Page 104 of Breaking Point
Layla rubs her hands up and down my back, whispering soothing words in my ear, but she doesn’t reassure me that I won’t lose her. If anything, the only definitive in this situation is that Iwilllose her.
It may not be today—the treatment could prolong her life a few years—but one day.
I just never thought it would be in such a painful manner.
“You can get through this, Bella, and if you can’t, I’m right here to pick up the pieces of your heart.”
Chapter 27
Grayson
KIERAN ASHFORD
ready for the game?
GRAYSON
ready as I’ll ever be
KIERAN ASHFORD
is Bella coming?
GRAYSON
yes
…why?
KIERAN ASHFORD
I have a theory I want to prove
The buzz in the locker room is palpable, the high spirits infectious. Some of the guys are in the zone, their headphones in and their sole focus on their pre-game routine, while others—like Kieran, Caleb, and Matteo—sing at the top of their lungs to music.
I can’t help but shake my head at their antics. It’s contagious, so much so that I can’t believe I forgot what this felt like.
I forgot how much joy playing for IceHawks brings me. The electricity beneath my skin, the roar of blood inmy ears, my accelerated heart rate of anticipation, the indescribable feeling of my skates hitting the ice as music blasts throughout the arena.
It’s surreal.
And I could lose it all.
Kieran’s hand comes down on my shoulder. “Got any pre-game pep talks for us, Cap?”
Sending him a seething glare over my shoulder, I’m about to object when the entirety of the locker room turns their gaze on me. Kieran knows what he’s doing. He’s continuing to push the narrative that despite Coach revoking my title, I’m still very much the captain of IceHawks in their eyes.
Cheers spring to life, a round of stomping and banging against the lockers as they cheer, “Crawford, Crawford, Crawford.”
Shrugging Kieran’s hand off me as he smirks with triumph, I step up onto one of the benches, the movement making the locker room come to a sudden hush.
“Some of you have been doing this for years. You may think it’s just another game, another win we need to secure on our way toward the Stanley Cup.” Raking my gaze around the men that feel like my family, I clench my hands at my sides as if it will stop the swell of emotion that rises in my chest. “But this is not just another game. This is not just another season. This is afresh start.”
The words pour off my tongue before I can give them much thought, but my statements ring true all the same.
“Every time we step foot on that ice, it’s a chance to make history. A chance to work together as a team. A chance to improve.” Licking my suddenly dry lips, I go on, noting how my teammates listen to my every word. “Every decision we have made in life has led us to this moment, to this league, to this team, and to this possibility of greatness. We can go out there and we can settle into comfort. Comfort shots, comfort plays, comfort fast breaks.” I pause. “Or…we can decide to push. We can decide that this is the game we prove to ourselves just how far we can go. We can decide that tonight is the beginning of our victory, of not just the Stanley Cup but history in the making.” Anticipation hums in the air as I throw my hands up. “Now who wants to make fucking history?”
The explosion that erupts throughout the locker room is so loud I slap my hands over my ears as I smile and cheer right alongside my teammates.
