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“There,” I say, stepping back like he’s contagious. “Anything else?”

His eyes linger on me for a second longer than necessary. “Nope.”

“Okay.”

He turns to leave, and I watch him go, the door clicking shut behind him.

“Such a douchebag,” I mutter under my breath, shoving papers around on the desk.

But damn, he is hot.

Chapter 10

The rink smells like sweat and cold steel as Coach’s voice cuts through the noise.

“Alright, listen up!” he shouts, waving a clipboard like a weapon. “We’ve got a game against South Ridge this Friday. They’re fast, they’re mean, and they’re gonna come at you hard. I need every single one of you focused and ready to play like your damn lives depend on it.”

There’s a murmur of agreement from the team, sticks tapping on the ice like a collective heartbeat.

Coach’s eyes land on me. “And Grayson, congrats, you’re officially in the lineup.”

I blink. “Thank you, Coach.”

The team shifts around me, and I feel the weight of their stares. Caleb’s glare hits the hardest. He’s standing off to theside, his arms crossed, jaw clenched like he’s biting back a string of insults.

“Caleb,” Coach continues, “you’re sitting this one out.”

“What?” Caleb snaps, stepping forward. “You’re benching me?”

Coach doesn’t flinch. “You’re not at a hundred percent, and I’m not rewarding it. That’s final.”

“Coach—”

“Final, Caleb,” Coach says, his voice like ice.

The team mutters under their breath, a few guys throwing me quick glances. Yeah, it’s pretty clear who they’re blaming for this.

Caleb doesn’t say anything else, but the look he gives me could melt the fucking ice under our skates.

In the locker room, the tension is thick enough to cut with a skate blade. I sit on the bench, pulling off my pads and trying to act like I’m not fully aware of Caleb sitting a few feet away, his anger radiating like a goddamn furnace.

I clear my throat. “Hey, look–”

Caleb doesn’t even glance at me. “Mind your business.”

“Cool talk.”

He turns his head, his eyes dark. “You done?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool.”

I clench my jaw and go back to unlacing my skates. The guy’s an asshole, but I get it. Losing your spot to someone new? It’s gotta suck. Still, he doesn’t have to make it so fucking personal.

When I finish showering, the locker room is quieter, most of the guys already gone. Caleb’s still there, though, packing up his stuff like he’s got somewhere better to be.

I shrug on my jacket and head out, my thoughts drifting. Not to the game, not to Caleb, but to Sienna.