Page 48 of Enemy Games

I couldn’t believe it when I saw Mr. Stone, Presley's dad, striding toward me this afternoon. I expected him to chastise me in front of the entire team about how I treated his daughter. Instead, he pulled me in for a hug and congratulated me on how far I’d come, and wished me luck with the upcoming draft.

He had been one of my coaches when I was a kid, back when Presley and I had played together, but I was surprised he remembered me. Until he mentioned the ongoing competition between him and my dad on the course.

It still amazed me that my dad managed to have friends. Unless he was able to put on a front. But for this long?

I lived with the man, and it took me eighteen years to figure it out, so maybe I underestimated him.

Mr. Stone was kind enough not to ask where my dad was. My dad didn’t bother to show when he knew there wouldn’t be an audience. The man was all about appearances and the public’s opinion.

At least mom was free. Now. She stayed in the area until I left for college so I could split my time between the two of them after the divorce. If she moved farther than the city limits, dad would have made it impossible for her to see me. I didn’t know it then, but more and more of the truth of what my mother endured had come out since I went to college. It was like she felt safe enough to tell me now that she lived abroad.

“You want anything to eat?” Benjamin stood and started scooting down the row.

I shook my head, and Ethan followed him.

We were required to attend the women’s game, but the team would have been here no matter what. It was our responsibility to support them, and it had been somewhat insulting that Coach Weston thought he had to threaten us with extra practice if we skipped.

The first period was quick. Neither team scored, but tension filled the arena. It was only a matter of time before there was either a goal or a fight.

Both teams returned to the ice just before the second period, and I caught a glimpse of Presley hanging back in her team warm-ups. Was she sad she couldn’t play against her old team? Or was she relieved?

It had to be a weird experience for her to be back here. Maybe it was for the best that she was injured.

“Are you meeting up with your dad this weekend?” Reid stretched out while we still had space before the guys returned.

“I don’t think so. He never replied to my messages, so he’s probably busy.” Or ignoring me. I wasn’t of any use to him at the moment. Once the scouts and draft talk became more serious, I knew my phone would suddenly light up. How else could he brag to his buddies about me?

Reid didn’t say anything else. He understood my strained relationship, even if he couldn’t necessarily relate.

The rest of the game dragged on. Green Lake’s team was good and wasn’t going easy on our girls. I still didn’t think it was fair they had to jump into the season with only a week of training together. This year should have been about building the team and practicing together, especially since none of the girls were seniors. Then again, missing a whole year of games would suck.

At least it was close. Green Lake only scored once, winning the game. All things considered, that wasn’t bad.

The women of West Penn held their own, and now they knew where to focus their attention. The defense was good, but they needed to take more shots or at least have the opportunity to.

“I was expecting that to go way worse,” Ethan admitted. “I’m impressed they only lost by one.”

“Yeah. Hopefully Coach Jarry saw their weak points so they can work on them,” Benjamin agreed.

“And tomorrow, we’ll win, so this weekend won’t be a waste,” Reid said without an ounce of doubt. His confidence used to come off as arrogance, but the more often he was right about whether or not we won, it became clear he was just really good at assessing our opponents.

And it turned out, he was right about our game.

We won three to one.

They were good opponents, but our team wanted it more.

After the team meeting with Coach and showering, we were bussed back to the hotel. On the drive over, I checked my phone and realized I had a text from Jimmy, an old friend from high school, inviting me and any friends to come hang out.

Normally, I didn’t like to meet up with people when I was on the road, but something was making me feel nostalgic. I didn’t know if it was being around Presley and her reminding me of where we came from. But after checking with the guys, they agreed it sounded better than hanging out in the hotel room, watching reruns, and eating takeout. Again.

The only issue was that we had to sneak out without any of the other guys or coaches finding out.

It turned out that wasn't as big of an issue as we thought. Once we were changed and ready to go, I sent a message to Jimmy to let him know that we would meet him outside the hotel.

We didn't run into anyone, not a single soul, and made it in his car without an issue.

Benjamin looked nervous as always. Watching out the window for someone to come chasing after us.