Luke plays Cole position in our away game tonight. Coach is only giving him one chance on the team, and if he plays well with the team. Cole still isn't happy, and none of the team is either. I am especially not happy.
Cole and I head to the bench to set the water bottles out and the team heads to the locker room to get dressed. The Zamboni finishes the ice from Cara's first game of the year against the girls team here, and our opposing team takes their place for warm up on the ice. A minute later, our own team comes out. Cole bumps each of their fists as they skate onto the ice. Luke skates out last. Cole puts his hand down just in time.
"Hey dude, I'm part of the team. No?" Luke says, skating backwards onto the ice. Cole huffs a breath and turns back to me. He puts his hands on either side of my cheeks and pulls my face my his. His lips crash to mine for a split second, then he walks away. I look back to Luke who rolled his eyes, smirked at me and went back off to his warmups. Cole is standing his ground, but he really has nothing to worry about. That was a protective kiss, which was not really called for.
"Mere", I hear someone call from outside the bench. I look back to see Cara and her friend Willow come up to me. They stand in the doorway between our bench area and the rest of the hockey rink. "I heard who came out here".
I nod my head. "Yep. He supposedly quit drinking and steroids and tried out with Coach for Cole's spot on the team. Coach promised us that if he messes up even the tiniest bit, he's off the team".
"I'm sorry Mere. I know you don't want to see him at all after what happened that one night last year. If he tries anything, the team and I will screw him up", Cara laughs.
"Thank you. I really appreciate it", I hug Cara and she and Willow walk away to find the rest of her team in the stands.
Cole comes back a moment later. He seems calm now and he looks better. His face isn't red and his eyes aren't filled with anger. The guys rush off the ice and onto the bench. A few stay on the ice and to take their places on the face off. Luke, wearing Dillon's number, 5, takes center ice. His opponent looks just about the same size, it would be easy to take the puck away from him when it drops. Coach comes out of the penalty box with Mr. Hoffman and our assistant coach. They stand next to us as the puck drops.
Luke quickly takes the puck and shoves his opponent out of the way. A defense man on the other team tries to retrieve the puck, but Luke passes it to Zac. Luke is an amazing player, even when he wasn't on steroids. Zac passes the puck to Arron, who finally passes it back to Luke. He tries the first shot on goal, but the goalie catches it. The ref blows the whistle.
11 minutes into the second period. Luke once again takes his spot on center ice. The ref drops the puck and his opponent takes it away fast. He and Arron quickly take the puck back from number 20 and shred ice under their skates as they turn back towards the opposing goal. Noah blocks an opposing player from Luke, Arron does the same.
Out of nowhere, another player comes up and cross checks Luke. He falls to the ice fast. As soon as the ref blows the whistle and the opponent skates to the penalty box, Luke gets off the ice and rushes up behind, grabbing the back if his jersey and equipment. He turns the guy around and punches him straight in the nose. The guy falls back by force. A referee comes up and pulls Luke back, pulling him to our bench. Coach yanks open the door, more furious than ever. He takes Luke by the cage on his helmet, pulling him off the ice and back into the locker room.
Cole and I look at each other. We both know if we leave Coach alone with Luke when he is this mad, Luke might be dead. We both hurry after them, opening the locker room door. Luke stands just in front of us, with his back to us, and Coach faces him. We stand quietly as Coach yells at the top of his lungs.
"You had one chance. Out the door now, son. I heard the horrible things you did back in Michigan. Drugs, drinking, fights. I put all of those things aside to get you on this team because you're a good player. Forget that! You will never play for this team, or even in this state, again", Coach yells, just inches away from Luke's face. "Meredith has become a daughter to me, you already messed with her, now you come in here like some little ass and try to win her back. I don't think so. Even if she wasn't dating Cole, I wouldn't let you near her. You came in and asked me to be on the team before I barely knew your name. I'm not doing that bullshit again. You aren't in the NHL, that's not how high school goes. Never think that those things are okay. Ever". Coach is very close to hitting or doing something to Luke.
Cole steps in between Luke and Coach. "Okay, as much as I hate Luke more than any of you, I'm going to say back away from him, Coach". He turns to Luke. "I told you you would f**k up. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. You're a total screw up when it comes to everything I love isn't. Hockey and Meredith. You screwed that up when your Dumbass thought you could get drunk and kiss your girlfriend the way you wanted to, then you come here and ruin my life and take my position on my hockey team, then fuck that up, too. That's when you cross that very thin line. Don't ever come near me, my team, or my best friend", he points at me, "ever again. Do you hear me? If you do, I swear to god you will pay. I will find a way to make your life a living hell".
Cole grabs my wrist and tries to drag me out, but I resist. I need to talk to him. To Luke.
Edited: 3/8/22
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Just Another Goal (Counting on Hockey #1)
Romance*Book one of the Counting on Hockey series* To Meredith, watching hockey was torture. But her sister was a hockey player. She wanted nothing to do with hockey, even thinking about it made her angry. But she had her reasons. Starting 10th grade at a...
