Page 117 of Play Maker

The only exception was Jace.

I hadn’t been kidding when I said I ordered him a jersey. It arrived the week after our trip to Albany, and just in time for our first official date.

But life, like hockey, is full of sudden shifts.

Just when I thought I had an advantage, I got hit.

CHAPTER 34

JACE

Aweek later

“Have you seen Axel?” I asked Dane as we slid onto the ice for Thursday practice.

“You’re asking me? He’s your boy—” Dane paused and looked around. “No, I haven’t.”

It was odd and I was worried.

Axel hadn’t come out to the entire team yet. That was happening at Ethan’s party tomorrow night. Our first date. I was so excited and yet, really fucking nervous. Which was ridiculous, we were already sleeping together. Still, a date was different than fucking. It was so much more. We were more.

Unless he’s changed his mind.

That horrible doubt would pop into my head at odd moments this week. I put it down to everything being so new and intense, but Axel hadn’t returned my texts all day, and now he was late for practice? I knew that something was off.

“Hey,” Dane whispered as he nudged me with his glove. “It’ll be okay. Maybe he’s late from class or something. Stop angsting.”

“Yeah, well, it’s so new with us, you know? But I’m really happy and I…I hope I’m not the only one here.”

“You’re not. I see the way he looks at you.”

“Oh yeah?”

Dane nodded. “I know that look. He’s so far gone.”

“I hope so.”

Coach appeared and blew his whistle to get us started.

Ten minutes into practice, there was no sign of Axel. And that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach just wouldn’t stop rumbling.

Finally, thirty minutes in, Axel arrived. Coach wasn’t happy to say the least.

“Lund, tack an extra thirty on to your time tonight.”

Axel nodded but I could tell by his clenched jaw that something bad was going on and it wasn’t about hockey.

Quietly, I skated over to him, and he reached for my arm.

“What’s up?” I asked casually, even though my heart was pounding like mad.

“It’s Preston,” Axel replied, leaning in and whispering. “He’s here.”

My racing pulse froze in an instant.

“What do you mean, he’s here?” I reared back. “He’s in jail, in California.”

“He made bail,” Axel replied, then bit his lower lip. “His dad flew him back to New York yesterday, then he rented a car and drove up here to see me. He called me last night.”

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