Page 80 of Icing the Play

The guy hurtled through the air, landing next to me, rolling on his side. “Ow, fuck.” He shook off the fall and fixated on me. “Shit, you okay, man?”

I held my knee, bending my leg, the pain radiating up my thigh and down to my ankle. “No, I’m not okay.” Jesus fuck, could I stand on it?

He placed his hand on my side. “I’m sorry, I was late for?—”

“You’re not supposed to ride anything motorized on the fucking sidewalk.” JJ stood over me and shoved the guy away. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He glared at the scooter guy.

“I’m sorry.” Scooter guy hung his head. “I’m really sorry. It’s my first year and…” He placed his face in his hands. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice cracking. “Please don’t report me. My dad will kill me.”

Breathing through the subsiding pain, I pushed onto my ass. Where had JJ come from?

“Myles, how’s the knee? Is it swelling?” JJ crouched in front of me and removed my hand from the joint, inspecting it with his fingers. “It feels like it’s swelling. We need to get you to the ER. You don’t want to fuck around with something like this.” He shifted his attention to scooter guy. “Do you know who this is? Do you know what you’ve done?” He pointed at me. “This is one of ASU’s best hockey players. Do you have any idea how badly the team is going to suffer with him out?”

“No, I didn’t know. I’m sorry,” scooter guy sobbed.

I stared at JJ, my surroundings going hazy. Oh my God. The scout. I was supposed to play for a scout this weekend. Did this little fucker just ruin my chances? I swallowed, a lump forming in my throat. Everything I’d worked so hard for, gone in aninstant. I scanned around me for a beat. People walked toward us, murmuring to each other.

“Get out of here.” JJ growled at scooter guy. “If I see you on that thing on a walkway again, I’ll beat the living shit out of you and then I’ll report you to the school and have you suspended.” His chest heaved with deep breaths and his hands fisted.

Sniffling, scooter guy stood, wiped his face and walked away with his scooter, peeking behind him at us.

“Myles, can you straighten the knee?” JJ faced me, his hands wrapping around the bottom of my kneecap.

“I don’t know. Let me see.” Maybe it wasn’t so bad. As I straightened the knee, pain shot through me. I grimaced. “Fuck, not really. Well, not without it hurting.” I was done for. My vision blurred as I shrugged my backpack off. With my voice wavering, I said, “No…” Gritting my teeth, I held back tears. I wouldn’t lose it right here in front of everyone in the quad.

JJ set his hand on my back. “Hey, I’m here. I get it. I’ve injured my knee before. It sucks, but it’ll heal. You’ll be okay.” Draping his arm around my shoulders, he pulled me to his side. “Let’s get you up and I’ll take you to the ER.” He freed me and held out his muscled arm.

“Thank you.” With a sniffle, I put my weight on my good knee and leaned on JJ’s powerful arm. As I stood, I held my bad leg out.

“Nothing to see here. Go on.” JJ swiped his arm through the air at the bystanders and hooked his other arm around my waist. “Wait, let me get your backpack. Hold steady a minute.” He bent, picked up my bag and slung it over his shoulder with his own bag.

“Thank God I have strong jocks for friends, eh.” While balanced on one leg, I glanced at the crowd as they dispersed.

“Yeah. I’m glad I was here.” Edging into my side, he threw his arm around my waist while I set my arm across his shoulders. He peeked at me from under his dark bangs, his blue eyes striking. “Ready?”

“Yeah. Thanks.” I hobbled against him. As I put some weight on my bad leg, it ached. “Fuck, this hurts.”

“Okay then. Guess I’ll be getting an extra workout in today.” With a smirk, he pulled away from me and rearranged the backpacks to rest on his chest. “Get on my back.”

My face heated. “No, I can’t?—”

“Myles, don’t make me pick you up right here in the quad.” He snickered. “I can handle it.” He lifted his chin, his gaze growing hard. “I’m not letting you injure your leg any more than it already is.”

“Fuckin’ A. Fine.” As he turned his back to me and bent his knees, I hopped up on one leg and he caught me. I might only have one leg, but with my hockey training, it was a strong motherfucker. I held on tightly to him, my arms and legs hugging him.

“Here we go.” He huffed as he stomped down the walkway. “This is nothing. You should have seen the time I had to carry Eli home from a frat party.”

“Oh, my God.” I chuckled. JJ was such a good guy. I was so lucky he was here. I’d keep my emotions in check until I found out how bad this was. Maybe I could still play this weekend. Who knew?

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Sitting on my couch, I read over an assignment on my laptop for an accounting class. This should be easy, but…math. As I scratched my temple, my phone buzzed on the cushion next to me. Who the hell was calling now? I picked up the phone and peered at it, the screen reading,JJ.

“What the fuck?” Why would he call me? I answered the call and held the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

“Cooper, I need you to come to the ER at Tempe St. Luke’s,” JJ said.

“Why?” Shutting my laptop, I stood and scanned the empty house. Myles would return in an hour. “Are you hurt?” And why would he call me and not Casey?

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