Page 27 of Game Misconduct

“Exactly.” She gave me a knowing look. “I think you need to give yourself and him a bit more credit. He doesn't want to be friends for some sort of trick or bait and switch. He saw someone that’s like sunlight. He can’t help but want to be around your warmth,” Jess said.

I leaned forward with my elbows on the counter. “Thanks, guys. I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that.”

“We all get lost in our own heads from time to time. Don’t sell yourself short.” Dani smiled.

“Plus, we have your date with Mitch to discuss.” Jess winked.

I held up my hand. “It’s not a date. It’s just dinner.”

Dani bit her lips, and Jess winked before shrugging. I had a feeling they were up to something, but I decided I didn't want to know. I was back to feeling good again, so I sent Parker a text asking how his day was going, as a friend would, and cleaned up.

Ten

Parker

Pulling on my maroon and black jersey still felt off. Not wrong, just weird. I was so used to seeing myself in white and gold that any time I caught myself in a mirror, I paused. It was only my second game with the Fury, and I predicted that by the fifth or sixth I wouldn’t even think about it.

That was the nature of our jobs. Adapt. Change. Be prepared for the floor to be swept out from under you and get back up in seconds.

The biggest unknown was how to act off the ice.

The men around me were hyping each other up, chanting and slapping one another on the shoulders while I sat in front of my locker with headphones in. They had their routine, and I had mine. One day, hopefully soon, they would be the same.

It wasn’t like I was the only one that chose to be quiet before a game. Three, no four, others had their eyes closed or headphones on, blocking out the chaos around them. None of the loud group seemed to mind us not participating. I wished they did. I wished they forced me to stand up and get in the middle of it all. It was pathetic that I needed that push, but I’d always been this way. Tell me where to go and when, and I’d do it without a single question. But tell me to go and do what I want, and I’ll flounder. I need direction. I need someone else to take charge. There was a reason I never made captain of any team I’d ever been on. I wasn’t a natural-born leader. Center stage held no appeal. Having any more attention on me than was completely necessary made my skin crawl.

All I ever wanted was to do my part as well as I could. As long as I was where I needed to be there for my teammates, I was happy. I didn’t care about scoring records. I didn’t care about my personal stats at all. My ego was quelled before it had the chance to develop. I was taught from my very first team that there was no room on the ice for individuals. Only a team. I’d remembered that every single day since. I wasn’t here for my own glory. I wanted my team to win.

A hand waved in front of my face, and I blinked before looking up to see Wyatt Hartman smiling down at me. “What’s got you so locked up in that head of yours, Garrison?”

I could feel eyes on me and realized then that more than half of the guys were watching us. I didn’t particularly want to admit I was rehashing pep talks from my mini mite days. The only other thought I’d had all day was of Vivian and her good luck text from this morning. She seemed to have taken over the reins of our friendship, and I wasn’t complaining. She texted me the past three days, and if I didn’t respond how she thought I should, she told me I killed the conversation and that I had to try again. I was learning to ask more questions as well as giving her more detailed responses.

“Um, nothing.” I dropped my gaze to the floor, hoping he would move on. Now that he was actually trying to pull me into the pre-game hype, I just wanted to be left alone.

“Oh, I know that voice.” Erik Schultz appeared next to the captain.

“Sounds like girl problems,” Reese Murray confirmed from the other side of Hartman.

“Already? You’ve been here, what, a week?” Hartman said with a laugh.

I nodded.

“And already got lady troubles,” Schultz said with a knowing look. “I don’t know if I’m impressed or concerned.”

“Impressed,” Murray said.

“Yeah, who else got mixed up that fast?” Schultz chuckled.

At first, I thought they were mad, or laughing at me, but when Hartman clapped me on the back, I realized they were commiserating with me. “We’ve all been there, man.”

Our definitions of lady troubles were likely completely different, but I didn’t know how to stop them now that they were going.

“You sure have.” Murray bumped Schultz with his elbow. “Dating Coach’s daughter was a bold move.”

“Eh, it worked out fine,” he replied with a cocky grin.

“So, who’s the fine woman? Anyone we know?” Hartman asked.

My mind was still spinning from being included in their strange club, and I didn’t think before I said her name. “Viv.”