Page 26 of Off The Ice

“Did you see him?” I asked, feigning casualness. “That guy?”

I had to admit I was curious. Especially now that I’d met Cassie in person, but I wouldn’t admit that to Maggie.

“Dave?” She puffed out a breath of air, scowling at the name. “Yeah, I saw him. Charming as ever, the dickhead. He had that new girl plopped on his lap the whole time I was getting Cassie’s stuff out.”

I clenched my fist at my side, not knowing why every little thing was setting me off today. It wasn’t like I cared that much, but what gave that asshole the right to go about his life when the girl he’d spent the last six years with was losing every part of hers?

“What’s wrong with you?” Maggie asked, her eyes trailing me up and down. “You seem tense. Is it about that article?”

“What article?” I snapped back coldly.

“You didn’t see it?” She looked surprised. “Well, I guess that makes sense, considering you’re chronically offline.”

“Maggie,” I repeated gravely. “What article?”

“Woah, no need to pull out the big brother voice.” She raised her hands in surrender. “I’ll show you.”

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, scrolling down before holding it up for me to see. The title stood out in bold, italicized letters.

Liam Brynn: The NHL’s Most Reluctant Superstar.

My eyes scanned the article, irritation growing on me with every word I read.

The Harbor Wolves have had their fair share of star players over the years, but none perhaps as elusive as their current forward, Liam Brynn.

Since the beginning of his career, Brynn has been notorious for his media reluctance, quiet presence, and what some would call his obsessive need for privacy.

Despite this, he’s become not only a star player admired by hockey fans for his speed on the ice and intensity in his plays but also a sort of celebrity amongst young women.

Clips of the Massachusetts native have gone viral on TikTok, and videos of him getting flooded with likes, comments, and shares. With these clips, his social media fans alone have garnered more publicity for the team than any other player in recent years.

Despite his athletic ability and his popularity, rumors swirl that Brynn can be difficult for Harbor Wolves Coach Bryan Dunbar to manage.

When asked about rumors of any potential trading of their center, Dunbar commented, “Look, he’s a good kid. As long as he plays well, we shouldn’t have an issue.”

Though Brynn’s social media is scarce and his presence in interviews seemingly disengaged, it’s clear that he has a passion for the game and a fair bit of talent to back him up.

One thing’s for sure: Boston doesn’t want to lose the player who brought us three Stanley Cup wins in his five-year career.

When asked for comment on how he felt about his celebrity status, the twenty-six-year-old said, “I’m here to play hockey. That’s it.”

Liam Brynn might be as cold as the ice he plays on, but one thing is for certain: he has Boston backing him.

“ESPN published this shit?” I asked, shoving the phone away. “What a joke. You’d think they’d have something better to write about.”

Maggie laughed heartily, pocketing her phone once more. “Liam, you know you’ve always been the elusive mystery guy. Did you think joining the NHL and becoming one of their best players would, what,lessenyour appeal?”

“I thought that grown adults would be more respectful of a human being’s privacy,” I growled. “I mean, what is even the point of that article? It’s not covering anything game-related. It’s just trying to pin me down.”

“The people want to know you.” Maggie shrugged. “That’s the point.”

“Well, they don’t know me,” I spat out more harshly than I intended. “My job is to play hockey, and I don’t owe anyone any more than that. Why the hell do they need to be involved in every other aspect of my life?”

“I knew you’d get like this.” She tsked, settling against my couch like she belonged there. “You had to have known that this would be your life when you signed up for this.”

“I guess I underestimated the creepiness of people. Or the lack of fucking boundaries,” I muttered, thinking about the numerous occasions when random women had gotten hold of my phone number and thought it was their right to actuallyuseit.

The amount of obscene messages, photographs, and even videos I’d received had no boundaries.Nothingcould’ve prepared me for that, no matter what my sister and everyone else thought I’d signed up for.

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