Breaking The Rules | Complete

Chapter 31

The sharp chill bit into my cheeks as Eden and I found our seats in the Pittsburg arena. We'd driven out of state for a weekend tournament being hosted by another university. The place was packed, the air alive with energy like static electricity. But sitting in the cold plastic seat, the sadness I'd been feeling all week wouldn't unclench its claws from my heart.

Due to the concussion protocol, Hendrix, despite his pandering to Coach Miller to let him come, wasn't able to make the trip with his team. If he did, he was strictly off the ice. I think we all knew that would be the biggest tease of them all. And so the Falcons were down a critical player.

The hardest part was saying goodbye to him as we made our way out the door.

I tried not to think about it, knowing Ella would be with him all weekend. If anything, he'll be happy once he realizes he doesn't have three other hungry men to cook for.

Eden shivered in her seat next to me––shoulder length hair peeking out below her wool beanie. She fixed the blanket she had brought along over both of our laps, then adjusted Falcon's jersey.

"You warm enough?" Eden asked, her voice cutting through the hum of the crowd.

"Yeah," I replied, tugging my jacket tighter. The cold seeped into my layers, but the buzz of the arena distracted me. "It's freezing, but I'll survive. You?"

For some reason it felt colder here than in New York. I wiggled my toes, encased in two pairs of socks. I should have been used to the chill of winter.

Eden grinned, balancing a hot chocolate in one hand while she scanned the rink with bright blues eyes. I didn't know if it was the combination of inky hair and porcelain skin, but her eyes had been the deepest shade of cerulean I'd ever seen.

And that was saying something, because Hendrix and Booker both had beautiful blue eyes.

"This is nothing. I don't do it often, but I've been skating in sub-zero temperatures before. My toes were numb for days."

I laughed, the sound melding with the chaos around us as players made their way onto the ice. The Falcons were finishing their warm-ups, their movements sharp and practiced. Part of my brain wandered, hoping they weren't as distracted as I was.

Without meaning to, I found myself tracing Maverick's movements across the rink. His strides were smooth and practiced, but his attention wasn't directed towards the crowd like it normally was. The last home game I was at I realized Maverick and Booker liked to work their audience. Each of them was born to be in front of a crowd. But while Booker fed into all of his fans, Maverick pandered to a specific gender.

Which he wasn't doing today.

The flirtatious grin he usually wore on the ice was absent. His gaze focused on his skates.

Maverick had taken Hendrix's injury the hardest. I figured it was because they were part of the original core group––along with McKinley. They were good friends. Teammates. Brothers.

Regardless, I'd have to keep on guessing because he had barely spoken to me since the night we watched that horror film in the living room. The night we had whispered to each other under the comfort of dim lights and a worn blanket. Among other things.

My stomach twisted. For the first time, I hoped that our new understanding wasn't the reason why he had been so distant. As soon as the thought entered my mind, I wanted to laugh. This was Maverick Sousa we were talking about. He was the king of no strings attached.

"Okay," Eden said, nudging me. "While we wait for the game to start, I need you to let me in on that Hockey House gossip."

I blinked, caught off guard. "What gossip?"