Page 79 of Facing Off
My muscles cramp with pressure, but my promise is infused with steel. Protective energy pounds my veins as I leave the arena. Even if I want Jung to enjoy his time off, the priority is to make sure he has a career to come back to.
Taking out my phone, I message the Wings’ group chat.
ME
Anyone know where Jung is vacationing??
My phone lights up right away.
Macklin, another rookie, is the first to reply.
MACKLIN
Last selfie he took was in Italy but I think his phone screen cracked after that.
LOKHOV
The rookie needs to stop breaking his damn phones. That’s his third one.
QUINN
He’s backpacking through Europe with his roomie. I have his number so I’ll confirm Jung’s whereabouts
RAGHR
Waitttttttt
I need to send my selfie
Despite the tension banded tight around my chest, I feel myself smile.Selfies. It’s a tradition I started the year I made captain telling the team it would help with our team bonding, which it does. But also, staying connected with the guys when we’re apart, no matter where we all are, eases something inside me. I want to know they’re okay. Happy. Thriving.
Raghr sends a picture. He’s on a safari ride with his wife and teenage daughter.
That kicks it off. The chat explodes with photos.
Macklin is on a jet ski.
Nick, Kevin, and Ahmed are biking the Seawall in Vancouver.
Quinn and Lokhov are scarfing down rolls of some sort of flatbread. Our goalie has sugar on his cheek. Lokhov attempts to hide his face in the photo, but Kavi doesn’t let him, clearly poking him with her finger.
Jai sends a picture of him scrimmaging with campers at the transgender youth hockey camp we helped raise money for last season. Matt and Emmad are there beside him, grinning happily.
A bunch of our teammates are in Ibiza. I get a flurry of selfies from their pool party.
Looking at the chat, despite all the stress I’m under, I can’t help but laugh.
I fucking love these guys.
It’s why I work so hard for them.
My fingers itch, wanting to push myself even harder. But right now, all I can do is wait for Quinn’s message. I’ll give it an hour, before I try figuring out another way to find Jung.
Mostly because that’s how long it’s going to take me to drive home.
Traffic was light. Thirty minutes later, I’m pulling into my driveway. As soon as I park, my phone buzzes.
My hand shoots out to grab my phone.
