Page 104 of Off The Rush
“Enough!” he roars, cutting me off. “Your actions tonight have consequences, and you’re all suspended, effective immediately.”
“Suspended?” Luka interjects, his gray eyes flashing with disbelief. “Coach, this is too harsh. We were defending someone we care about. It isn’t the first time there’s been a fistfight on the ice.”
“Go home,” Coach snaps, ignoring Luka’s protest. “All of you. And don’t bother showing up for practice tomorrow or the day after until you choose to end your disgusting relationship. You’ve made your priorities clear, so take some time to think about what really matters.”
His words sting and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest as the reality of the situation sinks in. Suspended? Just like that? My mind races, thoughts of everything we’ve worked for swirling through my head. Hockey has always been my life, and now… I don’t know what to do.
“Come on, guys,” Alec says quietly, his blue eyes filled with disappointment as he turns toward the door. “Let’s go find Emma.”
We stop leaving when the locker room door swings open as the rest of the team files in, their faces a mix of curiosity and concern.
“What happened?” Miles asks, glancing between me and Luka.
“Coach just suspended us,” I mutter, not bothering to hide my anger. “All because he thinks our relationship is disgusting and we defended Emma.”
“Seriously? That’s messed up!” The outrage in Liam’s voice is palpable, and I can’t help but feel grateful for their support. They know as well as I do that what Coach did wasn’t right, but there’s nothing any of us can do about it now.
“Let’s just go find her,” Luka suggests, already pulling off his hockey gear. The others nod in agreement, leaving us to our thoughts as we change in silence.
As soon as we’re ready, the three of us step out of the locker room, trying to ignore the whispers and stares from the other players. It’s like they’re all watching a train wreck unfold before their eyes, and I guess in a way, they are. But right now, all I care about is finding Emma.
We don’t have to look far; she’s standing just outside the door, tears streaming down her face. My heart aches at the sight of her, and I rush to her side without a moment’s hesitation.
“Emma, hey,” I whisper, pulling her into a tight embrace. “It’s okay. We’re going to be okay.”
“JD, I’m so sorry,” she chokes out, burying her face in my chest. “I never wanted any of this to happen. I never wanted to cause trouble for you or your friends.”
“Hey, none of this is your fault,” I say firmly, lifting her chin so she’s forced to meet my gaze. “We made a choice, and we’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“But your careers—” Her words are cut off by a fresh wave of tears, and my heart clenches in my chest.
“Emma, listen to me,” I say, holding her gaze. “We’ll figure this out. Our careers aren’t the most important thing in the world. You matter to us, and we’re not going to let anyone treat you like that. Not even Coach.”
I can feel Alec and Luka nodding in agreement behind me, showing their support.
Wiping the tears from Emma’s cheeks, I can’t help but share her worry. “What are we going to do now?” she asks softly, her voice trembling.
“Hey,” Luka interjects gently, his gray eyes meeting hers with a steady calmness that only he can manage. “We’ll figure it out together, okay? We’ve got each other’s backs.”
Emma nods, sniffling a bit as Alec squeezes her shoulder reassuringly. The look in his blue eyes is full of determination.
“Come on,” I suggest, trying to lighten the mood. “Let’s get out of here.”
I pull up the game on my phone and as I watch our teammates play their hearts out, it feels like they’re doing more than just trying to win the game. It’s as if they’re defending our honor, standing up for us even though we’re not down there with them. It makes my chest swell with pride, knowing that we have their support even in the face of adversity.
Despite their best efforts, though, our team ends up losing the game.
Chapter 47
I stand in the middle of the guys’ living room, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. The afternoon sun filters through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor. JD, Luka, and Alec sit on the various couches, their faces etched with worry and sadness.
The email I just received makes everything worse.
I reread the email from Professor Martin aloud to the guys.
Dear Emma,
I’m so sorry about the events that transpired at the Spring Showcase. I haven’t been able to speak with the Dean on how we will proceed but rest assured we are conducting an investigation into who did this.
