Tonight is our first game since before Thanksgiving break. We play the Bob Cats from the other high school here in Bangor. Cole can't play because of his injury a few weeks ago, and can't play until the middle of next season.
The team and I arrive at the rink about an hour before the game starts. An official shows me, Cole, and a few other guys from the team that aren't playing tonight to the place that we would call the VIP area. They call it the official's box. No fun. Cole and I sit in the front row of chairs, we can see everything and everyone.
The game starts about 50-55 minutes later. Connor takes Cole's regular place on center ice. The ref drops the puck, Connor loses possession. Not even 5 minutes later, the Bob Cats score their first goal on us. I can tell Cole feels horrible about not being on the ice. The first intermission, I take Cole down to the locker room and ask Coach if we can leave. He nods sympathetically and we head out to Cole's car. He breathes a sigh of relief the second we step out of rink.
"We don't have to come back at all, or until you are ready. I know it's hard", I say, rubbing Cole's back. I can see tears in his eyes.
"No you don't", he yells at me. "You have no idea how much I miss hockey right now. Sitting in that rink for the past thirty minutes watching your friends play the sport you love more than they do. You have never missed something so much in your life. Your life is perfect Mere, you quit hockey because you wanted to, not because some douche bag pummeled you to the ice. Do you realize how miserable this is right now? I love hockey more than I love life itself. Hockey is the one thing that has kept me sane through family drama in the past five years. You quit hockey because you didn't want to play. I wish I could've done that instead of having brain surgery caused by some guy who hates me because I know my own brother's secret. You aren't going through this. I am. Just leave me alone", he's doing this because he is scared and miserable. I can tell by the way he speaks. Tears fall over his face even before mine do.
I try to hold back tears, but I can't. I turn his head for him to look at me. "Listen to me Cole", I look right into his eyes. "I do understand what you're going through. I loved hockey. In seventh grade I was in a fight on the ice. It was me and one of my teammates against pretty much every girl on the opposing team. They beat me and Danielle to the ice. One of the girls stepped on me, breaking my left hip bone and my knee. I was just like you. I loved hockey more than life itself", I take a breath, trying to stop my tears. "The doctor told me I could never play hockey again because of the way my hip healed. Playing that one game in Michigan last month was the first time I even picked up a hockey stick or put on hockey skates since January fifteenth, twenty-thirteen. It killed me. I tried to end my life because I couldn't play. I had no one there that knew what I was going through. So you have it easy right now because you can play hockey again and you have someone who knows how you feel and how to help you through it. I know what is happening in your head. I'm here for you. And I love you Cole Anderson, damn it, I think I love you more than life itself right now. I know you are scared, and I am scared for you".
"Oh, bullshit" he yells back at me. "That is a total lie. That never happened. You just don't want me to be upset with you as much as I am right now", Cole yells into my face. I know this is still the terrified boy inside right now. I can't stand it.
"It is true, Cole. I have a scar from my hip to my knee because that girl hit my upper leg bone too. You have seen it. I'm not lying to you. I would never lie about that. I promise you that. Lying to you about liking hockey a month ago killed me, if I lied to you about this I wouldn't know what to do with myself. From the moment I met you, I realized that I wanted to be your best friend. Lying to you again would kill me". I scream back at him. I run back into the hockey rink. I open the door and look back at him. His eyes immediately go soft. I wipe my tears and run inside, leaving Cole in the cold.
I run into the locker room and don't even care who is there. I find Noah and run to him. He is surprised. His arms wrap around me a second later and I feel a little better. "Princess, what happened?" He pulls me away from him, planting his hands on my shoulders.
I sniff back tears, "Cole.... He got angry. He told me how much it hurts not playing hockey, and I told him that I know what it felt like. And..... And..... I told him about an injury I got in seventh grade and now I can't play hockey and he just kept saying I was lying to him. And...And...", I break into tears again, pushing Noah's arms from my shoulders and going back to him, he wraps his arms back around me.
Everyone in the locker room just watches us. I just don't care.
I'm not going back to Cole if he is to treat me like this. The only problem is that Noah is both of our friends.
Edited: 3/8/22
YOU ARE READING
Just Another Goal (Counting on Hockey #1)
Romance*Book one of the Counting on Hockey series* To Meredith, watching hockey was torture. But her sister was a hockey player. She wanted nothing to do with hockey, even thinking about it made her angry. But she had her reasons. Starting 10th grade at a...
