Page 103 of Off The Rush
“Always,” he replies, his eyes still blazing with fury. “Nobody talks about Emma like that.”
“Eriksson, Murphy, out!” The coach’s voice cuts through the chaos like a knife. JD and I exchange a glance before we skate off the ice, our exit met with a mixture of cheers and jeers from the crowd. We’re not going to the penalty box – we’re done for the game.
The locker room is cold and quiet compared to the cacophony of the rink. My blood still boils as the adrenaline courses through my veins. I rip off my helmet and slam it against my locker, unable to contain my anger. JD follows suit, hurling his gloves across the room with a snarl.
“Man, this is such bullshit!” he exclaims, his fists clenched at his sides. “Nobody gets to talk about Emma like that!”
“Damn right,” I agree, pacing back and forth as I struggle to regain control of my emotions. My hands shake with the remnants of fury, and I have to resist the urge to punch something, anything, just to release the pent-up energy inside me.
“Hey!” Alec bursts into the locker room, his face etched with concern. “What the hell happened?”
“Those bastards… they made disgusting comments about Emma,” I grit out, my words seething with contempt. JD nods vigorously in agreement.
“Something about sharing her with the team,” he adds, his voice dripping with venom. “We couldn’t let them get away with it.”
Alec’s eyes narrow, his jaw tightening as his anger surges to the surface. “That’s so messed up,” he says, slamming his fist against a locker for emphasis. “I wish I could’ve been out there with you guys.”
“Trust me, man, you would’ve lost your shit too,” JD assures him, rubbing his bruised knuckles absentmindedly. “It was bad.”
“Look, we’ve got to let it go for now,” I say, forcing myself to take a deep breath. “We can’t change what happened, but we can make sure they regret ever crossing us.”
“Damn right,” Alec agrees, his blue eyes blazing with determination. “Coach is furious.”
For now, we’re left to stew in our anger and frustration, the locker room a silent testament to the rage between all of us.
The locker room door bursts open, and Emma rushes in, her green eyes wide with worry. Before I know it, she’s wrapped her arms around me, her warm body pressed against mine. Just like that, the fury inside me starts to dissipate, replaced by an overwhelming sense of relief at having her near.
Chapter 46
I pull Emma into my arms, my heart still racing from the fight Luka and I just got into on the ice. The other team had insulted Emma, and there was no way we could let that slide. As I hold her, I can feel her body trembling slightly, so I tighten my grip around her, trying to reassure her. “Everything’s okay, Em,” I say softly, even though I’m not entirely convinced myself.
“Are you guys alright?” Emma asks, her green eyes filled with concern as she looks up at me.
“We’re fine,” I insist, forcing a smile. “Just a little worked up, that’s all.” I know that, deep down, this incident has shaken all of us, but I don’t want Emma to worry more than she already is.
Before any of us can say anything else, Coach bursts into the locker room, his face red with fury. He takes one look at Emma and starts yelling, “This is all your fault! Get out of here!”
Luka, Alec, and I immediately step in front of Emma, forming a protective barrier between her and our fuming coach. We may be scared of Coach’s wrath, but there’s no way we’re letting him talk to Emma like that.
“Coach, you can’t talk to her that way,” Luka says firmly, his gray eyes piercing.
“Back off, Coach,” Alec adds, his blue eyes narrowing in anger. “Emma didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Enough!” Coach roars, clearly not used to being challenged by his players. But seeing Emma so upset stirs something inside me, and I can’t stay silent any longer.
“Coach,” I say, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me. “Emma isn’t to blame for any of this. We acted on our own accord because we care about her. That’s it.”
I can tell that my words have struck a nerve, as Coach’s face turns an even deeper shade of red. But for now, it seems like he’s at a loss for words.
“I’ll leave,” Emma says, her voice barely a whisper. She looks at each of us with those expressive green eyes before she turns to go, leaving the locker room and the tension that hangs thick in the air. “Good luck,” she adds, hesitating for just a moment before the door closes behind her.
I wish she could stay, help us all stay calm. But now it’s just the three of us left to face Coach’s wrath.
“Ruining the game and your careers over a girl!” he barks, his fury still palpable. “You lot are supposed to be focused on hockey, not getting into fights because someone insulted your precious Emma!”
The way he spits out her name makes my blood boil, but I force myself to take a deep breath, trying to keep my emotions in check. This isn’t the time for another outburst.
“Coach, we understand that our actions may have been rash, but we couldn’t just stand there and let them insult her like that,” I say, struggling to keep my voice level.
