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The energy in the arena was electric as we continued to dominate the ice. Ari blocked a shot from the other team, causing a stir among our fans. He looked over at me, and I gave him a thumbs up. He grinned back, like the smug bastard he was.
Because yeah, he knew he was fucking good.
We kept pushing forward, with me scoring another goal, and Ari making some crucial saves. The game was going great; we had it in the bag.
I glanced up at the stands, finally unable to stop myself from searching for her face.
There she was, sitting next to—my father?
My stomach dropped. My palms prickled with sweat…my heart raced.
What the hell was he doing here?
He hadn’t been to a game since before college, yet he decided tonight was the night? I thought for sure she’d be okay here.
What was he saying to her?
I tried to focus on the game, but I couldn’t take my eyes off them. I watched as Monroe answered something he’d asked. She was trying to be confident and polite, but I could see the fear in her eyes. Her hands trembled slightly as she fidgeted with the scarf I’d given her.
I was losing my fucking mind.
I couldn’t focus.
Every time I was on the ice, I was stealing glances at them.
It was like a nagging itch in the back of my mind that wouldn’t go away.
And then, in a moment of distraction, I missed a shot. The puck sailed wide of the net, and the crowd groaned in disappointment.
I growled and turned to follow the puck and then…the impact of the hit sent shockwaves through my body before I even heard the sound of it. It was like a truck colliding with my chest, knocking the wind out of me. I was lying on my back, staring up at the ceiling of the arena, gasping for air. The pain in my ribs, like they'd been smashed into my lungs. I couldn’t move, not even to sit up.
Ari's voice broke through the haze of pain, asking me if I was okay, but I couldn’t respond. I was in too much agony. I attempted to get up, but my body refused to cooperate. Every movement felt like my ribs were made of glass, and they were shattering with each breath I took.
The trainers rushed out to assist me off the ice. It took all my willpower not to scream in pain as they helped me up. I was gritting my teeth so hard, it was amazing they didn’t shatter.
But I refused to show any weakness.
It would be just what my father would want.
As I was being escorted off the ice, Ari skated over to me. His eyes were wide and his eyebrows furrowed in concern. I could see the worry etched in his features.
"Fuck, Lincoln," he growled.
I shook him away, and he sighed, before returning to the rest of the team.
The whole arena suddenly resembled a church, the noise of the fans extinguished by my injury.
I already knew that my rib was broken, maybe more than one. Every inhalation was torture. I didn’t have to get an x-ray to figure that out.
But fuck. I needed to get Monroe away from my father and with me in the training room.
On my way there, I ordered a trainer to fetch Monroe. I was kind of an asshole about it, but he needed to know he was dealing with precious cargo. The most precious.
My heart pounded as I heard the sound of the trainer's footsteps coming back to the room, with Monroe in tow. My palms got clammy with anticipation as I waited to see her beautiful face again. The relief I felt when she appeared in the doorway was violent, and it felt like I could breathe for the first time since we’d parted ways right before the game. She was standing in front of me, dressed in the jersey I’d given her the other day.
I’d never felt so fucking proud to see my number on someone.
Her black hair cascaded down her back in soft waves. Her green eyes were captivating, with specks of gold that seemed to glimmer in the dimly lit room.
