Page 41 of Guarded Love

Ari: WHAT?!

Ari: ARE YOU SERIOUS?

Ari: This is either the best or worst thing ever!

Ari: I can't decide.

Neither can I, is all I can think. Neither. Can. I.

11

BLAISE

No matter how prepared you are for early morning practices, it doesn’t make getting up and getting on the ice any easier. I’m still performing well to keep Coach Johnson off my back, but I'm mostly going through the motions right now. I'm still reeling from seeing Willow last night at the orientation meeting, but I’m trying my best not to let it show.

I easily intercept a pass meant for Asher. In one fluid motion, I redirect the puck to Knox who's already streaking toward the opposite goal. My body knows what to do even when my mind is elsewhere.

"Nice read, Dalton!" Coach Johnson yells from the sideline. "That's what I'm talking about!"

I nod in acknowledgment, already positioning myself for the next play. The defensive drill continues, and I'm somehow executing every movement with precision despite the fact my thoughts keep drifting to the way Willow's eyes widened when she saw me walk into that orientation room.

Practice intensifies when Coach divides us into teams, red versus white. I'm paired with Harris, a sophomore defenseman with good instincts but still prone to rookie mistakes. When Levibreaks away with the puck, charging toward our goal, I call out positioning instructions to him while cutting off Levi's passing lane.

"Force him wide!" I shout, already anticipating Levi's next move.

Harris responds perfectly, angling his body to push Levi toward the boards. I swoop in at the exact moment Levi attempts to pass to Asher, stealing the puck and clearing it down the ice.

I'm on autopilot, my body executing plays while my mind keeps replaying fragments of last night. I’m excellent at compartmentalizing things in order to get through my day. It’s not working today, but somehow I’m doing okay.

We do a couple more drills before Coach Johnson’s whistle. “Time for a hydration break. You have five minutes!”

I skate toward the bench, tugging off my gloves and reaching for my water bottle. My throat’s dry, but the burn in my legs feels good. Unlike everything else I’m trying to push down.

Knox plops down beside me and squirts water into his mouth. “That redirect you made? Filthy.”

I nod, popping the top of my bottle. “He was telegraphing the pass.”

“Still. You’re locked in today.” He bumps his shoulder into mine. He’s in a better mood than I expected him to be in, but his usual grumpiness has become a thing of the past now that he’s dating Selene.

"Yeah, well, I’m just reading his patterns which leads me to anticipating the play."

Knox gives me a sideways look. "You sound like a hockey textbook."

I shrug. "Just stating facts. Like I usually do."

“You good? You seem...I don't know. Off."

"I'm fine. Just focused and trying to end this semester on a good note." It’s not a lie, but it’s also not the full truth either. I’mfocused on whether I should mention the fact that both Willow and I will be on this Puerto Rico trip together. Hell, I haven’t even mentioned anything about this trip to the guys.

"You wanna grab breakfast after practice?" Knox asks, screwing the cap back on his water bottle. "Shit, we have, like, a minute until Coach calls us back on the ice.”

“Yeah, I have time. Maybe we should invite the rest of the guys?”

Knox nods, already scanning the bench for the others. "I'll round them up after practice."

I take another swig of water, trying to focus on what Coach Johnson is going to throw at us next versus anything related to Willow and the Puerto Rico trip. It’s gotten slightly easier, but the struggle is still there.

Coach's whistle pierces the air. "Back on the ice! Let's run the power play!"