Page 88 of Ice Rebel

I ran toward my truck, only realizing a few seconds later someone was close behind. Anticipating another reporter, I spun on my heel, still moving backward. “How about no comment?” Seeing Jagger, I sucked in my breath. “Are you here to rake me over the coals, dude? I’m not in the mood.” At least the coaches were trying to keep the reporters from following me. I continued backing away, refusing to allow him or anyone to stop me.

“Nah, man. I heard what you said. Not sure how I feel about all of it, but I heard you.”

“Great, Jagger. Now isn’t the time.”

He took a deep breath. “Just shut up for a minute. You don’t know our father. He is a fucking asshole. Not just a man pushing his kids but trying to control every aspect of their lives.”

“Well, at least he got you a position on a team.” My claws were showing and it wasn’t a good look. “That was shitty of me.”

“You’re right. He did. I was so angry at my father that I took it out on another player. I almost beat him to death. That’s why I got kicked off the team. My father intervened because he knows one of the owners of the Wild. You see, Dad was doing me a huge favor. Sure, he tossed out a hundred thousand dollars or so to the Wild so his kid had a job. But trust me, Cole, it came with strings attached. He wants me to fail. He’s pretty much told everyone, maybe even the coach to make certain this is my last season.”

“What? The coach would never do that to you. Never.”

“You so sure about that?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yeah. I’m positive and I won’t let that happen to you.”

Now he laughed. “Why would you do that?”

I had to think about the answer and one he’d believe. “Because we’re teammates. Your father is a jerk so don’t let him win. I’ll do everything in my power to keep that from happening. But you gotta stop treating me like your enemy.”

“You’re not so bad after all, Rebel.”

Exhaling, I snorted. “Tell your sister that.”

“Yeah, maybe I will.” He scrubbed his jaw. “So, would you mind if I followed you to the theater?”

You bet I was shocked, waiting for the punchline or just another solid punch in the face.

“Yeah, sure. As long as you aren’t going to fuck with her moment.”

Jagger nodded. “Now I deserved that. You were right. I have no clue how good she is.”

I thought about his request, especially since according to Chelsea, there was no love lost between them. “Fine. But I gotta make a quick stop first.”

CHAPTER 19

Chelsea

“You’re up,” Jasper said as the audience continued to applaud for the gruesome threesome.

Yes, their performance was tight, artistic, and acrobatic. But in my mind, the dance hadn’t allowed anyone to feel the emotion of the piece.

Maybe I was still reeling from their nasty barbs.

“Okay.”

In another rarity, Jasper touched my shoulder. “You’re going to do great.”

I tried to smile, telling myself whatever happened, I would continue dancing. This wasn’t the end. This was just another night where I could express myself.

With the curtains down, I took the stage, easing onto the floor and waiting for the music. As the curtains began to rise again, blue lights shimmered across the stage, shifting in time to the music. The few chords were played and I awakened.

What I’d found challenging when I’d danced the piece before was trying very hard to encapsulate what I believed it would feel like if I lost a child. While I’d felt it in my bones, if only for a little while, the connection to the character I was portraying had never been electric.

That’s what was missing from the dance.

Even thirty seconds in, I knew I was holding back. Yes, every move was technically correct, fluidly beautiful. However, the missing piece could clearly be seen. I could tell when I danced toward where Jasper was standing.