Page 41 of Puck Love

“Goddamn it, why are you socurious?”

Eli chuckles. “Why are you socagey?”

“I’mnot.”

“Bullshit,” he says. “What’s the deal there,man?”

“Nothing, okay? She’s working with Emmett.” We’re practicing drive and shoot drills, and when Coach blows the whistle I take off before Eli. I shoot him the puck, he snaps it back, and I take my shot at the net. My shoulder seizes, pain radiates down my arm. The puck misses the mark by about three feet. I shoot a quick glance at Coach. He’s glaring at me, because I never miss like this. Maybe in a game, yeah, but not at practice.Fuck. I am so screwed, and I’m gonna need the world’s longest soak in my hot tub afterthis.

Eli gives me a pointed look and we join the back of the line. “Working onwhat?”

I’m thrown by the direction of his question. I expected him to give me shit about my colossal fuck up, so it takes a beat to realize he’s picking up where we left off. “I don’t know, some speech therapy orsomething.”

He’s openly staring at the two of them now with a goofy, puzzled expression on his face. He gives them a wave. I’m tempted to give my brother the finger, which is what I’d usually do, but Stella’s sitting beside him, and I don’t want her to think I’m anass.

“And that means she has to attendpractice?”

I shrug my right shoulder. The left hurts like a bitch. “She goes where hegoes.”

“I call bullshit. I’ve known you too long to accept that.” He points his gloved finger at me. “You don’t blush about any woman, ever . . . and you certainly don’t bring them around Emmett. She’s the one you bought that guitar for, isn’tshe?”

“Hey, if you pussies got back to work, we might actually win a game this season,” Gagnon shouts as he skates towardus.

“Fuck you, Gagnon,” I mutter, too low for Coach to hear, but apparently, I’m not quiet enough to escape my captain’s supersonicears.

He gets up in my face and shoves me with a fucking crosscheck. The blow doesn’t seat me on my ass the way I guess he hoped, and despite the pain, I shove back, using my stick the same way he did. “Fucking cockfuck!”

His grin taunts me. “You gonna cry,Ross?”

“Fuck you,asshole.”

“Don’t do it.” Eli tries to pull me back. I throw my stick down. Gagnon’s brow raises, and he smirks.The fuck he did. My gloves come off next. “Ah shit,” Elimutters.

Gagnon tosses his stick and throws his gloves, and I charge him. His fist meets my jaw three times, knocking my helmet off. I grab his jersey to hold him close, and raise my fist. I get one clean hit in before the bastard throws another punch, only this time it’s not at my face—it’s myshoulder.

I crumple like a little girl. My skates slide out from under me, and I hit the ice, hard. My ears ring. My vision blurs. Pain radiates around my body. I go out like a fuckinglight.