Page 131 of Voices

“You look like shit.” He scans me from head to toe with an ugly smirk on his face. “Told you he was going to drag you down with him. He’s doing it on purpose. It’s all for attention.”

I clench my teeth so hard my jaw pops.

Don’t do anything stupid. He’s not worth it.

I glare at him as his smirk slowly falls from his smug face. I roll my shoulders back and stand to my full height. Taking a step forward, I watch in delight as he takes a step back.

“Don’t be a coward now. What else do you have to say about yourbrother?” I growl the last word.

Benji’s eyes get wide when I feel a presence at my back. I glance over my shoulder and see Ryder, Matt, and Asher flanking me with their arms crossed over their chests. I look back at Benji.

“Well? Not so tough when all four of us want to beat the shit out of you, now are you?”

He tries to stand up to me but I’m taller with more muscle. He looks at the guys and then back to me.

“Don’t let him fuck up your game. I’m not losing tonight because you four are blinded by my br…hisfake ‘depression’.” He uses air quotes when he says depression.

I hear a deep rumble come from Asher on my left.

Benji looks at him in shock before giving us both middle fingers and walking away.

“Fucking pussy,” Ryder says as we walk to the cardio area.

We jump on the bikes as Matt starts talking about his plans for winter break. I listen but don’t add anything to the conversation. They all know I want Charlie to come home with me. I have two weeks to get him feeling better. Maybe the promise of the warm Florida sun will be enticing enough to get him to agree to come with me.

Once our legs are warmed up, we change into our gear and lineup to head down the tunnel for on-ice warmups. My body carries me through it as my head fights to drift back to Charlie. I’m so in my head that I don’t realize the guys are waiting for me to do our stick tap before the start of the game.

“You alright, man,” Ryder asks.

“Uhm, yeah,” I clear my throat. “Yeah. I’m good.”

Putting the blade of my stick in the center of our circle, the guys do the same as we start tapping each other’s shins.

“Let’s Go!” We yell at the end.

Asher gives me a look asking if I’m really okay.

“I’m fine. I just need to get on the ice to clear my head.”

He nods, waiting for me to head down the tunnel.

We line up for the national anthem and as soon as the puck is dropped, all my worries fade into the back of my mind. I’vealways been able to do this. Hockey is my escape from the world. For the next three hours my mind and body are in hockey mode.

We win the face-off and quickly attack their zone. Ryder and I stay by the blue line while the forwards attack the net. Benji zips one past their goaltender but it hits the crossbar, sending a loud ping through the air. The puck bounces back onto the ice and ricochets off a stick, landing right in front of me. I quickly scoop it up, skating backward along the blue line as Matt creates a screen in front of the goalie. Once we’re lined up, I release a bullet off my blade. With the goalie unable to see it coming, the puck flies in on his stick side. Lighting the lamp.

A rush of excitement flows through me as I fist-bump everyone on my way to the bench.

“That was a fucking beauty!” Copeland, one of our wingers, bumps gloves with me as I sit down next to him.

“Thanks. It helps that Matt’s big ass was in the goalie’s way,” I chuckle, turning toward a smiling Matt.

“I’ll gladly stand in the path of your eighty-mile-per-hour slap shot. It’s not scary at all.”

We all laugh as the puck is dropped and play continues. We keep the energy up and end the period up by three goals.

We take care of anything that needs adjusting, use the bathroom, and keep talk upbeat.

Back on the ice, I’m checked from behind. I turn and see Benji skating the opposite way.

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