BLAZE: Enemies to Lovers College Hockey Romance by Eddie Cleveland (ebook reader macos .txt) 📕

Hattie are already at the dining room table eating their grilled cheese together.

I’m not that hungry, or maybe I just don't feel like eating alone surrounded by a bunch of happy couples like the odd one out on Love Island or something. I never knew you could miss eating with someone. Fuck.

There’s a bunch of noise at the front door as Etta and Gucci finally show up, stomping in. Of course, they come down to the kitchen too. It’s the first and last place we tend to go every day. Well, besides the toilet.

Griz comes back in the kitchen, serving up seconds for himself and Hattie when his sister walks in.

“Did you guys get lost?” He seems completely oblivious to Etta’s just-fucked hair.

Etta and Gucci don’t look comfortable spitting out the obvious. No one here is going to explain it to him. Kaylee comes to their rescue. “I asked Etta to drop something off for me at our dorm.” It’s a clunky excuse, but she pulls it off confidently enough.

“What thing?” Griz asks.

“A none-of-your-business thing,” Kaylee answers.

“Let’s go eat these before they get cold.” Hattie distracts him, pulling him back out to the dining room.

That’s my cue to leave too. I go grab my boots and coat and walk them through the house to our back door. Once I’ve got them on, I head out to our deck and pull out my joint from earlier. I need to clear my head a bit, but first I need to make it foggy.

I inhale a huge puff of weed, and the door opens and shuts behind me. Player walks out. He obviously came out here for a reason because he’s all bundled up in his winter gear.

“Hey man, we need to have a talk.”

My phone buzzes in my pocket with a text. Probably Canuck warning me that Player’s on his way or some helpful shit like that. I don’t bother looking at it. I’ve got other things on my mind. Here it comes. The lecture. I blow out the smoke.

“Player, can you not get on my ass about this? I think I’m doing pretty good here. If I can’t even smoke a joint at my own house and go pass out for the night, like, c’mon.” I take another big lungful and hold it.

“You done?” he asks.

“Sure.” I make sure not to blow my smoke in his direction.

“I don’t give a fuck if you’re getting high. I might not always agree with it, but we’ve got nowhere to be and no responsibilities to meet, so, you’re entitled to a little smoke.

After the year Player and I have had, I wonder if he’s wearing a wire for a second. He doesn’t normally miss a chance to get on my case. Player stares off. I don’t say anything. Neither of us do. My phone buzzes in my pocket again and it’s so quiet I can only faintly hear it.

Player lets out a huge sigh and his frustrations hang in the air for a second in a frozen cloud. “Listen, Blaze, I know we’ve had a rough year.”

“You could definitely say that,” I interrupt.

“Yeah, well, it’s not all on me.” He gives me a side eye.

Even though he’s right, I’m not going to say it. Instead, I shrug and take another haul off my joint.

“I know I’ve gotten on you because you’re selfish and for not caring about the team.” He starts playing his greatest hits album for me. The highlight reel of the shit he’s been spouting at me for months now.

“I’ve got the message loud and clear, Player.” I cut him off with my own fucking side eye.

“I know. I guess it also pisses me off because I take it personally, man.” Player looks right at me. His face is different. I think it’s the first time I haven’t seen anger or hate in his eyes since… I’m not sure.

“You know I’m here on scholarship. I’ve had to bust my ass to earn my spot on this team,” he starts back on me.

“Yeah, well, you’re Team Captain. So, good job. It worked.” I flick the cherry off my joint and pack it against my thumbnail before storing back away.

“I wouldn’t be the Team Captain if you actually gave a shit though.” He frowns at the ground.

“What do you mean?” I know the weed hasn’t hit me that quick or that hard. What he’s saying makes no sense. Especially not coming from his mouth.

“Blaze, you’ve got more natural talent than anyone on this team. You’re a natural leader too. Just look at Rookie and the other young guys. You know they fucking worship you. If you’d use that stuff for good, instead of fucking around… Well, there’s no telling what you could do, man. But most of the time, it seems like you think this is a fucking joke. Like, you’re just sitting back, laughing while we’re busting our asses to get to your level.”

I don’t know what to say to him. I never expected Player to have a nice thing to say to me. That’s a shock. Maybe I have been throwing it all away. It never felt like that though. It felt like being mad at the world. It felt like numbing pain. It felt like grief.

“You’re right, Player.” Words I never thought I’d speak come out of my mouth. And I mean them.

I realize that the entire time I’ve felt like Player has been judging me, he’s felt like I’ve been laughing at him.

“I haven’t been taking it as seriously as I can. I’ve been dealing with some personal shit, and it makes it hard to be at a hundred percent. I’m going to give it everything at the tournament though. You have my word, man.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t think it’s being that much of a dick to say your word doesn’t mean much these days. A few flowery words won’t fix shit, Blaze. You gotta back it up. Actions and words, man. Actions and words. Anyway, I’m going inside. Have