Page 131 of Ice Rebel

Cole

“I need to see you in my office, Kendrick. Get dressed.”

Practice had gone well even if my spirits hadn’t been much improved. But at least Jagger and I were working seamlessly together. Or so I’d thought. Maybe I’d fucked up somehow more than usual. The coach’s expression wasn’t readable, but that meant nothing.

“I’ll be right there, Coach.”

Hudson waited until the coach walked out of the locker room before advancing like the shark I knew him to be. “What gives?”

“How would I know?”

“I mean with that hot woman of yours?”

“I already told you. We’re done.”

He snorted. “Sure, you are. That’s why you look like some dreamy-eyed ghost half the time. Go talk to her.”

“Not a chance. You know what she did.”

“Are you so certain she was to blame? You said she hated her father.”

“Then why hasn’t she come around to apologize?”

His look was as if I was eating a canary in front of him. “Right. I barely want to talk to you. Stop being an asshole. This whole brooding thing you have going on is getting old. The lack of communication is the problem, but until you get your head out of your ass, you’ll never discover the truth.”

Why the hell was everyone offering the same advice?

Because you’re a dumbass.

“Whatever.” All the chiding in the world wasn’t going to make the situation any better. I yanked on my clothes, grabbing my duffle bag and heading to the coach’s office. The door was partially open.

A quick knock and I walked inside.

“You wanted to see me, Coach?”

He studied me as if this was it and I was getting canned. “Sit down.”

“I’m fine.”

“I said, sit.”

Wow. He was in an even worse mood than normal. So I sat, rubbing my sweaty hands on my jeans. “I’m sitting.”

His eyebrows knitted together. “You can follow orders. Sometimes I wonder.”

“If this is about how I’ve played lately…”

“Cut it right there. I’ve heard all about the issues with your girlfriend. I’m sorry. Your mate. I still can’t wrap my head around that. Now, I think Roxanne has done a good job of trying to make things a little easier on you by handling the press, but at some point you need to put your jockstrap on and act like a man.”

“Sir?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Anyone can see how much you adore that girl. And I understand because you’re her mate, you’re going to be a useless mess of flesh until you’re with her permanently.”

“That can’t happen.”

“Yeah, yeah. She betrayed you. I don’t know the details. I don’t need to. What I’m going to tell you is that it’s your time at the big boy’s table and it’s up to you if you can handle the pressure. When you were with her, you were the kid I remembered from hockey camp. Not only in coaching but in playing. But damn it, son. The chip on your shoulder is ridiculous.”

“Duly noted. I’ll carve it off.”