He’s…pissed.
And with the way he’s going head-to-head with Coach, getting right up in his face?
He isn’t the only one who’s frustrated.
This is bad.
Really bad.
How the hell can Theo not see he’s proving to Coach why the no fraternization policy needs to be in place at this very moment? It’s causing friction in the locker room. And we’re all witnessing it right in front of our eyes, minutes before a game.
Fucking hell.
My stomach rolls, and my fingers dig into the sleeve of Colt’s jersey even more as I pull him closer. “Colt. Fix this.”
Colt steps forward, but his hands are just as tied as mine.
“Coach,” he starts.
“Not now, Thorne,” Coach barks, glaring at Theo. “Get your skates on, and get your ass on the ice, Taylor. We’ll discuss this in private.”
“Bullshit,” Theo spits. His skin is mottled with red, and there’s a vein in his forehead throbbing as he curls his upper lip, refusing to back down. “Me dating Blake isn’t a big deal. Why won’t you––”
“Blake, you’re fired!” Coach snaps. His words wash over me like a vat of acid, but I’m too stunned to speak, let alone register his words.
What did he say?
I’m…
I blink slowly, convinced I’ve heard him wrong.
Wait, what? I’m fired?
There’s no way this is happening.
I’ve done nothing wrong. This internship means everything to me.
Is the room spinning? Why does it feel like the room’s spinning?
Maybe I’m dreaming. This isn’t real.
I can feel everyone staring at me. As if I really am in a dream. One where you’re naked in front of a group of people. And everyone’s watching you. Waiting for you to realize how bare and vulnerable you really are.
And I am. I’ve been stripped bare, and I’m so freaking vulnerable, I might actually puke. My short fingernails dig into my palms as I fist them together. But the familiar bite of pain doesn’t wake me up. It only confirms my greatest fear.
This is real.
This is happening.
And Coach’s threat? It officially came to fruition. In front of everyone.
“What the fuck, Coach?” Theo yells. “I didn’t want––”
“Coach, you can’t kick her off the team,” Colt argues, snapping out of the same haze I’d been lost in. He leaves me alone at the edge of the room and goes head-to-head with Coach Sanderson, flanking Theo’s side.
“You wanna blame someone?” Coach asks my brother. “Blame Theo for not following the goddamn rules.”
This can’t be happening.
I shake my head and step forward, desperate to fight for what I want despite the insane circumstances. “Coach, I didn’t do anything.”
Theo talks over me, anxious to fix the shitstorm he’s created. “They’re bullshit rules, and you know it.”
Ignoring him, I hold Coach’s gaze and beg, “You can’t fire me. I obeyed the rules. I told Theo no.”
“Unfortunately, your position can be filled in an instant,” Coach grits out, glaring at Theo again. “Finding a new captain or left wing isn’t so easy.”
I pull back, a gasp slipping out of my parted lips as the truth hits me square in the chest.
He’s serious.
I’m––I gulp––finished.
In the blink of an eye, everything I’ve worked for is gone.
But Coach is right. I’m a dime a dozen. I'm at the bottom of the food chain. Hell, I'm a nobody on this team. Theo, however, is irreplaceable. He’s one of the stars. One of the top scorers who’s being recruited by multiple teams across the country. Who knows? He’s so coveted, he might already be signed with one of them.
That’s the problem though, isn’t it? He knows how important he is to this team and thought it would give him free rein to get what he wants. Instead, it backfired in my face.
I can feel his gaze on me, branding the side of my cheek as the realization finally settles into Theo’s bones the same way it’s settled into mine. He reaches for me, but I step back, keeping distance between us. And I need it now more than ever.
Theo glares at Coach, his upper lip curling in disgust. “Fine. I quit the team.”
A few murmured oh shits echo around the room, but they’re drowned out by the whoosh of my heart drumming in my ears.
He can’t be serious.
He can’t quit.
He loves the game.
He loves everything about it.
It’s what he was made for the same way Colt was.
Coach’s face is red with fury as Theo leans closer to him without an ounce of self-preservation. He’s being so reckless. So disrespectful. So freaking stupid. This is his future on the line. What the hell is he thinking?
This has gone too far.
Convinced there are going to be blows within the next two seconds, I march toward Theo, grab the collar of his jersey, and force him to look at me. “Stop talking, and get your ass on the ice.”
His face twists with disgust, though I’m not sure if it’s directed at Coach or himself. He grabs my face and rasps, “I’m gonna walk, Blake.”
“No. You’re not.”
“Blake,” he begs.
I pull away from him, the truth settling heavily on my shoulders. If I don’t remove myself from this situation, it could cause permanent damage to Theo’s career, and I can’t let it happen.
“You’ve done enough,” I murmur. My chest heaves as I turn to Coach, praying I have enough strength to keep my emotions in check until I can get to my car. “I’m really grateful for the opportunity I had to shadow Russ. It was a great experience, and I”––I swallow back my tears––“I can’t thank you enough.” Choking back the lump in my throat, I head toward the exit without another word as Theo yells after me.
I ignore him.
I ignore everything.
The way I’m dizzy with anger. And resentment. And hurt. I ignore it all, shove my key into the ignition, and pull out onto the main road. It only takes two seconds for the realization to hit like a ton of bricks.
I just lost everything I’ve been working for.
And it’s all Theo’s fault.
34
BLAKELY
I turned off my phone after silencing it for the tenth time. Between Colt and Theo, the thing vibrated for a solid two minutes until I put it out of its misery. If only I could so easily quiet the replay from the locker room. It’s been running in a constant loop in my head.
The door slams behind me as I step over the threshold and into the house, desperate to block out the world.
“What the––?” Mia’s head pops through the doorway of her room down the hall. She frowns. “What are you doing home? Aren’t you supposed to be at the game? Ash already left and is sitting with your mom in the stands. Is everything okay?”
A sardonic laugh bubbles out of my throat as I toss my keys onto the kitchen counter like they’re a grenade. “I just got fired.”
Her frowns deepens. “What?”
“I just got fired,” I repeat, hoping if I say it enough times, it’ll take away the sting.