Chapter 28
LIVELY
When I arrived at the rink an hour later, both coaches were already there, heads bent over clipboards, their faces set in matching expressions of focused intensity. Hailey stood a few feet away, her dark hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, jaw set in rigid a line.
“Finally,” Coach Hawkins said, not bothering to look up as I approached. “The man of the hour shows up. Thought you might've gotten lost, Summers.”
“Sorry, Coach.” I affected a cocky tone, and tried my best not to look at Hailey again, but my eyes betrayed me despite my best efforts. She was deliberately not looking at me, her gaze fixed somewhere over Coach Gunner's shoulder.
“Alright,” Coach Gunner said, his voice cutting through the tension. “Let's get down to it. Your performances on the course today were solid, but we need to address some issues before they become problems.”
We spent the next twenty minutes going over team dynamics, leadership strategies, and how to best integrate our style of play for the upcoming scrimmages.
I tried to focus. I really did, but Hailey's presence beside me was a constant distraction.
The faint scent of her shampoo, the way she shifted her weight from one foot to the other when she was thinking, the curve of her neck as she tilted her head to study the diagrams Coach Hawkins was drawing.
“We’re seeing too much hesitation between paired players,” Coach Hawkins continued. “Especially in the transition areas. Communication is key here, Captains. It isn’t enough to just tolerate your partner, you need to learn to anticipate their movements, their thought process.”
Coach Gunner's gaze landed on me with unsettling intensity. “Summers, you and Baleman set the tone for both teams. If you can't find a way to work together seamlessly, none of them will.”
Yeah, I know that, Coach . I thought, even as I kept my expression straight.
“We're working on it, Coach,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt.
“Yes, we can see that. Although you guys had been off to a rough start yesterday,” we both knew that he was referring to Hailey ditching me with locker inventory duty all by myself yesterday, “You really showed some team work out there today. Keep it up.” He nodded, before looking down at the sheets in front of us.
“Now, about the practice schedule for tomorrow. We need to make some adjustments based on today's performance. You know that we’re just here to… supervise this team bonding.”
Right.
“We'll review it,” Hailey said, her voice cool as a cucumber. “Make any necessary changes.”
“Perfect.” Coach Hawkins handed over the binder. “We've got a coaches' meeting in five minutes. Look over the schedule, make your adjustments, and have it back to us by dinner.”
And just like that, they were leaving, their footsteps echoing in the empty rink as they headed for the exit. Leaving me alone with Hailey. My mouth went dry.
The silence between us stretched, taut and charged with everything we weren't saying. When she turned to me, her arms were crossed over her chest in a defensive posture that felt like a dare and a warning all rolled into one.
Was she like this because I’d admitted to flirting with her? Shit, did she hate it that much?
Chill out, Summers. Don't panic. I told myself, trying to maintain my cool.
“Well? Where's your schedule?”
Without protest, I pulled the crumpled paper from my pocket, trying to ignore how my fingers trembled slightly. The schedule was the last thing on my mind, but I forced myself to focus on the task. “Morning sessions for tomorrow first?”
She nodded, stepping closer to see the paper.
And immediately, my neck flushed even as my cock twitched again, so much so that I had to bite back a groan.
I needed to get it together. She was just looking at a freaking schedule, for Christ's sake.
But then she leaned closer, her shoulder brushing mine, and all rational thought pretty much fled.
I had to grab whatever was left of it before I lost it right there.
“Let me see that,” she muttered, reaching for the paper. Her fingers brushed mine and my body temperature spiked another few degrees. “Okay, so you've got stick handling drills at 7 AM?”
“Yeah, I figured we start with fundamentals. Quick hands exercises, toe drags.” I leaned in closer, pretending I needed to see the paper better. Really, I just wanted to be in her space. “Then transition into small area games to apply the skills.”
Her eyebrows drew together in that way they did when she was thinking hard about something. “Mm. That works. But the power skating session after that needs to be pushed back.”
“I think it’s a pretty solid segue,” I said, my brows lowering slightly over my eyes. “Why the change?”
“Because,” she said, jabbing the paper with her finger, “you've got them doing crossover sprints and transition skating right before the 3-on-3 scrimmage. Their legs will be shot. No one's going to have any jump left for actual gameplay.”
I loved how she spoke without hesitation, claiming her space in the sport without cowering to anyone else. It was one of the thousand reasons why I continued to be so hopelessly in love with her; her sharp mind, her natural leadership, the way she always seemed to know exactly what her team needed.
“What if we moved the scrimmage to the afternoon?” I suggested, leaning even closer. Yeah, I was pushing my luck, I knew that, but I couldn't resist. “After lunch break? That gives everyone time to recover.”
“And put the power play and penalty kill drills before lunch instead,” she added, not backing away despite our proximity. “Zone entries, breakouts, and special teams work won't tax their legs as much.”
“Look at you, thinking of everything.” The words came out softer than I intended, more sincere.
I honestly was so gone for this girl.
She glanced up, probably to tell me off, but seemed to forget what she was going to say when she realized how close we were.
I could see the flecks of gold in her brown eyes, could probably count every pore on her face.
Her lips parted slightly, and it took everything in me not to close the seriously negligible distance between us.
“We should…” she cleared her throat, looking back at the paper, but I caught the pink tints of a blush crawling up her neck.
Fuck fuckity fuck . I had to stay calm , no matter how hard that was for me right now.
“We should add some defensive zone coverage drills too. Box plus one and collapse systems need work.”
“Whatever you say, Captain,” I managed, proud that my voice came out steady despite the chaos in my head.
She glanced up at me, suspicion clear in those gorgeous eyes. “You’re being very agreeable all of a sudden, aren't you?”
I couldn't help myself. One brow arched. “Why, would you prefer we can argue back and forth, maybe call each other names while we’re at it? I didn't think you were into that.” I drawled, then tilted my head and added, “ Are you?”
Her usually aloof expression was immediately replaced with down turned lips and flashing eyes. “I think we both know who the freak is out of the two of us, fuckface .” She retorted and I chuckled.
Ah, there it was again . Fuckface. Just hearing it again had my balls ready to blow—hell, I could feel myself leaking in my pants a little bit. Yeah, we both definitely know who the freak was out of the two of us.
I decided to steer the conversation back to neutral ground, before I did something that I'd regret; like grabbing that potty mouth of hers and kissing her breathless.
Since I definitely couldn't do that now, I grinned instead, letting some of my usual cockiness seep into my expression.
“Maybe I just like watching you take charge.” I said, the words coming out rougher than I intended, and then I watched her blink as she tried to figure out what the hell I was talking about.
By the time she realized it was in response to her accusing me of being a little too agreeable, her expression had already gone completely cold on me.
And I was hooked .
“Anything else, Cap?” I nudged, feeling the heat run up the sides of my neck.
“Cool-down stretching and recovery needs to be longer,” she said, her voice too tight, too controlled. “Especially after the afternoon scrimmage. And we should add some time for video review of some of our team practice drills before dinner.”
The paper crinkled as her grip tightened on it. I wondered if she was as affected by my proximity as I was by hers. If her heart was racing as fast as mine. If she was fighting the same urge to close this maddening gap between us.
“The peasants will revolt.” I joked, even as my pulse spiked even higher. There was a possibility I'd die of a heart attack right here, and I wasn't even opposed to the idea at all. Dying in Hailey's arms? It’d be heaven .
“Well, captain obvious.” She said, her tone cold. “I know the coaches called this a ‘retreat’, but we all know they’re just tryna skate around legalities.”
She’d definitely sock me in the mouth if I tried to kiss her, wouldn’t she? Without a doubt.
Barely restraining my impulses, I said, “Looks like we've got it all figured out then,” even though I didn't move away. “Meeting at 6:30 AM to go over the schedule adjustment with our teams?”
“Yeah,” she agreed, stepping back. The loss of her warmth was immediate and acute—a literal physical pain. “We should post it in both cabins tonight.”
I didn't know what to say. What I did know was that I didn't want to leave her just yet, but I didn't quite know how to make her stay .
So, when she turned to go, I clenched my jaw, mind racing and coming up empty still.
But Hailey paused, glancing back over her shoulder. “Lively?”
My heart lodged itself firmly in my throat. “Yeah?” I tried not to sound too eager, but I didn't think I pulled it off well.
“About what you said earlier…” She hesitated, biting her lower lip in a way that made me want to close the distance and do it for her. “I think we should lay some ground rules.”
Well. I definitely hadn't expected that. “Oh? Rules?” My confusion was plain in my tone.
Her jaw worked. I could practically hear the gears grinding in her head, like she was debating whether or not to say it. Finally, with a sharp inhale, she turned to face me fully, walking backward as she pointed a finger at my chest.
“You,” she said, voice firm, “are not allowed to flirt with me.”
I blinked, her words taking time to sink in. Then I grinned.
“Oh, Baleman.” I let my voice dip just enough to be a little dangerous. “I didn’t realize that was an issue.”
Her nostrils flared, but she held her ground. “It is. It’s distracting, and it’s unprofessional.”
Distracting. She just admitted that I was distracting . And that could only mean one thing: she was noticing me now. That was the only reason why I distracted her.
“Unprofessional?” I echoed, mock-offended. “I prefer to think of it as team building.”
She groaned, turning back around and picking up her pace. “God, I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.” God, please, I hope she really fucking didn't.
“Summers.” She growled.
“Yes, my pretty Hailstorm?”
She clenched her fists. “If you call me that again, I swear to god, I'll—”
“Strangle me?” I offered. “Deck me? Pin me against a wall? Of course, I do have a preference out of the three options. Want to guess which one it is?”
“Ugh, you goddamn perv! Stay the hell away from me!” She snapped and took off, but not before I caught the blush spreading from her neck upward.
“Heh.” I laughed, putting one hand over my mouth, shoulders trembling from the shot of adrenaline straight through my spinal cord. She made me crazy, I swear to God. “That's the fourth time, Hailstorm.” I murmured, my pulse beating like a hummingbird's wings in my throat.
Hailey was noticing me now, and that was why she was getting antsy around me. And for the first time in two years, I let myself believe that maybe—just maybe —I had a chance.
Now I just had to play my cards right from here on out.