Page 119 of Play Maker

When practice was done, I stayed behind to do my extra drills.

At first, I was too caught up in my head to notice that Jace stayed behind with me. Jace and Dane. When I turned around and found them leaning on their sticks, talking to each other, some of my earlier anxiety waned.

“I’ll leave you guys to it,” Dane announced.

Our captain slipped away and then it was just me and Jace.

“You heard Cap. Keep working,” Jace announced as he skated by, swiping the puck as quick as lightning.

I chased after him, my competitive ego never far behind. He was faster, taking the shot, the sharp echo of his stick meeting ice and rubber. He’d been pushing hard all practice, and one slapshot was harder than the next.

“Battle drill?” I suggested.

It was entirely appropriate given how our relationship had started and where we were now. Only, I wanted to fight alongside Jace, not against him. I knew he was the same. I knew it. And I wasn’t going to let this stupid thing with Preston ruin us.

Being so in tune with someone I was playing hockey with was both a blessing and a curse. I was aware of Jace in a way I wasn’t with anyone else on the team, anticipating his every move, and yet, I was afraid to get too close, and afraid for him to get hurt. Did he feel the same?

It was yet another hurdle for us to climb.

He skated towards the net, plucked out the puck, and turned to me, his face devoid of expression. Laughing and smiling was his usual. A smart-ass comment, a teasing joke. But this coldness, it was so unlike him that my stomach twisted painfully.

Skating backwards, I took my spot and waited for Jace to make the first play.

I was so caught up in my feelings and my head that I didn’t even realize he was already beside me.

“Ax.”

“Yeah?” I replied, tapping my stick on the ice.

“Are you okay?”

I shook my head. “I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t be. I can handle it.” Jace licked his lips. “I’m sorry I got upset.”

“You have every right. I should’ve said something, but?—”

“Hey, we’re both new to this, it’s okay. But we have to be honest, no hiding or delaying the truth. Have faith that I can handle bad news, and I’ll do the same.”

“I don’t want to, you know,” I paused, taking off one of my gloves and wiping the sweat from my face. “Trigger your disorder.”

“I know, baby, but there’s always going to be something,” Jace replied. “It’s what I deal with every day. Same with you and depression. All we can do is learn ways to cope and do our best, always moving forward.”

“Jace,” I skated closer, staring into his hazel eyes.

There. The fire was there. My Jace.

“What happened today is a blip,” I insisted, tempted to lean in and taste his lips, but remembering Coach’s warning. “He’s going to leave, and that’ll be that. I don’t want to spend any more time thinking or talking about him. I want to focus on us.”

Jace reached for my jersey, clutching it tight in his hand, and then I heard it.

Someone was clapping.

I turned around to find Preston standing on the other side of the boards staring at us. With his slick hair and California tan, hedidn’t look like a man who’d just been arrested. He looked like he was back from freaking vacation.

“Isn’t this a fun little reunion?” he announced with a sneer. “My ex and my ex-BFF getting cozy in this dank, smelly rink.”

“Go back to LA, Preston. Deal with your charges and get help.”

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