“You’re a good listener, aren’t you, buddy?” I said, scratching behind his ears. His big brown eyes stared at me like he was listening to me.
“You know the worst part, Max? The scandal wasn’t even my fault. Sure, I was at the bar that night, but I didn’t know she was married. She was flirting with me, and I was just being polite, you know? But the paparazzi snapped a photo at the worst possible moment, and bam—I’m the villain in some tabloid soap opera.”
Max tilted his head, his ears perking up as if he were hanging on every word. It felt like he understood me and was the only one who did.
“What else do you want to know, buddy? Did you know Ryan was my best friend in college?”
I remember the first time Ryan and I played together in college. We’d been paired as roommates, and from day one, we just clicked. He was the steady one, the one who kept me grounded when I was flying too close to the sun.
I’d been the wild card, pushing him out of his comfort zone. We balanced each other out. But now, standing in this small-town rescue, it felt like that balance was gone. Ryan was the one with his life together, and I was the one picking up the pieces.
“Max, you know what was the first thing Ryan said to me when I got to Silver Ridge? 'Don’t screw this up, Hayes.' 'This is your last chance. If you blow it, you’re done.”
I’d shrugged it off at the time, but his words hit me hard. Ryan wasn’t just my coach; he was my friend. And if even he thought I was a lost cause, maybe I was.
Riley’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I didn’t realize she had returned. “You know, I don’t get it.”
“Get what?” I asked, standing up.
“Hockey,” she said, setting the clipboard down. “The way people worship you guys like you’re gods. You get paid millions to skate around and hit a puck, and for what? To party all night and make headlines for the wrong reasons?”
I stiffened. “It’s not just a game. It’s my life.”
“Your life?” She raised an eyebrow. “Your life is a sport? That’s sad.”
I took a step closer, my jaw tightening. “You don’t get it. Hockey is not just a sport. It’s everything. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been good at.”
She didn’t back down. “Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe you need to find something else to be good at. Something that doesn’t involve trashing hotel rooms and breaking curfews.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “You know, that whole scandal with the married woman? It wasn’t what it looked like.”
Riley raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? Because it looked pretty bad.”
“She was flirting with me,” I said, my voice rising. “I didn’t know she was married. And I definitely didn’t flirt back. But the media made it sound like I was some kind of homewrecker.”
Riley crossed her arms, her expression skeptical. “And whose fault is that? Maybe you wouldn't have been in that situation if you weren’t out partying all the time.”
I clenched my jaw, frustration bubbling up. “You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t regret it? But it’s not like I planned for this to happen.”
She shook her head, her tone sharp. “It’s always someone else, isn’t it?” Her voice was low but steady. “The media, the woman, your teammates—anyone but you. Don’t you ever get tired of that story?”
Her eyes narrowed as she took a step closer. “You know, Colton, it’s not just the scandal. It’s the way you act like the world owes you something. Like you can skate through life without consequences.”
I stiffened, my jaw tightening. “That’s not fair. You don’t know what it’s like to have everyone watching your every move, waiting for you to screw up.”
“Oh, I don’t?” She raised an eyebrow, her voice sharp. “Try running a dog shelter on a shoestring budget while developers are breathing down your neck, trying to buy the land out from under you. Try having to fight for every single thing you care about. Then tell me about pressure.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but the words caught in my throat. Something in her tone—something raw and honest—made me pause. For a moment, I wondered if maybe she had a point. Maybe I didn’t know how to fight for something like she did.
But before I could respond, she turned away, her voice cold. “Just stay out of trouble, Colton. That’s all anyone’s asking.”
There wasn’t any venom in her voice, just exhaustion. For a second, I wondered if she cared whether I got it right.
The scruffy terrier trotted to Riley, wagging his tail like he’d just won the lottery. Great, even the rescue dog is running away.
“Hey, Max,” she said, her voice softening as she crouched to scratch behind his ears. “You’re not causing trouble, are you?”
As Riley crouched down to scratch Max’s ears, I couldn’t help but notice the way her face softened. It was a side of her I hadn’t seen before—gentle, caring, almost vulnerable. I forgot about the tension between us momentarily and just watched her.
