Page 7 of Play Maker

“I know, right?”

We joined the rest of our teammates but in the crowded space, I bumped into Ethan Walker, another forward.

“Sorry, man,” I muttered.

No one should stand near a hockey player when they’re all geared up. On the ice, we had smooth moves. Off the ice, we were all accidents waiting to happen.

“No worries,” Ethan replied with a teasing grin. “Just don’t knock into me like that when I’m heading for the net, yeah?”

“You? Don’t you mean me?”

“Fuck off,” Ethan said playfully and nudged me with his arm.

Unfortunately, Ethan pushed a little too hard and I fell back, hitting someone else. Someone who smelled like sweat, grapefruit, and musk. I recognized that unique combination right away and there was no need for me to turn my head.

Axel.

I’d never seen the guy in a good mood. I knew some of his backstory from Preston, and from the fact that the Lund name was well-known in New York state. Axel came from money. A lot of it. Which is probably one of the reasons he looked down his nose at me. He was a snobby asshole times ten, and it pissed me off that he always smelled so damn good. What, did he sit in a bath of cologne before every game or something? I snorted at that idea. Given that his family was loaded, he probably did.

“Do you fucking mind?” Axel growled and shoved me forward.

Thankfully, I had Dane and Ethan around to cushion me.

“Easy, Lund, it was an accident,” I explained as I turned around to face him. “Save that aggression for the other team.”

“Stop talking and keep walking,” Axel muttered, his dark blues full of contempt.

“Bite me.”

Axel shook his head, his shaggy blond mullet sticking out from under his helmet. With his six-three height and broad build, number thirteen (I didn’t know if that was lucky or unlucky) was a force to be reckoned with. I was shorter and leaner, but faster, and most important of all, I wasn’t intimidated. Not by him or anyone else. I’d faced a lot tougher rivals than this spoiled jackass.

“Maybe if you spent more time on your slapshot and less on getting your dick wet, you’d get drafted already,” Axel snapped.

“Maybe if you got laid occasionally you wouldn’tbea dick,” I bit back. “Or, do you suck at scoring off the ice, too?”

“Ooh,” Ethan cackled as more teammates turned around to stare at us. “The gloves are coming off now, baby.”

Axel’s face turned ruddy, and I swear I saw smoke coming out from under his helmet. My smart-ass comments often got me into trouble and today was no different.

“Shut your fucking mouth, Rowland,” Axel bit out.

Kayden Melnyk, our biggest defenseman, but the sweetest guy ever, grabbed my shoulder and gave me a worried look. “Come on, guys, can’t we all just get along?”

“Let them be, Kay.”

That gruff comment came from Maddox Rocher, our first-line goalie, and Kayden’s boyfriend. Talk about opposites attracting. More like the moon and sun colliding. Mad was one hell of a blocker but snarky and testy as fuck, and not one for the whole ‘team spirit’ thing. Unlike Kay, who made friends anywhere he went. But thanks to Kay, Mad’s initial chilly reception to the team finally started to melt. But the last few weeks hadn’t been easy. They’d come out too, and while most of the team were supportive, there was still tension in the air. Or maybe that was just because with every game, we were one step closer to the national championships. Emotions, frustrations, and expectations were riding high.

Kayden gave me another concerned glance but said nothing.

“What the hell are you guys waiting for?” Coach Banning suddenly yelled out. “Get out there and get warmed up! We have a game to play!”

I shoved aside my anger with Axel and followed my teammates. Once my blades hit the ice, I did what I alwaysdid, I got in the zone. Out here, I wasn’t struggling with my insecurities, or worried about my past, or anything else.

I was exactly where I was meant to be.

The rink was packed with students proudly displaying the Sutton U green and gold, from sweatshirts to jackets and hats, and even banners. And of course, there was our mascot, the roaring cougar, working the fans into a frenzy. I spotted Jackson in the crowd with his friends, waving and clapping. Then Jackson stood up and turned around, showing off his jersey with Dane’s name and number on it.

I skated around the net and nudged our captain, pointing to Jackson. Dane glanced up at the crowd and waved to his boyfriend. Their smiles were nearly blinding and for a split second, I envied my friend. Not that I wanted to go down that road. Not with anyone. I’d tried the relationship thing, and it had fucked me up, bad. No way was I doing that again.

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