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“Yes. I’d love to come. Thanks for inviting me.”
“You know…” Chloe says, “… you’re Drake’s first real girlfriend since high school.”
“Yeah, he told me.”
“He’s a big guy,” Sydney says. “But my Drakey is sensitive. Please be careful with my baby’s heart. Don’t hurt him.”
“Syd,” Carter says in a tone that sounds threatening. When their eyes meet, I can see Drake’s dad issuing a silent warning to his mom.
It says stop embarrassing the damn kid.
“I would never,” I whisper, and Sydney smiles in response.
His dad leans forward in his seat, gaze set on the game playing out before us. He mutters something under his breath when the Strickland Senators take a shot and miss. Sydney and Chloe go back to talking about books, and I’m pretty sure I hear his mom say the word cock at least once. I laugh to myself thinking about how much she uses it in her books.
“What is Preston doing?” Bex chews on her bottom lip, speaking so low only I can hear her. “He keeps arguing with Kellan.”
I was so nervous about making a good impression with Drake’s family that I forgot about the game. Now that the introductions are over with, I can sink into my chair and relax. But Bex’s concern is transferring to me once I take a good look at the ice. Preston and Kellan are in each other’s faces. This goes way beyond two players scrambling for possession of the puck.
“He promised not to get his revenge,” I say.
Bex leans forward with her elbows rested on her thighs and cups the sides of her face in her hands. “It looks like Kellan’s the one going after him.”
“Think of it this way… if you never told Preston about Kellan, he would be really confused right now. And then you would’ve had a lot more explaining to do.”
“Preston will end up fighting Kellan if he keeps getting in his face.”
I cup her knee with my gloved hand to offer her support.
Once the game ends, the crowd erupts into a mixture of boos and cheers. The Strickland Senators win the game, though there are very few people from Strick U in the stands to give them the round of applause they deserve. Drake was amazing. He guarded the net like the wall of man he is, forcing a win in his team’s favor.
Our team congratulates each other, about to line up to slap hands with the Boston players when Preston swings at Kellan. My mouth falls open in shock as I watch the horror unfold in front of us. Bex gasps, covering her mouth with her hand.
Preston lands a punch to Kellan’s jaw, backing him up against the glass. Kellan attempts to dodge Preston’s fists, though he takes more hits than he misses. But Kellan eventually gets a clean hit on him. Bex cries out as if she’s in pain when Preston’s head turns to the side as Kellan hits him hard in the nose.
Before it escalates further, both teams are surrounding them, their teammates clawing at their jerseys to pull them apart. The linesmen force their way through the crowd, but even they can’t stop Preston as he takes one final shot that spews blood from Kellan’s nose and mouth.
From this vantage point, I can see Preston’s skin is covered in blood. He stares down at his knuckles after Kellan’s body slumps to the side, forcing his teammates to catch him. But the madness doesn’t end there. Nope, Preston spins around to face his teammates and ends up elbowing a linesman in the face.
“Oh my God,” Bex says with tears streaming down her face. “What the fuck did he just do?”
Drake’s dad shakes his head and lets out a deep breath. “He just killed his career,” he growls, his voice so deep and scary it sends a chill down my spine.
Chapter Eighteen
Drake
After the game, I take a shower and find my dad waiting for me outside the locker room. He’s leaning against the wall, his thick arms crossed over his chest. Even at his age, he’s still in game-ready shape.
“Drake,” he says, raising his hand to beckon me with his finger. I rush over to him, and he slaps me hard on the back, then he pulls me into a hug that could crack a rib. “Good game, buddy.” He sighs, holding me for what feels like a long time before he releases me from his death grip.
“Everything okay, Dad?”
He sighs again. “Yeah, just wanted to check on you. After what Preston did…” His voice trails off as he shakes his head in disappointment. “His career is over. Alex will have to pull a lot of strings to get anyone to look at him after that stunt he pulled. What was the fight about? It looked personal.”
“I have no idea.” It’s the truth. “Preston said he kept getting in his face, so he laid his ass out.”
