It’s not the nerves that will choke me; turns out it’s the disappointment.
“He’s got a ton of promise. He just needs the right coach.”
“I’ve seen that. He’s done better under you than I think he would under me.”
“I’m not looking to coach, Otto,” I say, my heart hitting my ribs harder than any puck. “I didn’t come here to mentor my replacement.”
“No,” he says with a laugh. “But you can’t help it, can you? It’s who you are.”
He tosses his water bottle into the bin and nods once, then shoulders past me, returning to the ice.
Leaving me behind.
I give myself a shake and follow him out onto the ice.
I’m not going down without a fight.
A whistle blows, and I look up at the clock to see that it’s noon.
Back in Mullet Ridge, the town council meeting is probably over. My stomach twists with worry. During the lunch break, I check my phone, but she hasn’t texted. I try to call her, but it goes straight to voicemail.
I call Fletch and Red, but they don’t answer. Neither do my parents.
Is the meeting still going on? Did the entire town turn off their phones for this stupid thing? Just vote for Kayla and call me back, people!
“Get your head in the game,” Trevor snaps at me when I miss two low-slot poke checks in a row.
Frustration burns my cheeks, a contrast to the icy helplessness in my chest when I think of Kayla.
The heat and chill collide like a stalled storm system inside me. All pressure, no release. But the real danger isn’t the downpour.
It’s the storm dying before it gets the chance to start.
I’m running on fumes during afternoon scrimmage.
My final NHL scrimmage.
Every time I drop to butterfly, my knees scream in protest. Every time I push post-to-post, my thighs catch fire.
Pucks fly like hornets—sharp, fast, relentless—and slowly, the fun that’s been leaking out all morning drips its last drop.
And I’m out.
Hall, meanwhile, is the best he’s been yet. Three weeks of intense coaching has only sharpened his skillset. He’s been open, humble, and hungry, and it shows. He’s like a rechargeable battery, whereas I’m a battery that’s been left out in the rain. Corrosion’s starting to show, white crust and everything.
Maybe it’s time to accept it.
I gave it my all—I really did. I’ve put everything into this camp, especially over the last week.
And you know what?
That’s okay.
For years, hockey has felt like an unattainable dream. One that I couldn’t let myself even dwell on.
But I have a better dream now. I have a woman I love, a partner I’d take over any team.
It’s okay. As long as I have Kayla, it’ll all be okay.
