Page 160 of Rookie Attraction

“What about Kirkland?” Brady whines. “This is his fault.”

Range says nothing. Instead, he crosses his arms and offers a lethal glare. Brady finally relents and stomps out of the room, Laflore on his heels.

Range looks at me next.

“Kirkland, I’ll talk to you after practice.”

I nod as my bravado starts to slip. No. Not again. The problem isn’t me, it’s guys like Donaldson and Brady. Fuck them. Instead of throwing a fit, I take a deep breath and hold onto what’s left of my control.

“Ignore Brady,” Kuznetsov mutters. “He’s playing like shit and blaming everyone but himself.”

We’re going to be late, so the team disperses, and I get my ass moving. When I’m all geared up, I look around the locker room. Everyone meets my eyes and nods, and I’m filled with immense relief.

Laflore leads our practice today, and without Brady’s disruption, it’s one of the best we’ve had since I landed here. Laflore, like Range, isn’t afraid to put us through our paces and challenge us. I also get some one-on-one time with Lee.

“You can’t let what happened get in your head,” Lee reminds me. “I know it was upsetting, and Donaldson is a vicious asshole, but you’re better than him.”

I nod, grateful that the team has my back.

An hour later, we’re done, but there’s still no sign of Range or Brady. Laflore is busy typing on her phone, but before I can skate off the ice with the others, she waves me over.

“Range is waiting for you,” she states. “Head to his office now, don’t bother getting changed.”

If it’s that urgent, it’s bad. I should be calm after a hard workout, but the thought of facing Brady makes me ragey. While the rest of the team heads for showers, cooldowns, and massage therapy, I amble in the opposite direction toward Range’s office.

I knock on his door and wait.

“Enter!”

Stepping inside, there’s no sign of my shitty teammate, thank fuck.

Unfortunately, Hugo’s here. Great. Just what I need. Or, maybe it is. This time, Hugo’s not going to get his way.

“Coach, Hugo.”

I nod and sit down.

“I heard most of what Brady said in the locker room,” Range starts. “But I want to hear your side of it.”

I’m ready to throw it all on the line.

Instead of starting with the fight in the locker room, I go through everything Brady’s said to me, direct and implied, from the day I arrived. It takes a while, and Range makes notes on his tablet as I talk. So does Hugo.

“And I can give you more context about what happened before I left Chicago, but it can’t leave this room.”

Range nods and glances at Hugo.

“Go on.”

“I was threatened with physical harm. That was the breaking point. And I’ve worked too hard to deal with this again. I earned my place on this team, and I won’t put up with any homophobic comments or behavior. If Brady continues to bad mouth me, I’ll be contacting my agent, and if needed, the commissioner and the press.”

“Now wait, it’s only one person, not—” Hugo starts.

“He wears the jersey,” I interrupt. “He represents the Rush like everyone else, from the staff to players to management. If the team supports inclusivity, show, don’t tell. I’m done ignoring Brady’s bullshit. And Hugo, I’m also done with your plan regarding Taylor. People can deal with the fact that I’m bi and speculate on who I’m dating if they want. If the press continues to ask me questions about my private life, I’ll ignore and remind them I’m here to talk about the game.”

Until Finn and I come out as a couple and the questions start all over again.

Hugo nods.