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The happy, hopeful rush I’ve enjoyed all morning is now more like a nagging sense of dread that only gets worse once the coach tells the guys to get in position for a scrimmage game. “I want everybody to go back to the way we had you laid out before the start of the season,” Coach calls out with his hands cupped around his mouth. “Let’s get comfortable with the lineup.” Meaning Ryder, Ash, and Soren are on the same line. My teeth are on edge and my knee keeps bouncing up and down thanks to my strained nerves.
Please, let this go okay. I figured Ryder would be glad to see the guys come back, since it would mean we could spend the night together again. That was pretty shortsighted of me.
This time, when Ryder checks Ash, the coach notices. “Hey! You’re on the same team, remember?” He might as well not be talking, since neither of them pay any attention. They’re too busy glaring at each other, muttering things I can’t hear, but can imagine thanks to their vicious expressions.
And when the gloves come off and the fists start flying, I jump to my feet.
There are shouts of surprise down on the ice, with all other activity coming to a halt once everybody starts watching the fight. Soren is the only one who skates over and tries to break things up while the two of them slam each other against the boards, throwing punches at random. Good. At least he has a cooler head. He’ll make a snarky comment and that will break things up.
Or not.
“Stop!” My heartbroken cry is lost in the chaos that erupts when Soren is pulled into the fight, and now all three of them are brawling while the rest of the team tries to break it up. I run down to the bench while the coach skates over to them and puts an end to things, blowing his whistle loud enough to make my ears ring even at a distance. Like magic, the fighting stops.
My stomach turns once I see the damage: Ash has a nasty looking gash over one eye and a bloody lip, while there’s already a bruise forming around Ryder’s right eye, and Soren now has a bruise on his cheekbone to match the one he gave Ash. They’re all flushed, breathing heavy, and there’s still obvious anger bubbling between them.
Coach Kozak throws his hands in the air. “What the hell was that? Since when? I don’t even want to know who started it. I want all three of you off the ice, now. Go!” He bellows when all three of them stare at him in mute surprise. I’m a little surprised, myself. This is the side of him I’ve only heard about until now, and I wouldn’t want to be the one he’s yelling at. Let’s just put it that way.
Besides, it’s already tough enough being me, standing here and watching the three of them gather their things while the rest of the team looks on, muttering to each other, clearly concerned and surprised. I’m not quite as surprised, but I’m just as concerned. Maybe more so.
“Okay, show’s over!” Coach skates over to me, shaking his head. “I’ve never seen the three of them fight like this. Especially not Soren.”
“The guys get into fights sometimes,” I remind him. I saw plenty of that in the footage we reviewed together, too.
“But not like that. it seemed… Different. Deliberate. Do you know what I mean?”
I know exactly what he means, and I know he’s right. That wasn’t a brief dust-up.
“Especially Ash and Ryder,” he continues. “They both have those hot blooded temperaments, but what I saw just now… They wanted to hurt each other.”
Yes. That’s exactly it. He put his finger on what I couldn’t quite pinpoint. They wanted to hurt each other.
“Well, to be honest with you…” Because why not start now?
“Please, if you have any ideas, I’m all ears.” I feel sorry for the man and all the hope in his eyes. I really do. He’s already seen what the team is capable of, and I can imagine it must feel like all of that is slipping away.
“It could have something to do with the two-way contracts. Not to divulge what we went over in sessions, but there might be a little resentment surrounding that.”
“Could be.” He strokes his jaw, scowling. “I hope that’s all it is.”
“What else do you think it could be?”
He shakes his head and rolls his eyes. “The only time I’ve ever seen anybody on this team fight like that, it was over a girl. I hope like hell that’s not the case now.”
All I can do is stand here and pretend my skin isn’t crawling. “Well, I can look into it, see if any of them will talk to me.”
“Please do. Because I’m not sure I can handle this on my own.”
Of course. I’m probably the reason for the fight in the first place. Might as well see if I can help them work things out.
16
HARLOW
I’m going to wear a hole in the floor if I don’t stop pacing, but I have to do something with the nervous energy that has me in its grips. What am I supposed to do? How do I get them through this?
And do I care more about them as players, or as my… whatever they are? Boyfriends? It feels kind of silly, thinking of them that way, but it’s as good a descriptor as any.
If only this were as simple as getting them back on the same page so they can play well together. If only life were that uncomplicated. It would be enough of a challenge to wrangle three strong personalities, if I weren’t also sleeping with all three of them.
