Living Proof (NHL)

Chapter Fourteen

"I'm sorry coach. I let them get passed me, it won't happen again."

"It's alright Kolby. You just need to be more careful next time. We can't have stupid mistakes like that on the ice, especially not in over time."

It turns out that I wasn't good at blocking things out on the ice. The whole game my mind was somewhere else.

I was lucky that all the guys were putting in more effort to make up for me. It was tied at the end of the game and we went into overtime.

We had almost killed the whole thing but when there was thirty seconds left, I let someone get passed me and they made the goal. I knew it was my fault and I felt horrible.

After the game, I was first off the ice and into the locker room. I quickly changed and avoided all eye contact. I could tell that everyone wasn't very happy but they weren't going to say anything about it.

By the time the game had started, all the guys knew what had happened yesterday and that I was being harrassed so I knew they would blame it on that.

"Listen guys, I'm so sorry that I didn't give it my best-"

"Kolby, we understand-"

"No Kuni, don't. Yes, I'm going through a lot right now but I should not have let it affect my game. I just wanted to say that I am sorry and that it won't happen again."

With that said, I picked up my bag and started my way out the room. I heard someone following me and I knew exactly who it was.

"Beau, can we just talk tomorrow? I really want to be alone right now."

I didn't wait for him to reply as I continued my way down the hall and out the back door.

Unlocking my car, I hurriedly shoved my bag into the passager seat and got in. I locked all the doors quickly before I turned on my car. Jake was somewhere in Pittsburgh and that alone made me paranoid.

When I arrived home, my uncle was dressing Lily who had just got out the bath. I could tell he had watched the game because he gave me a sympathetic look. He knew I didn't want to talk about it though so he left it at that.

I read Lily a book while she was going to bed and luckily, she fell asleep pretty quickly. My mind was still all over the place so I took a bath to try and relax.

I had to tell myself over and over that I was doing the right thing in leaving the situation alone. It scared me when I thought of the things Jake could do being that he was, or used to be, in a gang. Would he really hurt me? Or worse, Lily?

After thirty minutes in the bath and not being able to clear my mind, I got out. If I thought I had trouble sleeping last night, tonight was going to be another story.

****

"Are you feeling better today babe?" Beau asked the second I skated out onto the ice.

We were at practice two days later and after a day off, I felt less stressed. I had spent all of yesterday with Lily, my dad, and uncle exploring Pittsburgh. I didn't recieve any more calls or texts from Jake and I couldn't have been more happier.

"Yes, I am actually." Smiling, I quickly hugged and kissed him before anyone saw. "Are you playing tonight?"

"No. They want me too stay out one more game but I will play in the next." That was probably for the better.

We ran through some drills and then plays that we needed to work on.

"Sutter's line and Sid's line over on that side of the ice and the rest of you guys over there." Coach blew the whistle and I skated to the left side of the rink, confused. "Alright, you guys aren't in trouble. I just want to run over the play that lost us the game against the Rangers."

I instantly looked down at my skates when he said this. I still felt bad about letting Nash get passed me but I knew that it happened to every hockey player at least once.

Coach drew out the play on the white board and then made us run through it. Sid played left defense so he could put the most pressure on me.

On the third run, I was finally able to block him from getting passed me and make the pass.

"That was good Kolby. See, just a little practice and you're good as new." Coach patted my helmet and then let us go back to the other guys.

"Now all you need to work on is your fighting skills Cub."

I didn't need to look towards the voice to see who was talking to me.

"Oh yeah Downs? I think I fight pretty good actually. Want me too show you?"

Without answering, he skated towards me and we started circling each other.

I waited for the right opportunity to attack and grabbed his jersey with my right hand. We both still had our gloves on because we weren't trying to hurt each other so it made it harder to hold on.

Before he could get a good grip, I started hitting him with my left hand. It didn't affect him to badly but still knocked his sense off.

I only got two hits in before he grabbed my jersey and pulled me closer to him. He hit me once, lightly, and without me noticing he grabbed the back of my jersey and yanked me down.

This forced me to let go of his jersey and I was vulnerable to him. He jokingly hit me with a couple uppercuts before pulling my jersey over my head more so I couldn't see.

"Alright, alright. That's enough." Geno laughed and helped me put my jersey back on correctly.

"That was good Cub but don't let your guard down. That would have ended badly for you if that was a real fight."

My jaw dropped as I stared at Downie who was trying to look innocent.

"You did that on purpose!"

He got me to fight just so he could prove that I did need to work on it! Dang.

Smiling sweetly I skated towards him and acted like I was going to hug him. At the last second, I kicked his skates out from under him and laughed as he hit the ice.

"Okay, I deserved that."

"Alright guys, go home, rest, eat, and pack. We leave for LA tonight after the game."

I hadn't been in the Staples Center since the day my dad died. I didn't know how to feel about the whole situation of going back and playing the same place that it happened.

Taking a deep breath, I headed off the ice, face to the ground. I was happy that no one realized my change of attitude and I hoped none of them would put two and two together.

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