Page 178 of Break Away
“Yes,” Ryan said immediately.
“I asked you idiots.”
“And we gave you a referral,” Briggs said.
I stared at them. “I’m not calling my mother to explain rage sex and forgiveness.”
Rider made a strangled sound. “Maybe skip the coffee-table logistics.”
Ryan’s mouth twitched despite himself. “Use broad themes.”
Cade skated one slow circle around me, annoying and calm. “You’re asking men who love you and also have a combined emotional toolkit of violence, sarcasm, and protein intake. I killed my girl’s ex for crimes just as vulgar, so I’m not a good reference. Call the woman who actually knows how your head works.”
“My head works fine.”
Ryan looked at Briggs. Briggs looked at Cade. Cade looked at Rider, and Rider looked at me.
The disrespect was organized.
I pointed my stick at them. “I hate this team.”
Briggs brightened. “You love this team. You’re just allergic to being perceived.”
“I regret ever becoming captain.”
“No, you don’t,” Cade said.
I hated that too.
Practice turned ugly after that in the way I needed. We ran drills until my ribs burned and my lungs forgot how to make room for thoughts. Briggs chirped every missed shot. Ryan set me up for one-timers and insulted my finish when I didn’t bury them. Cade stayed quiet except when he didn’t, which was somehow worse because his comments landed like they had been sharpened in private.
Rider disappeared for an early class.
By the time we left the ice, my gear was damp, my hand throbbed beneath the tape, and my body felt wrung out enough that Aura’s voice was no longer the only sound inside my head.
In the locker room, Briggs dropped onto the bench with a groan and started unlacing his skates like they had betrayed him personally.
“If anyone asks,” he said, “this was a wellness skate.”
Ryan peeled his jersey over his head. “No one would believe that.”
“My wellness is aggressive.”
Cade sat across from me, his elbows on his knees, watching as I unwound the tape around my hand. The gauze beneath it had stained through again.
“You need to rewrap that.”
I glanced up. “You always this controlling after practice?”
“Yes,” Cade said.
Briggs leaned around him. “He has binders for emergencies.”
“I have one binder.”
Ryan nodded. “That he admits to.”
Cade ignored both of them. “Call your mom tonight.”
