Page 126 of Breaking the Ice

“You’d be okay moving to the second power play team?” To some extent, every guy on the team had some kind of ego; Elliott’s was healthier than most, and almost entirely deserved. He couldn’t imagine a situation where Elliott wouldchooseto move.

“Yeah,” Elliott said, without hesitation. “If it was me or him, yeah.”

Zach sighed. “Ell, it’s got to be Malcolm.”

“Seriously?” Elliott made a face, and Zach nodded.

“It’s just, he takes these things so personally. He wouldn’t want anyone to know, but you’re Zachy, so maybe it’s okay. But he’s sensitive, you know? He wants so badly to be good, to live up to his expectations. Not even everyone else’s, but his own.”

Zach understood, maybe better than Elliott imagined he did.

“I get it, I felt that way too, once,” Zach murmured.

But that didn’t stop Elliott. “Even if you didn’t mean it that way, to make it a punishment or make him feel lesser, he’s gonna, and I just . . .” Elliott’s lips clamped together. “I would take that for him, if I could.”

Zach understood that, too. He’d never minded carrying some of Gavin’s burdens, had even invited it more than once. Tried to deal with crap and keep it off Gavin’s plate, so he wouldn’t be bothered.

“I really do get it,” Zach said. “But this is the way it’s gonna have to go.”

Elliott shrugged. “I had to try.”

He’d known, of course, that Elliott and Mal had some serious feelings for each other—it was difficult to miss these days, honestly—but he’d not expected to come face to face with the pure selflessness of their love today.

“You love him,” Zach said.

Elliott gave a single nod. “Yeah, I do.”

“Then help me remind him that he’s a great fucking hockey player, okay?”

“How are you gonna do that?” Elliott wanted to know.

“By giving him a task to accomplish.”

Elliott groaned. “You’re gonna challenge him to get the second power play in line.”

“Yep.”

“You’re gonna create a monster. Evenmoreof a monster,” Elliott warned him.

“Yeah. Well, you’re gonna have your hands full, too. Conrad is moving to your team.”

“Fuck. Well, it could’ve been worse,” Elliott said with resignation.

Chapter 17

Itwastheirsecondpractice after Gavin had decided to shake things up, and he wished he could tell himself it was working.

Be patient.

He knew chemistry took time to build, but so far, Malcolm was just bullying his players into submission, until they were afraid to even shoot the fucking puck. As for the first team, Elliott had turned into a mini Malcolm, riding Conrad until he just reflexively sent the puck in Elliott’s direction, even if he wasn’t particularly open.

“You just missed Ivan, who wasright there,” Zach barked out across the ice. Not sounding particularly patient.

Maybe it had been unfair of Gavin to give him this burden, when he hadn’t even wanted to do this in the first place.

Part of him wanted to head over to where Zach was standing, just inside the blue line, as he tried to reason with the five players on the ice, and tell him to forget this whole fucking thing.

There had to be easier ways to get out of this slump.