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“That makes me feel like I’m not grateful enough for the opportunities given to me,” I sigh. “It’s not that, I swear—”
“I didn’t say you weren’t,” he smirks. “If I thought you were being too picky, I’d call you on it. You’re tight with Ci and Draven, and you’ve been waiting to see where they decide to go. The problem is none of your options put you near enough to them that isn’t the pit of hell for the heat index.”
“Yes,” I say gratefully. “Thank you! That’s exactly my issue. Arizona’s offer is great, but I doubt I’d ever leave the skating rink, school, or my apartment if I went there...”
“What if I told you that the Colorado Snow Canyons want you too?” he asks, raising his brow. Leaning forward as he pushes aside his plate, he rolls his shoulders back to ease some of the strain from sitting. “A little birdie mentioned you were a damn good captain, so they came to a game. I had no idea. I was completely surprised when they called me last night. There will be stipulations on how it’ll work though. How adamant are you about going to college first?”
“It used to be a big deal for me,” I admit. “I don’t want to go alone though. This may make me too codependent on my friends…”
“I don’t give a fuck about that,” he shrugs. His blonde hair is bare of the hat he usually wears, and it’s sticking up a bit. “It’s clear to me you’re the glue between the three of you. I’ve seen the way you watch out for them. The black eyes Ci has been sporting have nothing to do with hockey, and his newly acquired hair cut. Life is awfully lonely without people you can count on. You found your people early. It’ll keep a good head on your shoulders when the money starts coming in and puck bunnies throw themselves at your feet.”
No one can call Coach unobservant or dumb. He sees everything.
“Ugh. I’ve had my fill of that already,” I groan. “Too many people want to jump on my…uh, crap. Sorry, Coach.”
“Well at least you’ve learned the lesson early,” he snorts, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Too many lose their way and fuck up their careers. Keep your nose clean, your dick in your pants, and you’ll be fine. So do you want to hear what’s expected for you to get drafted by the Snow Canyons? It’s a different direction from Draven.”
The name makes me smile, but they’re a good fucking team. With the bonus of being on the same team as Draven, I’m extremely excited about this turn of events.
“Heck yes, Coach,” I say, grinning. “What do I have to do?”
“The owner and the coach called me, which was very interesting to me. They want you to play with an American Hockey League team first to see how you handle the pressure. They also mentioned wanting to watch you work with guys you haven’t played with for most of high school,” he explains. “You’ll be able to work on skill sets the Snow Canyons need while you’re there and grow as a player. They’ll link you with a team in Colorado and you’ll move once you graduate. My concern is how pressed you’ll be for money with this option. The longest they expect you to play for is a year, but there is the expectation you won’t be there for that long.”
“While my dad does have a lot of pull over my finances, I do have cash flow outside of him,” I admit. My maternal grandfather left me money so I am able to be somewhat self-reliant. The issue is that it isn’t an exorbitant amount, so I do need a backup plan since I can’t expect to live off of it indefinitely. I’ll need to be careful. “I can get by for a year.”
“Good, good. I’ll call them Monday with you between second and third periods,” he decides. “I’ve got the check, go on and tell the guys the good news.”
Holy shit!
“Thank you so much. This is amazing!”
When Coach tells you to do something, you do it. I could pay for breakfast, but this is his treat. Fighting him on this would give me the headache of bag skating at our next practice. The man has his pride and pettiness in equal measures.
Sliding out of the booth, I notice the Dentons are no longer at the cafe. Shrugging, I cross the room and walk out the front door, not thinking anything about it.
A hand collars the back of my neck as soon as I pass the large display window in front of the cafe and pushes me forward. My left arm is pulled back until I can feel the tension between it breaking and simply being overextended.
My dreams feel as if they’re shattering. If I break my arm, the Snow Canyons will never take me.
“Fuck, what do you want?” I yell, duck walking into an alley I’m led to. This could either be a mugging or a straight up execution.
I really need to stop watching Peaky Blinders on repeat.
“I want you to leave my granddaughter alone,” an accented, angry voice snarls, pushing me forward before he releases me.
Whirling around, I gaze in confusion as I see the older gentleman who was glaring at me earlier.
“Noor isn’t—”
“That’s semantics,” he says, waving his hand in annoyance to dispel my words. “My son and his family are adopting her. She’s one of us, and I understand you’re a pain in her ass. It’s in your best interest to leave her alone.”
“You have no power,” I scoff, allowing my mouth to run. “Your family can’t be everywhere, and she’s no longer going to school.”
His lips curl in disgust and he fucking spits on the ground by my feet.
“You’re a scumbag and un pendejo,” he curses. “Your word means less than nothing. She lives in Santa Barbara, and shouldn’t have to look over her shoulder constantly. I’ve dealt with hot headed cabrónes like you who believe the world owes them something. I saw the way you cringed when I almost broke your arm too. All of your dreams could burn up in smoke, and you’re gambling it all on a girl.”
“What if I can’t stop thinking about her?” I throw back at him.
