3. Asher

3

ASHER

“ A re you ready, Bennett?”

I stop tying my skates to glance up at Levi Jamison’s big grin. He’s already suited up and raring to go, but none of that surprises me. In the short time I’ve known him, I’ve learned that Levi’s always the first one ready for anything. If all goes well, I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes the captain of the team in a couple years.

“Almost,”I reply, finishing up with my laces.“Just need to make sure these are tight enough.”

Levi chuckles, leaning against the locker diagonally behind me.“Man, you’re wound tighter than those laces on your skates. Relax a little. Everything is going to go fine.”

I wish I had his confidence, but there are a multitude of reasons I don’t. He seems nice, but his nonchalant attitude about certain things annoys me. The weight of everything riding on my performance here feels like it’s fucking me, and not in a good way. But I can’t let it show. I force a smile and nod.“Yeah, you’re right. I need to shake off the nerves, I guess.”

I stand up and stretch, and it feels so good. It is time to get my head into the game and focus on what is about to happen. I had two days to enjoy myself on campus before things got messy, but now it is time to get to work.

My jaw clenches without me realizing it as I get caught up in my thoughts. An excellent performance here means I’m showing the school their decision to give me a full ride isn’t in vain. It’s my family’s ticket out of our financial mess. My mom and little sister are counting on me.

Hell, I’m not even worried about the fact that I will have to sleep in my car tonight because the dorm room I’m supposed to be staying in during the duration of the clinic flooded. The dorms won’t be ready for a few days, and I don’t have anywhere else to stay.

But nothing is going to stop me from attending this clinic. There is too much riding on me having a successful start to my collegiate career, and I refuse to let it go to waste.

Then why can’t I get Isla out of my mind?

It doesn’t make any sense. I only met her briefly a couple of nights ago, but I replay the moments we shared on repeat in my mind. And this isn’t the time for that.

I shake my head, trying to force the thoughts of her soft lips and bright blue eyes from my mind. I can’t get distracted by a girl, especially someone I barely know. The likelihood that I will see her again, given that we are both going to be freshmen at Crestwood, is high, so I can think about her when that time comes.

I look over toward the locker room exit when I hear loud chatter coming from that direction. Coach Johnson and his staff stroll into the room, and, as expected, all eyes land on them and talking ceases to exist.

Coach Johnson’s eyes scan the room before he speaks.“Alright, gentlemen. Thank you for cutting your summer vacations short to spend this time with us. This wasn’t a required camp, but being here shows your commitment. This is your moment to show us what you’ve got. Remember, we’re not just looking for skill on the ice. We want to see heart, determination, and the makings of what it will look like once you start working together as a team.”

I nod along to his words as if he and I are talking together one-on-one. I take a second to glance around the room and notice that everyone else is also focused on our coach. We’re all here for the same reason: to prove ourselves worthy of wearing the Crestwood hockey jersey.

“Alright, let’s hit the ice!”Coach Johnson’s booming voice sets us all in motion.

Levi ends up next to me as we file out of the locker room with our gear, but this time he doesn’t say a word. I wonder if the nerves are getting to him now too.

I feel at home when my skates touch the ice, although this arena is still unfamiliar. This is where I belong. I belong here because I’ve been working toward this for most of my life. I have to show my family that all the sacrifices that we’ve made aren’t in vain.

Coach Johnson’s whistle pierces the air, and all eyes are on him once more. He starts barking out drills, and suddenly, we’re in motion, following his directions in order to not make today’s session even more brutal than it needs to be.

I push myself harder with each drill, feeling the burn in my muscles and the weight of Coach Johnson’s stare on me. Sweat trickles down my back, but it doesn’t matter. I’m here to prove to myself and everyone else that I deserve to be here.

We move into scrimmage drills, and I find myself matched up against Knox Sanchez. I haven’t spoken to him much since we arrived, but based on the stern look on his face, it’s like he hates everything about me. Good. I always enjoy having a challenge.

We face-off, and I win the puck, driving it down the ice. I can practically feel Knox on my ass, but I outmaneuver him, faking left before cutting right. I line up my shot and send the puck flying into the top corner of the net.

“Nice one, Bennett!”Coach Johnson calls out.

A small thrill runs through me at his praise, filling me with another burst of adrenaline. However, I know that one wonderful play means nothing. I need to keep this up.

As the scrimmage continues, I push myself harder, even though my lungs feel like they are on fire. Knox is relentless, and I’m growing to respect him on the ice. We clash again and again, neither of us willing to give an inch to the other. The stress of all of this disappears, and now it’s becoming exhilarating and fun. That is, until the whistle blows.

“Switch it up!”Coach Johnson says.“Bennett, you’re with Jamison. Sanchez, take the other side with Dalton.”

I skate over to Levi, who’s grinning despite the sweat pouring down his face.“I told you everything was going to be just fine. Ready to do this?”he asks, bumping his shoulder against mine.

“Let’s do it.”

Before long, we fall into an easy rhythm. This leads to us beginning to anticipate each other’s moves. We’re vibing, and I know that with time, it’ll seem as if we’ve been playing together for years.

I spot an opening and call out,“Jamison, cross!”

Without hesitation, he sends the puck sliding across the ice. I catch it on my stick, spin past Sanchez, and fire it into the net. The satisfying swoosh of the puck hitting the back of the net is music to my ears.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!”Coach Johnson’s approval echoes through the arena.“That’s the kind of teamwork we need!”

As we skate back to position, I catch a glimpse of movement in the stands. I do a double take when I spot a familiar face in the crowd. Isla. And she’s holding a camera in her hands. Isla. She’s here, capturing every moment of our clinic.

For a split second, our eyes meet. I see a flash of recognition as her eyes widen, and every emotion I can think of crosses her features. Her face becomes pale, and I wonder if she’s about to faint before she ducks back behind her camera. The memory of our kiss floods back, threatening to derail my focus.

“Bennett!”Coach Johnson’s comment snaps me back to reality.

I shake off the distraction, forcing myself to concentrate on everything but her. But as the practice wears on, I can’t help but feel hyperaware of Isla being here and what it could mean.

By the time Coach Johnson blows the final whistle, my body has been drained all of its energy. However, I’m still happy because of a job well done. Or so I think. We gather around him to listen to what he needs to say before dismissing us.

“Good work today, gentlemen,”he says as he looks at each one of us. “Hit the showers. We’ll review the footage tomorrow morning.”

As we head off the ice, I catch up with Levi and whisper,“Think we all made a good impression?”

He turns his head to look back at Coach Johnson. I glance behind me and find the man in question, deep in conversation with his assistant coaches.“We should have, but I have nothing to base that on. The feedback he gave was constructive criticism, but it still felt pretty positive.”

I agree, but I don’t say anything as we head into the locker room. The hot shower helps ease some of the tension in my muscles, but my mind is still on the whirlwind I just experienced. As I’m drying off and putting on my boxers, I hear someone shout my name.

“Bennett, a word when you’re dressed.”

My stomach drops as I recognize Coach Johnson’s voice. Did I mess up somehow? I throw on my clothes, ignoring the curious glances from the other guys. When I step out of the locker room, Coach Johnson is waiting with a woman I assume is his wife and... Isla. My heart rate kicks up again, but for an entirely different reason.

“Asher, I’d like you to meet my wife, Molly, and my younger daughter, Isla,”Coach Johnson says, gesturing to each of them.

I force a smile and pretend like I’m seeing Isla for the first time.“Nice to meet you both.”

Isla avoids all eye contact, and I don’t blame her.“Hi,”she mumbles.

I watch as she briefly closes her eyes and holds her stomach before she looks at her father. Asking her what is wrong seems inappropriate, so I don’t.

“Isla’s somewhat shy at times, but she’s here taking photos for the team,”Coach Johnson explains, oblivious to the tension between us.“She’ll be a senior in high school this year.”

“Dad. Stop.”

Wait, what? Did he just say high school? I thought she was an incoming freshman like me. Oh God, I kissed Coach Johnson’s high school daughter. I’m fucked.

“That’s... great,”I stammer, trying to keep my face neutral.

Mrs. Johnson smiles warmly.“We hear you’re having some housing issues on campus. We’d be happy to have you stay with us until it’s sorted out.”

I blink long and hard because I’m shocked.“Oh, uh, that’s really kind of you. Are you sure it’s not an inconvenience?”

“Not at all.”Coach Johnson’s words leave no room for argument.“Consider it done. Grab your things, and we’ll head home.”

As I turn to walk back into the locker room to get my gear, I catch Isla’s wide-eyed look of panic. It mirrors how I feel. How the hell are we going to survive the next few days under the same roof with everything that has happened?

As I grab my things, Levi shoots me a questioning look.

“Everything okay?” he asks.

“Yeah,”I mutter.“Coach is letting me crash at his place for a few days until the dorms are ready.”

Levi’s eyebrows shoot up.“Seriously? That’s cool of him. You could have also stayed with me at my house.”

“Yeah,”I say, unsure how I should feel instead of being thankful.“It’ll be fine. Thanks for the offer. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I sling my bag over my shoulder and walk back out to where the Johnsons are waiting. Coach pulls me to the side before I can reach his family and says, “Ready to go?” he asks.

“Yes, sir,” I reply. “I’ll follow you in my car if that’s alright.”

“That's fine, but I want to speak to you about something first.”

I swallow hard and nod because forming words right now isn't possible.

“Since you'll be living under my roof for some time, I’m going to tell you this once. Stay away from my daughters or there will be consequences. Understood?”

My heart pounds against my ribs as Coach's words sink in. “Of course, sir,” I say, and my voice sounds strained even to my own ears. “I understand completely.”

Coach's eyes stay on mine, daring me to break eye contact. I assume he’s also trying to determine whether I’m lying to his face or not. In my head, I’m praying he can't see the guilt written all over my face. Because I’ve already kissed Isla, although that was before I knew she was his daughter. After what feels like an eternity, he gives a curt nod.

“Good,” Coach says. “See you at my house.”

As we walk toward the parking lot, I can’t help stealing glances at Isla. She’s still doing everything she can to not look at me, and I should be doing the same. However, I am fighting the urge to say something, anything, to break the tension, but I know this isn’t the time or place. Especially after Coach’s warning.

Next thing I know, I’m in my old Honda, following the Johnsons’ SUV out of the parking lot. I can’t help but wonder what the hell I have gotten myself into and how interesting the next few days are going to be.