Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
She was right. I could taunt them all I wanted, but the only thing that would get them to shut up is if we did well at the tournament. What would they say? I would’ve proved to them that I was the right captain for this team, and that we were a force to be reckoned with.
“Thanks, Madi,” I told her sincerely. Some days were hard here, knowing that I was alone to deal with all of these conflicts, but it was nice to remember all the support I had at home.
“Hang in there, okay? You’ve got this!” Madison reminded me.
I smiled and told her goodbye before heading into Sciala Hall for my biology class. However, during the lecture, I wasn’t thinking about cells or their functions. All I could think about was my interactions with the men’s hockey team. I should’ve just hated him for how they came at me, but there was a level of intrigue between all of us.
And things were only going to get more intense as the hockey season approached.
Chapter 6
Hugo
Campus blurred past me as I walked out of Kline Hall from my English class and toward the stadium.
Today wasn’t a practice day, but Coach Jacobson sent out a text to the team that we needed to all meet at five o’clock. I wasn’t focused on whatever he needed to talk to us about, though. My mind continued to slip in other directions, especially toward Leah and the tension between our teams.
I couldn’t shake that firecracker out of my head. She was so bold and defiant, which should’ve made me annoyed by her, but it was the opposite effect.
I was intrigued by her, wanting to be around her again just to see the furrow of her eyebrows and the subtle smirk on her full lips that sent heat rolling through me.
It frustrated me because she should’ve been the last thing occupying my mind. I had a team to whip into shape, and I managed to push every other girl out of my mind with ease. Why the hell was she so lodged in my brain?
Maybe it was because she was different from all those other girls, who were obsessed with their looks and determined to look as perfect as possible. With Leah, she was natural. She didn’t put all that effort in, and she honestly didn’t even have to. Maybe she didn’t catch every guy’s eye, but she caught mine with her lean, athletic build with just the right amount of curves.
That was certainly a weakness of mine, but I wasn’t going to broadcast that to the enemy.
I headed to the stands on the left side of the stadium, confusion striking me when I saw my team and the women’s team sitting together. Both coaches stood between both teams, which made things even odder. What the hell was going on?
“Coach?” I said as I approached him.
“Take a seat,” Coach Jacobson told me.
I nodded and sat down next to Stephen, who leaned closer to me.
“Got some hot girls over there,” he commented as he nodded to the women’s team.
I looked their way, immediately spotting Leah, who also looked confused about what was going on. I noticed a hint of darkness beneath her eyes, complemented by a yawn from her. Curiosity got the best of me, and I couldn’t help but wonder what kept her up so late last night. Or who.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why all of you are here,” Coach Jacobson said in his usual gruff voice as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“We’ve noticed some tension between our teams,” Coach Clinton added, her eyes shifting between the men’s team and the women’s team. “Obviously, we shouldn’t be in competition with each other. We both represent Yale.”
I wished that mattered, but it always came down to money and attention. Every sports team at the university fought for as much of both as they could. The more we had, the better off we were. Better equipment. More traveling. A wider variety of opportunities. Increased attendance at our games.
“So, you all need to cut out this attitude you have with each other. No more crashing practices. No more snide comments,” Coach Jacobson barked out. “You’re going to get along.”
Coach Clinton nodded before speaking in a less harsh voice.
“I think it would be great for you all to really get to know each other. So, tonight, you’ll have a skate night here at the rink. We’ve ordered some pizza to be delivered. There will be music,” Coach Clinton told us, eliciting some grimaces from some of the players. “And it’s mandatory.”
“I have better things to do than this,” Jed muttered from behind me.
Colm nudged him.
“It could be fun,” he said.
I smirked a little as I shook my head. I didn’t see tonight helping out the tension much. We would still be divided because pizza and skating weren’t going to fund our season.