Page 43 of Drop Pass

Colin walked off and I stepped forward as Erik took the spot next to Elena. The questions were fairly basic. How was he feeling about this season? What changes have we made this year that are helping? Questions we hear every day. I was a bit surprised she wasn’t digging deeper or asking personal questions since she knew us, but she was keeping to the script. Hopefully, she didn’t surprise me.

Erik walked away and Noah replaced him. He gave her a quick side hug and whispered something that made her laugh. She shoved him away, her smile spreading. I hated him for a split second then shook it off. He was her friend, and very much engaged to Colby. I shouldn’t be jealous of him, but I was. Why was she so carefree and comfortable around him? Why couldn’t we have that?

Because I kissed her and then pushed her away.

Because I haven’t exactly been the warmest person to her.

Because I kept her at a distance.

Because I wanted her in a way that Noah didn’t.

All of these reasons and more had one thing in common. They were my fault.

I didn’t deserve her smiles and teasing. I hadn’t earned them.

“So, Noah, you’ve been replaced as ‘Rookie of the Year’, how does that make you feel?” I watched as she gave him a genuine smile, not the one she used only when she was on camera.

He nudged her shoulder with his and shook his head. “No need to rub it in. I had my time, and now it’s time to accept I’m a veteran now. Nikolay brings something completely different to the team and we’re lucky to have him.”

Her smile never wavered, but I caught her glance in my direction for a millisecond. “We’ve all heard the sad news that you’ll be leaving the Fury next season. What words of wisdom do you have for the teammates you’ll be leaving behind?”

His smile dimmed. “As excited as I am about moving to Seattle to start the new team, I’m not looking forward to leaving these guys behind. They’re my family and I’ll always wish them the best, but next season they’re going to have to watch their backs.”

He chuckled and winked at the camera as she laughed with him. “That’s true. They’re going to have to play against you.”

They wrapped up their interview and it was my turn. I stepped forward and felt her tense. I doubted anyone else noticed, but it felt like getting slammed into the boards.

The easy smile she shared with the other guys disappeared and I watched as her professional persona fell into place.

“Nikolay Kozlov, this is a big night for you. Congratulations on winning the ‘Rookie of the year’ award. How are you feeling?”

I forced myself to hold her gaze and not look away, no matter how uncomfortable it was. “It’s an honor. I’m very lucky to be on such a great team. These guys have been really supportive.”

“That’s great to hear. Noah Malkin was the award winner last year, has he given you any tips?”

I laugh then sobered as her jaw flexed. “Yeah, he’s been showing me the ropes and making sure I live up to his reputation.”

“What do you think you have to offer the Fury?”

I narrowed my eyes a fraction. That wasn’t a question from the list my agent sent me so I was caught off guard. It felt personal. It probably was.

“We have a really great team and I’ve been working closely with the guys to keep our line strong and so far, we’ve all remained healthy so we can keep going together.”

It was a vague answer that didn’t really address her question, but I wanted to stick to generic answers to cover myself. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her not to twist my words, but I knew women did...questionable things when they were upset.

“Salt Lake is excited to see what this season brings for the Fury. Good luck to you.”

I nodded. “Thank you.” Without another glance at her, I turned and hurried to the locker room. I fell onto the bench in front of my plague and sighed.

“Rough one?” Grant asked. He was standing next to me with a towel around his neck.

Admitting it hadn’t gone well would raise questions. Elena was close to a lot of the guys and I had a feeling whose side they would pick. We didn’t need drama going into the next period so I shook it off.

“Nah, just trying to focus.”

He didn’t push me even though I saw the skeptical look he gave me.

Coach Romney stepped to the center of the room and silence fell over us. “I want to see each of you pushing yourselves harder. The Gulls had too many scoring chances. Letang should be the very last line of defense, not the only one.”