Chapter 15

"Lexington, what are you doing here? Practice isn't for a few hours still," Coach explains as he greets me outside his office. Little does he know, I've been here for way longer. After Carter's text last night, there was no way I was getting any sleep. Not until this bullshit is dealt with and I know Aspen is safe. Coach unlocks his door and heads inside his small office.

"I needed to talk to you," I reply. Lifting myself from the cold concrete floor I've been sitting on for half of the night, I follow him inside and close the door behind me.

"Alright then, son. What is so important that you couldn't wait?" he asks, taking a seat in the small wooden chair behind his desk. He powers up his computer before turning his attention to me.

Fuck, here we go.

My heart is racing in my chest, a sure sign my nerves and anxiety are kicking in. "I want you to take my patch, and give it to Carter," I admit.

Coach furrows his brows with confusion. "Bishop?" he laughs. "And why do you think the rookie should have your patch? The patch the team voted for you to wear. Do you not think it's an honor to have such a symbol stitched into your jersey?"

"No, of course not. Fuck, I know what it represents, and of course I want it. But I can't keep it. Carter has to have it, okay? Just, give it to him." My palms begin to itch and I rub them along my thighs hoping the friction will ease the annoyance.

"Alright, enough. Tell me exactly what is going on here," he says, crossing his arms over his chest as he leans back in his chair.

Coach isn't stupid. He's known me long enough to know when something is up, and it's clear not only that this is out of character for me, but also that I'm stressing.

"Duke, what's going on?"

"I'm not dating Olivia. We've been broken up for almost a year," I admit. After keeping the secret for so long, I thought it would be harder to admit it, but it isn't. If anything, I already feel a bit relieved.

"Okay, well as much as that's a surprise to me, I must be missing something. What does that have to do with giving your patch to Bishop?" he asks as he tries to make sense of everything.

"I've been seeing someone, and well, when I was with her last night in the locker room, which yes, I know, is against the rules, Bishop saw us. He recorded us, and is blackmailing me for my patch in order to not have it go viral," I explain.

Coach eyes me sternly, making reading his reaction impossible. What feels like hours of silence pass before he suddenly bursts out laughing. "That's it?"

My eyes widen with shock. "Uh, well yeah."

"Listen, boy. I don't care that you and Olivia aren't together. I do, however, care that you lied to me about it. She's my daughter. I love her but she's a spoiled brat, thanks to her mother and honestly, I thought it was a miracle you lasted as long as you did putting up with her nagging." Coach pulls out a cigar from his pocket and places it between his lips as he sparks it up. "Secondly, you'll definitely be doing extra laps, not today though. I can tell by the look of you that you don't have them in you today. Also, you wouldn't be a hockey player if you didn't get a little bit of locker room action. As for your patch, no. It stays with you."

"Coach, you don't get it. I have to give it to Bishop. It's not just me on the line here."

"That's too bad. The rookie isn't cut out for the captain patch, you and I both know that. I don't know who this girl you're banging is, but it doesn't matter. Even if Bishop is stupid enough to blast the video, he's never getting that patch. The team voted for you, and I signed off on it. You're keeping it, kid."

What the fuck am I supposed to do now? How do I keep Aspen safe if I can't do what Bishop wants?

"What I can do for you, is make it clear to Bishop that you tried. I will let him know you came to me, and that I refused. Maybe then he'll at least lay off you and the girl," Coach adds before taking a long drag of his cigar.

"You shouldn't smoke, it's-"

"Finish that sentence, Lexington, and I'll reconsider my decision," he warns sarcastically. A smirk forms on my lips. It's not what Bishop wanted, but it may be enough to at least protect Aspen.

Hopefully.

"Go home, get some rest. You clearly need it. I'll handle Bishop."

"Now, how would it look if the captain skipped out on practice because of a little loss of sleep?" I laugh, pushing myself up from the chair across from him. "I'm good, Coach, honestly. I'll grab a coffee from the lounge and go stretch while I wait for the guys to get here."

"Before you go, I want you to know. Regardless of what happens between you and my daughter, you're like a son to me, Duke. I'm going to do what it takes to make sure you get to where you deserve. There are always going to be little shits like Bishop in your career path. The key is to not let them stop you." His voice is stern, and I know he's right.

Bishop's little power move may have allowed him to get me right where he wanted me, but it was only because of Aspen. I'd give up anything to make sure none of my bullshit touched her.

"Thanks, Coach," I say before heading out into the hall. I close the small office door behind me and make my way down the narrow hall towards our locker room. While I probably should've taken Coach's advice and skipped out on practice, there's no way I'm missing it. Not after Bishop had the balls to pull this shit. No, I'm going to look that fucker in the face today when Coach tells him. I'm going to sit there and watch him as he accepts defeat and realizes the video of me and Aspen on his phone is good for nothing but his spank bank.

Pulling my phone from my pocket, I bring up my messages with Olivia, knowing I need to fill her in about the conversation I just had with her dad. She's a piece of work for sure, but she at least deserves a heads-up to the fact I just blew up our whole fake relationship. I type out a quick message before hitting send.

Me

We need to talk. Meet me after practice? It's important, Liv.

Reaching the locker room, I bypass the lounge, deciding a shower is needed if I'm going to make it through practice and a meeting with my ex afterward. Shit is chaotic right now, but on the plus side, things seem to be falling into place. With the weight of my secrets finally falling off my shoulders, I finally feel like I can breathe.