Page 59 of Center Ice

“How many babies are there?” I meant to just whisper it to Jake, but more people heard.

“Watch out. There’s something in the water,” Lance said from Jake’s other side.

The group laughed, and I just shook my head.

“My parents were in Mexico with us, so they watched the babies most of the time,” Madi explained.

“Oh, they were?” How did I miss them?

“My dad is the head coach, Bo Romney,” she clarified.

I nodded. I met him briefly but didn’t realize there was another connection.

“Don’t try to learn everything at once. Your head will explode,” Emma teased. “There are a few branches on the Fury family tree that twist and double back. You’ll figure it out over time.”

I looked at Jake as I laughed, but he was staring down at the table, oblivious to the conversation. “Hey,” I leaned closer, “are you okay?”

His eyes flashed to mine before returning to the glass top. “I’m fine.”

Those words were never true. Something was going on with him, but he didn’t want to talk about it. At least, not in front of everyone. What had changed in the few hours since I last saw him?

I glanced up and caught Erik and Madi watching him too. I raised a brow in question, but Madi gave a tiny shake of her head. She didn’t know.

A small boulder settled on my shoulders, the weight slowly crushing me as pizzas were laid out in front of us. My appetite disappeared, but I took a slice to avoid unwanted attention. Jake did the same, only holding it by the crust as if he was about to take a bite while everyone around us carried on like nothing weird was going on.

I wanted to grab him and find someone private place to talk, but he would tell me when he was ready. I just had to be patient. No one seemed to notice our odd behavior, and as people began to stand, I touched Jake’s arm. “Would you mind driving me home?”

He nodded, and I told Sydney and Brandon I had a ride, then followed him outside to his car. It was just as nice as the one Chloe was letting me borrow but had black wheels and a black matte finish rather than a shiny finish like normal cars.

He opened the passenger door, and I slid into the plush black leather. It smelled like a new car, and the interior was spotless. When he got in, he sighed and dropped his head back.

“What’s going on?” I pressed.

I watched his Adam's apple sink as he swallowed and rubbed his hand over his face. “I got called into the general manager’s office today with my coaches.”

That boulder got a bit heavier. He didn’t sound like this was good news.

“What did they say?”

“Another team is interested in me.”

I didn’t know what that meant. At least, what it meant for him. “Okay?”

“They sent my agent the offer.” He was only supplying tiny bits of information, and I didn’t have any idea how to piece them together.

“Is that good or bad?”

He let out a huff that might have been an attempt at a laugh. “I have no idea.”

I pushed my hair behind my ear. “Jake, I want to help or at least sympathize with you, but I really don’t understand what’s going on. Can you tell me everything from the beginning?”

He sighed, and his shoulders dropped as he turned his head and met my eyes. “I’m only one year into a three-year contract with the Fury. I had a no-trade clause, though, so the team can’t accept a contract buyout or trade me without my permission.”

That seemed like a great idea but didn’t explain why he was so upset. “So they can’t trade you if you don’t want to go?”

“Right,” he grumbled.

“Then what’s the problem? They can’t make you go.” I had to be missing something still, otherwise, he wouldn’t be upset.