Page 2 of Scoring Chance

I scoffed. “Yeah, me and Olli.”

“What do you need to practice? Sitting on a chair?” Grant Fisher, one of the guys that usually left me alone, said with a smirk.

Noah Malkin, last year’s rookie, leaned forward while I narrowed my eyes at him. He was one of the youngest on the team, yet he was treated like a king. Everyone loved him and fawned over him like he was the greatest thing to ever happen to the team.

“Nah, he needs to get better about opening the door. I hate sliding in and having to jump over the walls to get to the bench, but he’s too slow sometimes.”

“Seriously, it’s like he’s not even paying attention to the game half the time,” Erik added.

The guys all started agreeing, fueling the fire burning my self-esteem to the ground. It’s not my job to open the stupid door. I just happened to be close and did it when I could. “Says the guy that missed half his passes last game.”

He shot me a glare and I matched it with one of my own.

“Hey, how about we quit roasting Derrek and focus on something positive,” Elena said with a stern tone.

The guys had the decency to look a bit guilty, although no one offered an apology. I was grateful for the distraction though. I caught her eye, and she gave me a small wink. She knew exactly what she was doing. I wanted to stand up and give her a hug, but I leaned back and hoped the guys were done for the night.

“What is it?” Chloe asked with excitement.

“My little sister finished her program and is looking to start as a sports trainer,” Elena said as she sat up with a bright smile. “She has a few offers in Texas, but I was wondering if you’d be willing to give her a call?”

She was looking at Madi who instantly nodded. “Yes, of course. I’ll reach out and set up an interview.”

The Pride seemed excited at the prospect of growing their numbers. I wasn’t exactly on their level, but if her sister was half as kind as Elena, I wouldn’t mind having her around.

“How old is she?” Lucy asked from across the table.

“She’s twenty-three. She just finished her masters and is getting ready for the board exams.”

“That’s so awesome. Do you think a position at the clinic would be right?” Lucy looked to Madi.

“Physical therapy isn’t the exact same thing as what a trainer does, but it would be great exposure. With all the teams we work with, she’d get some experience in her field.”

Elena nodded. “Experience is exactly what she needs right now.”

“Is she going to live with you?” Erik asked Elena while eyeing Nikolay.

“If she’s a good fit and accepts the offer, yeah, she’ll move in with me.”

A few of the guys chuckled, but Nikolay leveled them with a glare.

“Nikolay, how’s Yula? I haven’t been able to visit since last week.” Addi, Grant’s fiancé, asked while bouncing her little boy, Eli, on her knee.

The man finally stopped glaring for a few seconds. “She’s doing well. The doctors are happy with how chemo is going.”

Elena nodded. “She’s still tired and a bit sick, but she’s doing a lot better. Next week is the end of this course.”

“That’s so exciting. We’ll have to throw her a party when she’s done,” Chloe said and the women began nodding.

“I’m sure she’d love that,” Nikolay replied with a sad smile.

I wasn’t used to seeing the brute so emotional, but I knew his soft spot was anything to do with his family. I couldn’t imagine what he was going through as a brother. I’d lose my mind watching my little sister fighting for her life.

I wanted to say something to him, try to let him know I was there for him, but I knew it would end up being twisted and used as ammo against me.

The pizzas were finally delivered to the table and I didn’t hesitate to fill my plate. At least with food to distract us, I could pretend like I wasn’t an outsider with my own team.

2