
“I don’t need you to think anymore. Not about me, anyway. I would like to think that you’d make some changes for the nextpeople who work here, but I don’t care anymore.” I throw my hands in the air in a surrendering gesture. “I’m done.”
As I storm out of the office and, finally, out of the building, I can’t stop myself from smiling—grinning ear to ear, because as much as that is the end of an era, I feel like it’s a positive move for me. I really do need to do something else with my life.
This is a change, but it’s a positive one. I’m sure it will be.
The future is my oyster now; I just need to work out a way to make it work for me.
Chapter 25—Alex
My skates glide effortlessly across the ice as I cut through the rink, the cool breeze whispering promises of victory. The game is going well for a nice change, and I’m playing better than I have done for averylong time.
It’s obvious what the problem was.
I really couldn’t cope without Riley.
Of course, I got in a lot of trouble from the game I walked out on. Coach benched me for a little while and wouldn’t allow me to play to punish me for it. But now I’m slowly starting to regain his trust and to prove myself once more.
And that is exactly what I need to keep on doing today, right now.
The puck moves with graceful swiftness across the ice. I can sense the momentum building in our favor. I need this win. The whole team needs this win. But I need it most of all.
Especially when I have the eyes of the woman I love in the crowd, watching down on me, seeing me play hockey. I want to make her proud most of all.
The arena pulses with energy, the cheers of the crowd mingling with the rhythmic beat of the puck against the boards. My heart pounds in sync with the ebb and flow of the game. As I race towards the goal, the opposing team’s defense converges, but determination fuels my every stride.
This is my chance, and I amnotgoing to fuck it up.
Time is ticking, the buzzer is getting closer by the second, and we need a win.
This is my time to claim that win for us.
The puck leaves my stick with a swift and calculated shot. I don’t have much time to watch it, but I do what I can. With bated breath, I see the puck sail quickly past everyone else, and eventually through the legs of the goalie, finding its home in the back of the net.
I did it.It takes me a split second to realize what’s happened here. The goal… just what I was seeking… I did it!
As soon as I realize this, so does everyone else. The stadium erupts in cheers, the cacophony of victory echoing against the icy walls. My teammates converge around me, a blur of ecstatic faces, celebrating the goal that tips the scales in our favor.
“Alex, you’re the man!” Benjamin calls out as he slings an arm over my shoulder. “That was epic!”
The excitement is palpable, a surge of triumph that courses through my veins. The weight of my hockey stick feels like an extension of my own limbs, and the cold air stings my cheeks as I bask in the glow of the winning shot. It’s not just a personal victory; it’s a collective achievement that binds us as a team.
