Page 10 of Puck’N Enemy (Thunder Knights #2)

Logan

I stare at Coach Becker, wondering what happened to him.

It’s been four years since I last saw the man, but an uncanny change has come over him. He looks far too old and too thin.

Coach Becker was the guy in his fifties who used to run laps and train with the kids from the hockey team. He coached me over the four years I spent in high school.

He’d been a fit man with impressive muscles but now, his entire frame seems to have shrunk. His skin is no longer tanned and healthy. His cheekbones appear too sharp, and the hollows under his eyes make him look like he hasn’t slept in days.

Even though he no longer resembles his past self, it’s unmistakably Coach Becker. He’s the man who shaped me into the goalie I am today.

A flicker of recognition flits through his tired eyes. “Logan? Logan Johnson?”

I blink. “Yeah,” I blurt. “I’m sorry to trouble you, Coach. I was looking for someone else. They must’ve given me the wrong address.” I step back slowly.

“Are you looking for Dylan?”

My feet come to a halt. I stare at him, realizing he doesn’t look all too surprised to see me.

“Yeah,” I say, my voice low. “I’m looking for Dylan.”

Coach doesn’t ask another question. He just pulls the door open wider and steps aside, gesturing at me to follow him.

I walk inside the apartment.

To my surprise, the place is exceptionally neat and clean. The furniture is worn out but looks comfortable. Old photos line the table tops and the smell of a herby soup wafts from the kitchen.

Coach walks over to a recliner in the corner and lowers himself into it. It takes him considerable effort to spread a blanket over his lap.

The small table next to him is covered in bottles of pills. It doesn’t take a genius to guess he’s been sick.

“Sit,” he says gruffly, with that familiar authority that still makes me obey him without thinking. And suddenly, I remember the man who made a team out of a bunch of broken boys.

I sit down on a couch and face him.

“I’ve been following your career, Johnson,” Coach says after a moment. “You’ve grown into one hell of a goalie and a captain. The Thunder Knights team has been on a winning streak over the past few years, all thanks to your efforts.”

My chest tightens with a nostalgic ache. It feels damn good to hear him say I’ve made something out of myself.

A faint smile flickers on his pale lips. “You’ll get drafted soon, boy. I have no doubt about it.”

“Coach...I missed you.”

He barks a laugh.

“But the thing I miss most is you yelling at me when I let the puck through the glove side.”

Coach chuckles, but the next moment, he starts coughing violently.

I’m on my feet and next to him in a heartbeat. “Coach, are you okay?”

He waves a hand as he continues to cough. It’s a while before he calms down and settles into his recliner.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he rasps. “I’m not going to die, kid.”

“Coach, what’s happened to you?” I ask softly.

“Chemo. Round three.”

My chest tightens immediately. “Is anyone taking care of you?” I ask, my gaze roving around the living room.

“I’ve got Dylan playing nurse between his classes and practice,” Coach says, looking mildly annoyed. “I’ve told him to quit it but the boy’s too damn stubborn.”

Surprise flickers through me. “Dylan lives here with you?”

“Yeah.” He pins me with an intense stare. “You came here to look for him, didn’t you?”

I nod. “Coach, do you know about him?”

His expression dims. “I know more than you think. And probably, not enough. That kid can keep a secret like it’s nobody’s business.”

My desperation spikes. “Dylan disappeared back in high school. Do you remember that? We were in our senior year, and he just left without a word. Everyone thought he dropped out. He didn’t even tell me anything—”

A sudden sob chokes me. “I tried to look for him but I had no idea where he could’ve gone. Until a few months back, I didn’t even know he was back in Knightswood.”

Coach is silent for a moment but his expression grows grim.

“He’s been through a lot,” he says finally.

“Back then...was it you who told him to leave?”

“No,” Coach Becker’s voice is firm. “But I did help him leave.”

My blood turns to ice. “You knew what happened to him? You knew where he was all this time?”

He nods.

“Then, why didn’t you tell me? You knew I was searching for him like crazy. It was affecting my academics and my game. You could’ve just told me where Dylan went.”

“And then, what? You’d have gone after him?”

“Yeah,” I say, remembering the pain and anger Dylan left behind in his wake. “He owes me an ass-kicking.”

“I didn’t tell you anything because you weren’t ready to hear some things,” Coach says in a low voice. “You just admitted you were failing to focus on everything important at that time. I couldn’t let Dylan’s sacrifice go in vain.”

“Sacrifice?” I shout. “What did he sacrifice? I was the one who was left broken and damaged. I didn’t even know if I could play hockey again!” My voice gets louder, but Coach watches me calmly.

“What happened to him?” I ask, letting him see the storm brewing within me. “Where did he go?”

Coach lets out a tired sigh. “I was really looking forward to having a nap but you boys just won’t let me have a moment of peace. First, Dylan comes home bruised and beaten and lies about it. And, then you show up, demanding answers.”

“Please, Coach,” I nearly beg him. “If you know what happened back then, tell me. I promise I won’t come back here again.”

Coach waves a hand. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” He takes a moment, looking like it’s taking him effort to just breathe.

“I’ll tell you everything,” he says finally. “But first, you need to tell me what you know. Go back to the beginning and don’t hide anything from me. Tell me the truth about the kind of relationship you two had.”

Memories I’d long suppressed, flashes by my mind.

I hesitate, wondering if Coach really wants to know about my relationship with Dylan.

“There was a time when we were everything to each other,” I say, refusing to cower any longer. I have to find out the secrets Dylan’s been hiding these years.

“He was the first guy I kissed,” I say, meeting Coach Becker’s piercing gaze. “I’ve kissed enough guys and girls since then to know it doesn’t feel the same with anyone else. I was in love with Dylan. He betrayed me but I still can’t get over the asshole.”

“Why do you say he betrayed you?” Coach asks.

“You’re asking that? You know what he did to me!” I shout, suddenly getting angry.

Coach shakes his head. “Stay calm, Logan. Just tell me what happened.”

“Dylan and I became friends in tenth grade,” I say, trying to keep my temper in control. “It happened while we both joined the hockey team.”

Coach nods. “How did you get close enough to kiss each other?”

A heavy feeling comes over me as I’m reminded of the most turbulent time of my life.

“My dad had just died,” I say in a low, grim voice. “He’d taken money from a loan shark but failed to pay him back. So, both Mom and I had to take whatever jobs we could to make enough cash to get out of our debt.”

Coach lets out a thick sigh but stays silent.

“I hated everyone and everything,” I say, remembering those painful days. “I got into trouble everywhere I went. That’s when Dylan came along. He was the same brand of troublemaker as me. He had my back whenever I got into fights. We bled together. He even worked to help me pay off our debts.”

Coach’s expression tightens but he remains silent, allowing me to keep talking.

“I—I fell for him,” I blurt out. My cheeks flame and it suddenly becomes hard to keep meeting Coach’s gaze. “I didn’t want anything as much as I wanted him. I did everything I could to make sure he stayed mine.”

Coach raises an eyebrow. “What did you do, Logan?”

“I fought with anyone who tried to get close to him,” I say, swallowing a lump in my throat. “I made sure every girl stayed the fuck away from him. Believe me, a few of them were stubborn as hell, but I guess they couldn’t help themselves. Dylan is a pretty asshole.”

Coach raises an eyebrow.

“Dylan was stubborn too,” I say in a low voice. “He wouldn’t accept what we had between us. It took a couple of forceful kisses to make him realize what he kept denying.”

A chuckle escapes me as I remember the initial days of getting romantically entangled with him.

“Dylan was a bomb ready to go off any second and I was the only one who could soothe him,” I say, reliving those happy moments. “When he finally realized how much he loved me back, everything fell into place. He became mine and I didn’t waste a second laying claim to him.”

“Fucking hell,” Coach mutters, rubbing his forehead. “You kids were nothing but trouble. I can’t believe you had time for your puppy love after all that brutal training I made you boys go through. Heh! Looks like I wasn’t hard enough on y’all, after all.”

“What’re you talking about?” I mutter. “You were hard on us all. Why do you think we both ended up getting scholarships to play hockey in college? It was all you, Coach.”

“But you two still ended up having enough energy to get into trouble,” Coach says, shaking his head.

A chuckle escapes me. “Yep. Dylan and I were trouble. But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

Coach lets out a sigh.

“Dylan and I became almost family,” I tell him. “He stayed over at my place on most nights. My baby sister thought a new brother sprouted from thin air to dote on her. She loved him and Dylan spoiled her rotten.”

“So, what made you guys break up?” Coach asks.

“Things slowly turned around for my family,” I reply. “Once we were debt-free, our lives became peaceful. I started focusing on hockey and did better at school. After those dark years, I finally started seeing some hope for the future.”

“What about Dylan?” Coach asks.

“Dylan calmed down too,” I tell him. “At least, for a while. We played hockey and studied together at night. We even made plans to apply for the athlete scholarship program at Knightswood University. I almost thought we could be together.”