Chapter 17

MAX

THUD.

"Thought you might need this."

I looked up from my desk, twenty minutes before I had to head down to the chute, to see the fucking person keeping me up at night. But, then I noticed my bag on the floor at her feet, and her journal, the one I kept from our first night, in her hand.

Sophia's head tilted to the side. "Thought I'd keep this, though. After all, I'm sure you got everything you wanted out of it."

I stood up so fast the damn chair fell to the ground with a crash that made her flinch. "Fuck, Sunrise, it's not-"

She backed away, hands up, still clutching the journal in her hand. "Oh, I get it. Make the poor girl who had her heart broken fall for you by lying and using her secrets against her. Total strategy move, Coach. Get to know your opponent, then use whatever you can against them to win the game." Her laugh held none of the playful humor it usually did. "Your notes were spot on, too. I left them in there. So when you get lonely or maybe need a reminder of how well you played me, you still have something left."

"Sophia, it's not like that."

A trembling hand reached up and wiped a tear away before it could fall, and I knew without a doubt, part of what she felt at this moment was her reliving the shit that asshole put her through.

"Of course it's not. At least this time, there were multiple orgasms involved. No feelings remember? You stuck to that rule."

"Sunr-"

"No. No pet names, no excuses. I returned your things, and kept what was mine. We're done here."

Before I could after her and tell her I did fucking catch fucking feelings, Alaric stopped me in the hall, oblivious to what just happened. "Game time, Coach. Time to get a win."

Fuck.

The hall leading down the shute vibrated with energy. The entire team felt it, from the trainers, to support staff, to the guys suited up and ready to battle it out on the ice. Kas caught my eye, tipping his chin. Even Hale gave me the nod, along with LeCavalier.

If nothing else, the asshole who broke heart but not spirit would get a warning.

Even if she hated me after tonight, I would always protect what's mine. And I didn't lie when I said I'd wait.

No matter how long.

The noise level in the arena reached a deafening roar as Oliver passed a saucer to Kas from across the other side of the ice. Shaw tried to defend, but LeCavalier blocked him a little more forcefully than he usually did, but tonight, the entire team rode the other player harder than they did. Call it the playoff or the result of our meeting, but either way, the guy was getting laid out.

The refs turned a blind eye to most of the checks, but there might come a time when they'd start calling penalties. If the guys rode Shaw hard enough, he'd be the one to slip one and cross the line and get called out.

GOAL.

It wasn't a hat trick, but with one period left, I wouldn't put it past him to try.

By the end of the second period, we were ahead, 3 to 2.

Still no hat trick, thank fuck.

On the way to the locker room, a flash of dark hair and a throaty laugh caught my attention down the opposite way.

Sophia stood with a few of the families the Revenge's foundation hosted. The kids were bouncing up and down, excitedly talking as they watched the players walk down the hall, while two moms held each other. When one wiped tear from her ear, Sophia gave her a hug.

And I fucking fell for her all over again.

Kas came up behind me and jerked his chin towards the kids. "Sophia helped Jules set this all up. And she even had a few of the guys do a mini skate with them after the rally yesterday. No press, just kids being kids and forgetting about…"

"Loved ones who deserved so much more."

He nodded, then jerked his head towards the kids with a look.

"Fuck yeah."

We turned to go by the families, and Hale, Marc, and a few other guys went over with us without being asked. Oliver glanced down the hall. I waved him over.

The kids' eyes grew huge as half the team headed their way. Sophia stood up straighter, bottom lip trembled as she smiled. "Rough game, guys."

Hale shrugged. "Sometimes, the other…guy…deserves it." He kneeled down as much as he could in his goalie pads and ruffled one of the boy's hair. "What's your favorite position…?"

"Andy."

"Andy." He grinned.

"Goalie."

"No way! I'm a goalie!"

The kid, Andy, giggled. "I know."

The big guy looked at Andy's mom, who looked like she was going to burst into tears at any moment. "You know, I do like to make sure my equipment is up to par before I hit the ice again, and this stick," he flipped it with a grimace, "feels like it might be off balance now after that last save."

Andy's eyes widened, and he glanced back at his mom who nodded. Sophia watched the exchange, her expression softening. "But he," he pointed at me and added in a small voice, "was my dad's favorite player."

Hale turned back to me, brow cocked. "Coach Vaughn?" Andy nodded, and I knelt down next to Hale.

"If Hale is ok, maybe we can get a Sharpie and all sign his stick for you and…"

Andy gestured at the little boy next to him, "This is Tony. His dad was a Marine, too."

Kas held up his stick. "Tony, how do you feel about the stick that just scored?"

The kids nodded, speechless, and the guys all passed around my Sharpie and signed both sticks before waving goodbye and heading into the locker room. Before I turned the corner, I caught Sophia, eyes locked on me as she chewed on her bottom lip. A second later, she walked the boys and their families back to their seats.

Maybe I wasn't the only one falling.

Forty-five minutes later, Shaw, along with Kas and LeCavalier, spent a total of 4 minutes each in the sin bin with a score of 4-2. The game ended with gloves thrown, an empty net, and Shaw getting tossed out of the game.

Did the caveman in me growl with approval every time the guys messed with him? Fuck yes. And when he left the ice before the end of the game, Sophia stood by the glass, watching the whole thing. I glanced at her, tipped my chin, and jerked my head toward the ice where Kas and his line bumped fists. She licked her lips, offered me a small nod, then turned away.

I counted it as a win.