23. Aiden
Chapter twenty-three
Aiden
I step onto the ice, the cold air biting at my cheeks as I tighten my grip on the hockey stick. The rink’s alive with the sounds of skates slicing across ice and pucks ricocheting off boards.
It’s a tough ass practice day, the kind where we all know we gotta bring our A-game or face Coach’s wrath…he ain’t letting up. I totally get it, because our next game’s coming soon, and we wanna keep our streak going.
Our record so far’s granted us some extra exposure, something we desperately needed to fill more seats. Its one thing making it as a new team but trying to crawl up from the bottom in this oven is a whole other challenge, I mean, hockey in hot-ass Florida, who’d‘ve thunk it.
Don’t get me wrong, I like me some beach days, but this humidity turns this ice to slush quicker than I can finish a breakaway. Coach barks out drills, his voice cutting through the rink’s noise. It’s like trying to skate on a melted popsicle out here, but I just keep my head down and grind.
I shift my focus, pushing everything but the game from my mind. Skating hard has me huffing out breaths, but I push harder, weaving through teammates in the patterns we practice. Each movement’s got to be precise and calculated. I can’t crack now, not when I know I’m being watched closely. Jax told me Coach is considering captains for next season. Originally, my goal was just to keep my position and not get dropped to the lower leagues, but now I’ve got something concrete to strive for. I want that ‘C’ on my uniform, if only to shove it in my old man’s face.
My focus snaps to attention when the puck slaps onto my stick. I deftly maneuver around a defenseman, my stick handling smooth and controlled. Agility and speed’s the name of the game right now, and I make the puck dance at the end of my stick as I seek an opening. When it comes, I gear up, setting up the shot and slapping the puck. Time seems to slow down as I watch it careen towards the net. When the sweet sound of it hitting fabric comes, I shout out in triumph, a sound echoed by my teammates. I turn, welcoming high fives and helmet slaps. Behind me, I see Jax nod in acknowledgment.
This shit feels good.
It ain’t just that I’m winning, it’s that I’m doing my best and that effort’s being acknowledged. I push off, not letting myself get too cocky. We still got at least an hour left, and I ain’t trying to fuck up all the progress I’ve made. It’s grueling, and by the time Coach blows the whistle ending practice, I can feel the bumps and bruises under my pads. Our gameplay’s getting even better as we learn to work together, and I’m once again grateful that Jax’s been fucking looking out for me.
By the time I skate over to the bench, I’m damn near breathless but so fucking exhilarated. I know I’ve been impressive today. I don’t need anyone to fucking tell me that. A slap on the back makes me wince, but I smile when I turn to see Caleb.
“Bro, you killed that last fucking shot. You were a beast today.”
His words have me standing taller. When Coach approaches, I force the smile to stay. He looks at me for a moment before nodding, a rare smile curling at the corner of his lips.
“Fucking hell,” Caleb says. “You actually got the man to smile. I thought he popped out the womb scowling.”
“Yeah. I need whatever you’ve been doing to rub off on me,” Sebastian adds as he slides up.
“You had a hell of a practice today, Aiden,” our assistant coach barks, his tone gruff but filled with pride. “Keep pushing like that, and you’ll be unstoppable out there.”
I nod, wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my glove. “Thanks, Coach. I’ll keep pushing hard.”
As I make my way off the ice and towards the locker room, I let Caleb and Sebastian’s voices wash over me as I think about shit. Practice ain’t just about showing up—it’s about pushing myself beyond my limits and proving to everyone that I fucking belong here.
This practice has been a victory, not just for my skills on the ice, but for proving to myself I can do this shit. I know I’ve got what it takes to make captain, and I won’t fucking stop until I do.
I step into the hallway, basking in the satisfaction of a hard-fought practice when Jake, a veteran defenseman known for being tough as shit, claps me on the shoulder. “Nice work out there, rookie. You were flying around like a bat out of hell. We almost had trouble keeping up with you.”
I grin, grateful for Jake’s words. “Thanks, man. That means a lot coming from you.” I’m not just bullshitting him either. Jake never gives a compliment that isn’t earned. If he tells you your game’s excellent, he means that shit. He’s not a total ass, but he’s definitely not gonna blow smoke up your ass if you don’t deserve it.
Jake nods. “You really brought it today, Aiden. Your shot’s getting deadly.”
Greg, the goalie I faced off against, joins in the chorus of compliments. “You had me diving all over the place today, man. Keep it up and we just might have a chance to bring home the Stanley Cup.”
The encouragement from them has me on a high. Hockey’s a team sport, and knowing that my hard work ain’t goin’ unnoticed by those I respect means everything. I let that boost me up as I hurry down the hallway. I wanna shower and get home to start thinking on our plays. I ain’t content to just settle for one good practice. I want that shit to be a consistent thing.
When I turn the corner, I’m surprised to see Aurora also walking down the hallway in the direction of the locker rooms. It ain’t often she comes this way, and I wonder if she’s trying to get some behind-the-scenes photos.
I can’t keep the smile off my face, grateful for the unexpected chance to see her. “Get lost, princess,” I call out, chuckling when her head snaps up and she glances over her shoulder. She’s looking so fucking good today, though she looks good every day, really. It might be because I know she’s got at least two layers of foundation on her neck to hide the mark I gave her not even two days ago that has me looking at her so closely.
When she turns fully and smiles, I nearly trip over my damn feet. That smile should be illegal for how it fucks up my calm and makes me wanna taste it from her lips. I need more of her, and I need it away from where Jax could appear at any moment. He usually practices for an extra hour when we’re done, but I don’t wanna take the chance of being caught out with my dick in his sister.
“Were you looking for me, or were you here for official business?”
She giggles before holding up her camera. “I was here for official business, but I’m done now.”
I nod. “Well...” I trail off, not wanting to end our conversation. Being with her’s like getting my perfect fix, and I need another hit. “Wanna go somewhere? Jax is practicing for another hour or so.”
Her eyebrows raise, but she nods. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
“Okay,” I reply, trying to keep my excitement at bay. I ain’t a schoolboy with a crush. I’m a grown-ass man. “Let me get changed real quick. Mind waiting for me?”
She shakes her head. “I have a few more pictures to take, so I could meet you at the front entrance when you’re ready?”
“Perfect,” I say, flashing her a smile. “Meet you there in twenty.” When she nods, I duck into the locker room and move quickly to the showers. I don’t bother exchanging more than a few words with my teammates. It leaves me feeling slightly guilty, but we’ve already talked on the ice, and I don’t wanna run the risk of one of them saying something stupid and ruining the buzz I’ve got going from a practice well done.
I shower quickly, scrubbing the sweat off me and ignoring the low-grade arousal I always seem to have around Aurora. It wouldn’t do to be caught with my dick out in a room full of bastards who’d absolutely have something to say about it. Drying myself quickly while thinking of anything that’d make my dick limp is an experience I ain’t looking forward to ever repeating, but by the time I’ve got street clothes on and I’m throwing out my goodbyes, I feel less like I’m about to vibrate out of my skin.
Thank god I don’t see Jax as I make my way to the entrance, but when I get to our meeting place, I frown when I see Aurora ain’t alone. The sun glaring in makes it hard to see the guy, but I can tell by Aurora’s body language that she ain’t happy about talking to him. I move quicker, and by the time I’m behind her, I finally see the dude. He looks somewhat familiar, but I can’t place him completely.
“There you are, babe. I was looking all over for you,” I call out, not missing the way Aurora seems to relax at my voice. I take a chance and walk up beside her, snaking an arm around her waist. I note the way she subtly shifts away from the guy and toward my hold. This is clearly not someone she wants to talk to. I place a soft kiss on her forehead, ignoring her widening eyes. “Sorry I’m late. The guys were talking shit in the locker room, and I had to get them settled down.”
I turn to the guy and tighten my hold on her waist. I know it looks possessive, and when the guy’s gaze flits down and his eyes narrow, I feel a surge of triumph. Whoever he is, he ain’t wanted here, and I’m just enough of a bastard to let him know that.
Aurora looks up at me with relief, clearly catching on to my impromptu act. “Aiden. I’m so glad you’re here,” she responds, playing along smoothly.
The other guy glances between us. “I didn’t realize you were seeing someone now. He didn’t tell me that,” the guy mumbles awkwardly, taking a step back.
I meet his gaze with a cool stare, silently assessing him and trying to figure out who he’s talking about. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” I say with a hint of challenge. “And you are?”
The guy fumbles for words, clearly uncomfortable under my scrutiny. Good. Suffer, I think to myself. “No one important. I was just updating Aurora on a mutual friend of ours,” he stammers before looking around.
I nod curtly, satisfied that the guy knows not to fuck with me or Aurora. “Well, Aurora and I have plans,” I state firmly, my tone leaving no room for argument. “It was nice to meet you, but probably time for you to go.”
The guy mumbles an apology and quickly retreats towards the parking lot. I silently watch him go, waiting until he’s out of earshot before turning to Aurora.
“Are you okay?” I ask softly. It isn’t often that we have random people coming to the arena when it’s not a game day, but it does sometimes happen.
Aurora smiles before wrapping an arm around my waist. “I’m okay. You do have perfect timing though. Brian just wasn’t taking no for an answer.”
I frown at that bit of information. “Dude looked familiar, but I wasn’t sure if you knew him or if he was some rando that wandered in when security was on a break.”
Aurora shakes her head, biting down on her bottom lip. Her eyes dart away, and her shoulders tense, contradicting the ‘I’m okay’ she gave me earlier. I clench my jaw, fighting the urge to push, to make her open up. She has no idea how badly I want her to trust me, to feel safe enough to spill everything. When that guy cornered her, I stepped in without a second thought, instinct driving me to stand between them. It wasn’t for show—I acted because I couldn’t stand seeing her like that. This possessiveness is not a front. It’s real.
I want Aurora to be mine. But I don’t know if I deserve her.
“Can we just go home?” Aurora asks before leaning her forehead against my chest. The move has me wanting to bundle her up and hide her away. I drop a quick kiss on her head before agreeing. It’s not until I’m in my own car following hers out of the parking lot that I realize we’ve been holding hands the whole time we walked to our cars.