er sounds like

ht she can hear her own molars grind. The scoreboard glares

nother blown le

ctly who cost

r the endless fucking questions. She rips her helmet off as soon as she clears the ice,

ind her, but she d

hits the loc

tight inside her chest like a

here

Ra

n't touch her. Like the ic

Rey sees is the moment-three minutes left in the third period, Ivy wide

ight into the jaws of th

that game-w

r chest pad. She tosses it harder than she means to-

w. "You want to say

ing in her throat. "Starting with what the

ickly look away. Tension slides in

ays, cool and clipped.

ghs, loud and bitter. "It

but Rey knows her too well. That twitch in her jaw? Th

s she fu

e done?" Ivy shoots back. "You

as o

ere a

I'm not the one who

holds i

ne coughs. A shin pad

omeone for the loss? Fine. But don't act like you're perf

sees

floated through your shift like it w

You think I don't care? You thi

"Your brand. Your comeback story. But wh

rges f

second, Rey thinks sh

oth still in skates and soaked with s

s between her teet

. "You don't deser

ker roo

s arm. Another teammate wedges

, their veteran winger, trying to hold

're some warrior queen out there?

east I don't sabotage the team becau

er looked more fragile. Lik

rawn in staff from the hallway. Two trainers. A

h

la

dan Myles, storms in,

one f

vy's fists are still

not looking at either of them a

e hall

oesn'

to Ivy. "Yo

o the hallway. Ivy's shoulder brushe

concrete. Closed doors. The

rounds

ck is wrong

ut Jordan slices a h

onitor. You embarrassed the team. You undermined the

teeth. "She th

to win the game. Maybe if

an's voice cut

ad this team. And right now

th fall

eep breath, then

ded. Two games. No

ts. "You're susp

"And until you figure your shit out,

blank. It's scar

, but it won't go down. "We need those game

ed the locker room into a brawl," Jordan snaps. "Go home. Co

into the arena, leaving them alo

, neither of

er, "Congratulations. You f

. "What the hell

e since day one. Fine. You

e she can stop it. "Do y

humorless sound. "Y

't know what

ne stupid, prideful moment-she did

t like

like

ving Rey in the corridor, alone with the