Page 98 of Off The Rush
I step outside the rink, my anger boiling beneath the surface. How could Coach just suspend me like that? It’s not like our relationship is affecting our performance on the ice! I take a deep breath, trying to calm down before I head home.
As soon as I walk through the door, I see Emma, JD, and Luka waiting anxiously in the living room. Their eyes are filled with concern, and it’s clear they’ve been discussing what might have happened between Coach and me.
“Guys, I… Coach suspended me,” I blurt out, unable to contain my frustration any longer.
“Wait, what?” JD exclaims, his brow furrowing in disbelief. “Just because you’re dating Emma? That’s ridiculous!”
Luka nods in agreement, his gray eyes stormy. “It’s not like we’re doing anything wrong,” he says firmly.
Emma’s face is pale, her green eyes wide with worry. “Alec, I’m so sorry,” she whispers, biting her lip. “If I’d known this would happen…”
“Hey, don’t blame yourself,” I interrupt, pulling her into a tight hug. Her warmth is comforting, and I can feel some of my anger dissipating. “We’ll figure this out together.”
“Exactly!” JD chimes in, his gaze determined. “We need to show Coach he can’t do this to us. There has to be something we can do to change his mind.”
“Maybe… maybe we should break up?” Emma suggests hesitantly, her voice barely audible. “Would that make things better? Hockey is your world.”
“Absolutely not,” Luka says firmly, stepping forward and placing a hand on Emma’s shoulder. “None of us want that, Emma. We’ll find another way.”
“Right,” JD agrees, his brown eyes burning with determination. “We’re not giving up without a fight. We’ll come up with a plan to show Coach that our relationship is none of his business.”
“Agreed,” I say, my resolve hardening. “We can’t let him control our lives like this. We’ll stand together, and we’ll support each other, no matter what.”
The four of us sit on the couch, our minds racing with thoughts and plans to combat Coach’s unfair decision. I can’t help but notice the way Emma fidgets with her hands, clearly feeling guilty about the whole situation. It’s not her fault, though – we all chose to be in this relationship, and we all knew there could be consequences.
JD’s gaze flicks between me and Luka. “If Alec’s benched because he’s dating Emma, shouldn’t we be too?”
Luka nods thoughtfully, his gray eyes filled with concern. “It doesn’t seem fair that only Alec is being punished when we’re all involved.”
“Guys, don’t even think about throwing your spot on the team away just because of this,” I interject, my heart swelling with gratitude for their support. “I’ll figure things out with Coach. You two keep playing your best and making the team proud.”
Emma’s arms are wrapped tightly around herself as her eyes flick between all of us. She’s taking this hard.
“Emma,” Luka says gently, turning his attention to her. “This isn’t your fault, okay? We all made this decision together, and we stand by it.”
“Exactly,” JD agrees, wrapping an arm around Emma’s shoulders and pulling her close. “We’re all in this together, Em. One person isn’t throwing anything away for anyone else.”
I watch as Emma’s green eyes well up with unshed tears, the weight of the situation taking its toll on her.
“Thanks, guys,” she murmurs, leaning into JD’s embrace. “I just… I never wanted any of you to get hurt because of me.”
“Hey, none of that,” I say, reaching over to place a hand on her knee. “Like JD said, we’re all in this together. Whatever happens, we’ll face it as a unit – and that includes you too, Emma.”
“Right,” Luka adds, his voice soft but firm. “We chose this relationship because we care about each other. We’re not going to let Coach or anyone else tear us apart.”
The tension in the room is palpable, and I can tell that we all need a release. As if reading my thoughts, Luka locks his intense gray eyes on Emma and takes a step towards her. “Emma,” he says softly, his voice deep and commanding. “We’re going to show you just how much we’re all in this together.”
JD and I exchange knowing looks, nodding in agreement as we join Luka in surrounding Emma.
“Guys, I—” Emma begins to protest, but I cut her off with a gentle finger on her lips.
“Shh, Em,” I whisper, my piercing blue eyes meeting her green ones. “Let us take care of you.”
“Trust us,” JD adds, his warm brown eyes full of sincerity as he gently cups her face with one hand.
Emma hesitates for a moment, searching our faces, before finally nodding her consent. Her cheeks are flushed with desire, and I can see the passion burning in her eyes.
“Good girl,” Luka murmurs, leaning down to press a tender kiss on her lips. The rest of us follow suit, each taking turns kissing her deeply, communicating our love through our touch.
