MAX
I stood at centre ice during our morning practice, taking in the familiar chaos around me.
The boards rattled with every drill, the sound of blades scraping lines into the ice, and the sound of pucks smacking off the glass.
There was a rhythm to practice: whistles, shouts, and the heavy exhale of lungs under strain.
But today, something else was pulling at my attention.
Emma.
She was standing near the bench, just outside the boards, bundled up in her long coat and scarf.
Her hair was neatly tucked away, but it was already coming loose in a way that made my chest feel too tight.
She had been given special permission to watch from rink side.
When she’d asked if it was possible, she had said it was for research.
And now there she was, pen in hand and notebook open.
Will was the first to notice, as expected. He broke away from a skating drill and glided to a slow stop right in front of her, leaning on his stick like he had all the time in the world. Even from across the rink I could hear his voice carrying – teasing, easy and probably even flirtatious.
I cupped my glove around my mouth. “Will! Less flirting, more skating!”
He had the audacity to grin at me before pushing off again, going back to the drill. Emma was jotting something down in her notebook, shaking her head and laughing.
A few others wandered over, too. There was Seth, grinning like always, and Lewis. Lewis barely said hi before someone yanked him back to practice. Emma greeted them both warmly, and from Seth’s reaction, I knew I’d be hearing about it later.
I told myself to refocus, to keep my head in practice, but my eyes kept sliding back to her. She seemed so out of place, but somehow she fit in perfectly. Her face was full of curiosity as she watched everything unfold.
* * *
Practice ran through the usual: warm-up laps, tight passing drills, then breakout plays. Sweat poured and my muscles burned. We finished with a scrimmage, bodies clashing in controlled chaos, sticks snapping pucks between us, and goalies barking orders from their crease.
By the time the whistle blew, my legs were heavy and my undershirt clung damp to my back. Most of the guys slid to the bench or coasted to the locker room. Will, of course, veered straight for Emma again.
I lingered, skating lazy circles in neutral zone, so I was close enough to overhear.
“Hey,” Will said, standing at the boards with a big smile on his face. “So, we’re doing a pizza night at my place on Sunday. Games, food, the works. Grace will be there. Finn too. And I’m also going to invite your friend Simon. You should come.”
Emma looked delighted. “That sounds wonderful. Do I need to bring anything?”
“Only your beautiful self.”
I was just passing when he said it. My glove swung almost on its own, hitting the back of his helmet. “Knock it off,” I muttered, skating by.
Emma covered her mouth, laughing.
Will winced dramatically. “See what I have to put up with?”
I only stopped for a second to look at her. “I’ll go shower. Be right out.”
Her smile, wide and warm, hit me right in the chest. “All right, Max.”
* * *
The air in the locker room was hot and thick with sweat and steam. Gear clattered as guys peeled off their pads and dropped them on the floor. The banter started up, as loud as ever. It was a mix of chirps, complaints, and jokes that would get us all fired in polite society.
Will, of course, wasn’t done. “So,” he said, pulling his jersey over his head, “Emma’s coming Sunday. I can’t believe you got her to watch practice; I thought she’d take one look at our ugly mugs and run.”
“She’s doing research,” I said, as I stripped the tape off my shins. “Don’t make it sound like–”
Seth interrupted, loud and crass, like always. “Still doing that, huh? Maybe she should investigate whether she’d fit perfectly on my dick.”
Laughter erupted. Lewis joined in with a waggle of his brows. “Yeah, she might want to study our stamina up close.”
Heat flashed in me, quick and sharp. My fists clenched before I could stop them. “Shut up,” I snapped, cutting through the noise.
The laughter stopped. A few eyebrows shot up.
Will raised his hands. “Easy, man. They’re just messing around.”
“No.” I shoved my gear into the bag, my jaw tight. “Emma’s off-limits. I mean it. No jokes, no comments. I’m serious.”
For a second, silence. Then someone said, “Damn, Finn’s really gone.”
I ignored it, focusing on yanking my shirt over my head, making sure my breath was steady. But inside, every nerve was still buzzing with the sight of Emma standing by the glass, looking too good, too curious, and too much like herself to be thrown into their locker room garbage.
* * *
She was waiting for me by the doors, her cheeks red from the freezing air.
Her scarf was wrapped high around her neck.
And of course, since the universe had no mercy, she looked incredible.
Her coat nipped in at her waist, the hem skimming the tops of her boots, and her hair was loose now, curling at the ends.
And her eyes, sharp and amused, told me she had heard something.
“Max,” she said as I got closer. Her voice was light and teasing, but the corners of her lips twitched. “So, tell me. You’ve seen all of them naked in there, haven’t you?”
I froze. “What?”
She tilted her head, mock innocent. “The walls aren’t very thick and I think it was Seth who was very loud. Should I pick him, then? Since he seems so… eager to fit me?”
Heat shot straight through me – half anger, half mortification – but then her smile broke and I realized she was messing with me.
I barked out a laugh, shaking my head. “Trust me,” I said dryly. “You don’t want Seth. Or Lewis. Or any of them.”
“Oh?” she said, her eyes sparkling.
I leaned in close enough for only her to hear me, my voice low and certain. “Because none of them are good enough for you.”
She laughed again and walked past me to the parking lot. “Come on, Max. Buy me a hot chocolate before I freeze.”
Everything around us, including the pale light of the winter sun and the crunch of gravel, briefly vanished.
And it hit me, quiet but sure. Not only did she make me laugh, but she also drove me crazy in all the right ways.
The only place that seemed to make sense was right next to her.
I tried to act cool by putting my hands in my pockets, but the truth was still there – warm and impossible to shake.
I liked her. Really, really liked her. And there was no going back from that.