His dad leans forward in his seat, gaze set on the game playing out before us. He mutters something under his breath when the Strickland Senators take a shot and miss. Sydney and Chloe go back to talking about books, and I’m sure I hear his mom say the word cock at least once. I laugh to myself thinking about how much she uses it in her books.
“What is Preston doing?” Bex chews on her bottom lip, speaking so low only I can hear her. “He keeps arguing with Kellan.”
I was so nervous about making a good impression with Drake’s family that I forgot about the game. Now that the introductions are over with, I can sink into my chair and relax. But Bex’s concern is transferring to me once I inspect the ice. Preston and Kellan are in each other’s faces. This goes way beyond two players scrambling for possession of the puck.
“He promised not to get his revenge,” I say.
Bex leans forward with her elbows rested on her thighs and cups the sides of her face in her hands. “It looks like Kellan’s the one going after him.”
“Think of it this way… if you never told Preston about Kellan, you would have a lot more explaining to do.”
“Preston will end up fighting Kellan if he keeps getting in his face.”
I cup her knee with my gloved hand to offer her support.
Once the game ends, the crowd erupts into a mixture of boos and cheers. The Strickland Senators win the game, though there are very few people from Strick U in the stands to give them the round of applause they deserve. Drake was amazing. He guarded the net like the wall of man he is, forcing a win in his team’s favor.
Our team congratulates each other, about to line up to slap hands with the Boston players when Preston swings at Kellan. My mouth falls open in shock as I watch the horror unfold in front of us. Bex gasps, covering her mouth with her hand.
Preston lands a punch to Kellan’s jaw, backing him up against the glass. Kellan attempts to dodge Preston’s fists, though he takes more hits than he misses. But Kellan eventually gets a clean hit on him. Bex cries out as if she’s in pain when Preston’s head turns to the side as Kellan hits him hard in the nose.
Before it escalates further, both teams are surrounding them, their teammates clawing at their jerseys to pull them apart. The linesmen force their way through the crowd, but even they can’t stop Preston as he takes one last shot that spews blood from Kellan’s nose and mouth.
From this vantage point, I can see Preston covered in blood. He stares down at his knuckles after Kellan’s body slumps to the side, forcing his teammates to catch him. But the madness doesn’t end there. Nope, Preston spins around to face his teammates and ends up elbowing a linesman in the face.
“Oh my God,” Bex says with tears streaming down her face. “What the fuck did he just do?”
Drake’s dad shakes his head and lets out a deep breath. “He just killed his career,” he growls, his voice so deep and scary it sends a chill down my spine.
Chapter 18
Drake
After the game, I take a shower and find my dad waiting for me outside the locker room. He’s leaning against the wall, his thick arms crossed over his chest. Even at his age, he’s still in game-ready shape.
“Drake,” he says, raising his hand to beckon me with his finger. I rush over to him, and he slaps me hard on the back, then he pulls me into a hug that could crack a rib. “Good game, buddy.” He sighs, holding me for what feels like a long time before he releases me from his death grip.
“Everything okay, Dad?”
He sighs again. “Yeah, just wanted to check on you. After what Preston did…” His voice trails off as he shakes his head in disappointment. “His career is over. Alex will have to pull a lot of strings to get anyone to look at him after that stunt he pulled. What was the fight about? It looked personal.”
“Preston said he kept getting in his face, so he laid his ass out.”
“My name might go a long way, but it won’t dig you out of a hole that size. Promise me you won’t make the same mistake as Preston. We have too much riding on your future.”
My entire life has been a series of events leading up to a professional hockey career. I’ve never planned for another future. Hockey is it for me, plain and simple.
“I wouldn’t think of it,” I admit.
“I’m proud of you.” He pins me down with his intense gaze. “You looked good out there. The Senators won because of your last save.”
I roll my shoulders. “We did it as a team.”
The corners of his mouth stretch into a wide grin.
He wouldn’t be happy with me if he knew the shit I’ve done over the last few years at school. Getting called out by The Queen for dick pics wasn’t my finest moment. Almost losing Taylor over it—that was an all-time low. The thought of disappointing my dad hits me like a punch to the gut. My dad’s here because he worries about me. Seeing Preston throw his career down the drain must have kicked his parental fear into top gear.
He cups my shoulder with his big hand and squeezes hard. “If you need to talk about what happened tonight, you know you can come to me, right?”
