Chapter Seven
KAYDEN
My fucking legs burned. Coach was killing us with these workouts. To the team he bellowed, “If you want to make it to the championship, you need to work harder, and play smarter.”
His words for me were harsher, more focused.
“To be a star, you need to act like one. All of your focus needs to be on the game, and nothing else. No distractions. The draft is right around the corner, Daniel. June isn’t that far away.
You’ll be screwed if you decide to sit this one out because your emotions are in a fucking blender. ”
My jaw clenched. They were glued in my head, a heavy dialogue I couldn’t get rid of. I loaded up for a set of explosive skater jumps, leaping from side to side. My skates dug deep into the artificial turf.
Every time I wanted to quit, I thought about Jake. He should’ve been here with me, but he wasn’t. It was up to me to live out his dream and make sure his legacy would never die.
While we were both talented, he was a natural.
I had to work hard at everything I did, but it was easier for him.
Skating, hockey, girls, and grades. He was someone people genuinely liked and got along with.
Which was why it was so easy to be his best friend.
He and his family were there for me more than mine ever was.
Family.
I didn’t really know what that was like. Apart from being at their house every day growing up, my “family” was at home, fighting, arguing, throwing things.
Now that Jake was gone, I didn’t really belong...anywhere.
Coach blew the whistle. I grabbed a weighted medicine ball.
I whipped it against the concrete wall. Smack.
I caught it on the bounce. I whipped it again.
My breath came out in ragged gasps. My jaw was tight and my shoulders stiff.
Faster, stronger. “You must be the best.” Dad’s words stuck with me, the need to prove him wrong.
I loaded my core and slammed the ball one last time, ignoring the protest of my muscles.
He blew the whistle again. “Alright, that’s it for today. Same time tomorrow.” He went to walk off and then turned around. “Oh, there will be a special guest at practice tomorrow. Don’t be late.” His gaze met mine, a silent warning.
That meant a professional scout was going to be here. Don’t worry coach; I won’t fuck this up.
I stood up, wiping sweat from my eyes, and locked eyes with Dylan. He leaned against the squat rack, his water bottle dangling from his hand. He wasn't smiling. He had that look, the one where he could see right through my act.
Fuck.
I really didn’t need the lecture right now.
Dylan was the one in the group who seemed to be more of a big brother type, meaning he looked out for all of us.
While I may have been the captain, he was the one the guys went to with problems, or to figure shit out.
We’d been friends for years. He was part of our group growing up, but since Jake passed, I’d kept him at arm’s length.
Dylan took a swig of water. "Take it easy, man," he said, his voice quiet."You're going to tear something."
"I'm fine," I snapped. I’d already gotten a lecture from Coach earlier; I didn’t need one from my friend either. I grabbed my towel and threw it into my gym bag. "I’m getting ready."
"That's not getting ready," he countered. He took a step closer, his hazel eyes narrowing. "That's looking for a fight. What's going on?"
“Nothing I care to talk about. Leave it.”
I grabbed my water, chugged a few sips then threw it in my bag.
I went to leave, but he blocked my path, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn’t intimidating; we were the same height at six feet, with a similar build.
I could put him on his ass if I really wanted to, and the same could go for him.
“No.”
My gaze turned to slits. “What did you say?”
“I said no. You need to talk this shit out instead of bottling it up inside. You need to talk to someone, Kayden. Even if it’s not me. If you don’t take care of this soon, something will happen when we’re out there on the ice, and it won’t be just you suffering. The team will suffer.”
My hands clenched into fists. What doesn’t this guy get?, “I told you, I’m fine.” I slung the bag over my shoulder, “If you don’t believe me, let’s get a drink.”
His eyebrows went up, “Really?”
I nodded. It’d been a few weeks since we’d all gone out together. Seeing Lex at the restaurant after everything...pissed me off. Her and Jake had a lot of similar features, and every time I looked at her, she reminded me of him. Opened that wound in my chest that can never seem to heal.
I was saved by the bell when my phone went off. I placed my bag on the ground and searched the pockets for my phone, eventually finding it. A groan escaped my lips when I noticed who it was.
“Yes?” My voice came out rough.
“I need you to come home so we can sort this out.” Weeks after we’d found out, he was still pestering me to return. I was sure Lex’s mom was doing the same to her.
I didn’t want any part of this arrangement, because that’s all it was.
They weren’t in love, unless they’d been having some kind of affair behind their spouses’ backs, which would’ve been a whole other fuck up.
“I already told you, I’m not coming home.
There’s going to be important people here this week, Dad.
I’m not missing out on that shit because you and her have some kind of agenda. ”
I met Dylan’s gaze, and his eyes were wide. I hadn’t told him exactly what was going on because I’d been pushing him away. That was a conversation I didn’t want to have with anyone.
Oh yeah, my dad is the boyfriend of my dead best friend’s mom. How fucked up is that?
“Shit, scouts are going to be there?” he asked, and while he was all over Jake’s mom currently, his number one goal was always to get me to the highest points of hockey. Hell, he loved hockey more than his own son.
“Yes.” My jaw ticked. I was over this conversation. “Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.”
I hung up, not wanting to go into a long, detailed conversation about how to handle the scouts. He’d gone over this with me numerous times, prepping my brain and body for the upcoming draft.
“Alright dude, I’m done. We’re going out, and you’re going to tell me everything that’s going on. I mean everything.”
Instead of arguing with him, I nodded. Maybe I do need some help...