Chapter 9
Nine
Taylor
It’s another frustrating practice with Eloise beside me. I know she’s good at her job; that’s why it’s so hard to play against her. She can pick up my cues when I’m communicating, and she can make some decent plays when we’re in a scrimmage.
I won’t say I love playing with her yet; she does drive me up the wall when she taps her stick to her skates, or when she refuses to get off the ice before me. Sometimes, she’ll breathe near me loudly, and my hackles are raised, and it’s nothing like the way that Rosie played with me.
We intertwined well,playing off of each other in a seamless fashion that allowed for us to be creative and read where the other needed us. It’s what made us such a powerhouse of a defensive pairing.
I’m wondering if the coaches are thinking we’ll do the same, that Eloise and I will be a better pairing than Rosie and I. Somehow, I can’t picture it.
Maybe I’m still clouded in my judgement; ugh, that feels like something a therapist would say.
Shit. I have to book that appointment soon.
Well, do I have to? Brynn wouldn’t know, and I feel much better. I can get through breakfast without thinking of the blonde woman that Frank was fucking, so that’s nice.
Eloise and I are the last two on the ice, and I know she wants to keep practicing, and I want to keep practicing too, but sooner or later we’ll both be spent. Someone has to give here.
“Ah, perfect,” Coach says gruffly, and I know he’s pissed. “You’re both still here, going against my direct orders to hit the showers,” he mutters something else under his breath; the only way I can tell that he’s speaking is the way his moustache moves with each word.
Eloise stops what she’s doing and skates over, looking a little sheepish that she got caught. I give him a smile, trying to force him to smile back.
He does not.
“Sorry, Coach, just wanted to practice my wrist shots a bit more before tomorrow,” Eloise says. He raises an eyebrow at me, and I shrug.
“I was waiting for her to get off the ice.”
He rolls his eyes, and I can see Brynn in her workout gear coming down the tunnel. She’s got a big smile on her face, one that thins her lips and makes her radiant. Her hair is up in a ponytail that swings behind her.
It brushes her shoulder, and my eyes get stuck on the way that it sits at her neck. I’m enthralled with the way her neck pulses before Coach moves in the corner of my eye and I have to blink back to awareness.
My cheeks feel warm, and I can’t help but… no, I don’t wonder anything. I’m just glad my cheeks are probably still red from practice. Eloise has her dark brown eyes trained on me, and my insides squirm. Jeez. What is she looking at?
“I want you two to spend more time together off ice,“ he says and I try to argue but Eloise beats me to it.
“Coach, you’ll have to forgive me, but I was told to give her some space when I signed.”
He comes up short, and I wonder who told her that.
I mean, great. She hasn’t listened much, though, has she, because she’s been up in my grill since the beginning of camp.
He grumbles something, and I think it has a lot to do with princess behaviour.
I would prickle under the assumption, but I didn’t put the ordinance in place.
“Too fucking bad.” He turns to me, and I put my hands up, at least trying to look innocent. “You’ve had a few days to get comfortable around each other, but you’re going to be linemates, and I need you two to be able to converse on the ice without even looking at each other.”
I stifle a groan. Brynn looks enthused by the idea. “Coach, with all due respect—“ I begin but he cuts me off.
“Nah, you can’t fight this. You’re on sanctioned best friend mode until I say otherwise, and Bailey here is going to make sure that it’s happening.”
Brynn looks entirely too happy with the idea.
I hate it.
I should have never started rooming with her.
Eloise looks a little shocked at the prospect. “Sounds good, Coach,” she says almost woodenly.
“I need a team that likes each other, and if you can’t do that, then one of you will have to go.” Ice shoots through my veins, and while I feel the nerves, Eloise looks terrified.
“We can do it.” I wrap my arm around her and pull her close. She stumbles into my space, and I get a whiff of her sweat and the underlying sweetness of her floral perfume. My gut flutters. “We’ll be best of friends before you know it.”
He raises an eyebrow, face bright red. I wonder if he thinks I’m being smart.
“Good. You two will be good for each other.” He turns on his heel and walks away, and something about it makes me queasy.
Brynn gives the two of us a smile, and Eloise shakes me off when he’s far enough away. “Coach is gonna keep his eye on you.”
“Setting two?” Eloise asks, and Brynn gives her a thoughtful look.
“Maybe. It seems like it might be a new setting. Suspicious.”
“Awesome,” I mutter.
“Anyway, in order to make sure you’re having your mandated best friend time, I’m your chaperone.” She looks too eager at the idea.
“Great!” Eloise looks a little less shell-shocked at the idea.
I wonder why she got so panicked when Coach told her one of us was going to leave. She just signed a new contract.
I mean, she could possibly be traded if something happened between us. She’s new, so she hasn’t set down any roots. It would make sense.
It would suck for her, but she’s the easier option to get rid of here. “Well, Captain Chaperone, what is our first playdate?” I ask, and Brynn scrunches her nose, still smiling. I know I’m going to eat my words for that.
“I was thinking Grouse Grind on Saturday. How’s that sound?” She asks and I groan.
She snorts. “Brynn, that is the worst thing you could have said.”
“I could make you go bowling.”
Eloise perks up. “Oh, I like bowling,” she says eagerly.
Brynn and I turn to each other, trying hard not to laugh. “You played with Winnie in college?” Brynn asks, and Eloise nods. “Right, you weirdos.”
Eloise looks offended, and I hate to tell her the inside joke; it’s hard to explain, really. “Oh, okay,” Eloise says softly.
“Winnie loves bowling–you should go with her,” I say, and her cheeks darken exponentially. I wonder if she knows what kind of bowling Winnie likes. I wonder if Winnie’s her type.
My throat gets tight at the thought of her and Winnie together. I push the thought away; it feels wrong to think about them as a couple.
Brynn clears her throat quickly. “You guys, we’ll be fine. Grouse Grind is a quick hike. I mean, if the boys can do it, then so can we.”
“You’ve seen the boys on the Vancouver Knights, right?” I ask, and Brynn rolls her eyes. “They’re fit.”
“So are we.” Brynn sounds offended as she places her hands on her hips.
“That’s a yucky boy thing, though, Brynn,” I whine, and she laughs, turning away.
I hate when they do that, because then I have to go after her. My legs are starting to feel like jello and my feet are sore from balancing on blades the entire time. “Brynn, come on, that’s a boy hike, give us a nice one.”
She shakes her head. “Absolutely not. Eloise, I’m going to send you the address so you can meet us there.”
She nods, and I feel her eyes on us as I follow Brynn down the tunnel towards the locker room. When I turn back, I can see her, shoulders slightly caved in. She shakes her head and starts to walk towards us, stopping when she sees me watching her.
She gives a small wave as I turn around quickly and hustle to get into the showers. My skin prickles, and gets all hot and itchy at the idea of spending time with her. We just buried the hatchet. Did we? Maybe. I can work with her, and that should be enough.
The smile Brynn gave us was not promising at all.
Dare I say, an even worse promise than Grouse Grind.