Rules

by Doe, Anna B.

  Skating harder, I intercept the puck just before he regains his balance and go straight for the goal.

  The goalie sees me coming, and he gets in position, his eyes zeroing in on me as I approach. I can feel the guy closing in on me from behind, but I don’t dare even glimpse over my shoulder.

  It’s now or never. I grit my teeth as my stick connects to the puck and sends it flying.

  A red light flashes as the buzzer signals the goal.

  Take that, motherfucker. Just one more goal. One more and we’re going to the tournament.

  Derek skates by as we go back to the line. He lifts his stick, and I give it a tap with mine. If it were a different situation, we’d probably celebrate the goal, but too much is on the line, and there’s not enough time. One misstep, that’s all it takes to fuck everything up, and we’ve come too far for that.

  The buzzing of the crowd standing on their feet and the loud music are almost deafening. We meet at the line. I can see lips moving, but I don’t hear any words as players trash-talk.

  Jonah’s players have the puck, and they start the attack. In the back of my mind, I can hear the clock tick, time slowly running out. We skate backward, ready to stop anybody who wants to go through because if they score, it’s game over for us.

  I’m looking for a way to get my stick on the puck when a commotion erupts. Making a sharp turn, I see Andrew going at a St. Jonah’s player. He shoves the guy into the glass.

  From the corner of my eye, I see Derek; we exchange a look and get into motion. Crossing the distance in a few short seconds, we’re there, our hands wrapped around Andrew’s forearms, pulling him away.

  “Think about the game,” I grit through my teeth.

  “We need you to win this thing.”

  Just as we have them separated, the ref comes to us, looking wearily between Andrew and who I now realize is Ethan Williams. My sister’s date to the charity gala and Andrew’s rival. The ref assesses the situation. “All good?”

  “Good.” Andrew nods stiffly, and we get back to the game.

  My eyes dart to the clock.

  Less than sixty seconds to go.

  Swallowing, I force myself to turn off my brain.

  Play; don’t think. At this point, it’s the best we can do. Let go of all the worries and possibilities and rely on our muscle memory and luck.

  If I thought this game was intense before, it’s nothing like these last seconds. Jonah’s players are doing their best to break through our ranks, which thankfully hold strong.

  Until they don’t.

  One of our guys is shoved away, making an opening. I curse, forcing my screaming body to move as I see one of the Jonah players moving through.

  I’m not going to make it.

  He pulls the stick back, getting ready to shoot.

  There is no fucking—But I don’t slow down. No way I’m going down without a fight—way...

  The familiar weight hits the tip of my stick.

  I blink my eyes open, not even aware I closed them, and see the puck in front of me.

  My lips curl in a grin, as all hell breaks loose.

  I do a wide arc, trying to avoid all Jonah’s players as I go for the kill.

  For the most part, our defense holds the lines, but somebody must get through because I feel them reach for me. I shove them off, almost losing the puck in the process.

  Scanning the ice, my eyes meet Andrew’s.

  I feel the movement behind me.

  React.

  I send the puck flying.

  Weight crashes into my body, making me fall to the ground.

  “Shit!”

  I lift my eyes, not even bothering to get up.

  Andrew catches the puck, sees the opening and takes it.

  The buzzer sounds.

  Game over.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  BROOK

  Every few minutes, my eyes look at the clock on the wall. Minutes tick by slowly, but that doesn’t prevent me from checking the time yet again. I’ve been doing it since the beginning of my shift, jittery.

  Today’s the day.

  The big game.

  I have no clue about hockey, but I know how important this is to Max. And although we left things like we did the other day, I still want this for him. If anybody knows how hard that guy’s been working, it’s me. Even with a learning disorder, he’s giving his all to keep up with his studies while at the same time busting his ass on the ice to be the best possible hockey player he can be.

  For the umpteenth time today, I wish I had a normal phone like every other teenager in the world so I could try to find the score online instead of fidgeting all afternoon. Then again, maybe it’s better that I don’t.

  “What has you all on edge?” Megan asks as she walks over to me. She came in just a few minutes ago to cover for me until closing time.

  “That obvious, huh?” I ask, tucking a runaway strand of hair behind my ear.

  Her crimson lips curl into a knowing smile. “Only a little. What’s up?”

  “A friend of mine is having a really important game today, so I’m kind of nervous.”

  “A friend?” Megan wiggles her brows playfully.

  “Stop it.” I elbow her as I pass by, but the only thing it does is make her giggle harder.

  Taking off my apron, I grab my backpack that’s stashed underneath the bar. “Yes, he’s just a friend.”

  “Whatever you need to tell yourself, honey.”

  I roll my eyes, but the slight shaking of my backpack grabs my attention. Digging my phone out of the bag, I see Lia’s name on the little screen. “I’ve gotta take this. See you next week!” I pick up the call. “Hey, Lia! What’s up?”

  “Where are you?” she shouts through the background noise. “I’ve been trying to call you forever!”

  I pull away my phone to check my screen, seeing there are a few missed calls. “Sorry, I was at work. What’s going on?”

  “They won!” Lia’s squeal is so loud I have to put some distance between the speaker and my ear if I want to keep my hearing.

  “OMG, that’s amazing!”

  My heart kicks up a notch with happiness. They won! They actually won.

  There is a loud roar in the background, and then the music is turned on to the max. I guess the victory party has already started. Not that it surprises me. Andrew is notorious for his parties.

  “Wait, I can’t hear you. Let me get out of here.”

  I hear her move through the house, and she must have gotten away from the party because suddenly it’s much quieter.

  “I’m at Andrew’s. He had to take care of something, but Derek and the guys set everything up. You should come.”

  I frown, pulling the zipper on my jacket before I leave Joe’s. “I’m not sure…”

  “Don’t say it,” Lia pleads. “You have to come.”

  The blast of cold air hits me as soon as I get outside. Burrowing my chin deeper into my scarf, I try to reason with her. “It’s on the other side of town, and it’s so freaking cold…”

  My voice dies as I bump into somebody. “I’m sorry. I didn’t…” I lift my eyes to meet a pair of almost black irises looking back at me. They pierce into me, cold and lifeless as a slow, creepy smile spreads over his lips.

  Stunned, I take a step back.

  “Brook?” Lia asks on the other end of the line, but I’m left speechless. Goosebumps cover my skin, and they have nothing to do with the cold January air making my blood freeze.

  I’ve never seen the guy before—I would have been fine to keep it that way, but I guess destiny has other plans for me—but I’ve heard the stories and whispers. Standing just a few inches away from me, dressed all in black is Dan. Josephine’s bookie slash junkie slash whatever the hell else he is.

  “Brook? Are you there?”

  My fingers clench the phone to the point of pain.

  “Y-yes,” I stutter, and the guy’s smile grows even bigger. “I-I’ll call you back.”
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  “But…” Lia starts, but I don’t have time to listen, especially not with this creep clinging to every word, so I hang up.

  Silence settles over us, and I can feel his gaze roam over my body, an uncomfortable, tingling sensation left in the way of his probing stare. “You look just like your mother.”

  “I’m nothing like my mother,” I spit. Almost as soon as the words are out, the realization of what I did hits me. I just smart-mouthed the most dangerous man on this side of town. But instead of being offended, those soulless eyes glimmer under the streetlight.

  “And she has claws too.”

  Dan takes a step closer, entering my personal space. I inhale sharply, but I don’t move a muscle. No way am I letting him see my fear. I can only hope my pride won’t be the end of me.

  My throat bobbles as his hand reaches forward, fingers brushing against my cheek. “What I would do to you…”

  Bile rises in my throat at his touch. I turn my head to the side, breaking his hold on me. “What do you want, Dan?” I ask, done with playing games.

  “I just came to issue a little warning.”

  “Your business is with Josephine, not me.”

  “Maybe,” he offers. “But we both know your mother, and if she doesn’t pay up…”

  The warning—no, not a warning, a promise—in his voice is more than obvious.

  If for a second I thought I’d get out of this unscathed, I was wrong. So very wrong.

  Damn you, Josephine.

  He comes closer, his lips brushing against my earlobe as he leans down and whispers. “The clock is ticking, little Taylor. And you do not want to find out what happens to the people who don’t pay up on time. I was more than generous to begin with.”

  My eyes close, a shudder running through my body. His grip on my shoulder loosens, and I can hear his faint footsteps leave.

  I wait until he’s out of earshot, and only then do I open my eyes.

  I tried to avoid it, but there is only one way out.

  I thought I had more time.

  But the hard reality is, time waits for no one. And I just ran out of mine.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  MAX

  “Care to explain to me why we’re here again?” I ask, breaking the silence that settled upon us.

  My eyes are glued to the house on the other side of the street. I’m not sure what Andrew’s deal is, but it must be really important if he dragged me all the way here instead of going back home to celebrate our win and qualification for the Ice Globe Tournament.

  “You could have gone with Derek. Nobody asked you to come with,” Andrew says in a hard voice, not sparing me a glance. His whole body is stiff; I don’t even have to look at him to know it. It radiates off of him.

  “And watch him grope Lia the whole time?” I joke, hoping to ease the tension “No, thank you.”

  Andrew tilts his head to the side. “Jealous?”

  I expect to feel the stab of pain at his question, but there is nothing.

  “Of what? Derek and Lia? Please, I knew they were destined to be together from the first day of school.” The words come off of my tongue easily. There is no usual heaviness in my heart that used to accompany every mention of Lia. “I think it was the way Derek stared at me like he wanted to launch at me and break every bone in my body when Lia and I entered the classroom. But don’t go getting off-topic here. We were talking about you.”

  Andrew scratches the nape of his neck but stays quiet.

  Once we got back to Greyford, the last thing I expected was for him to say he needs to go back.

  Back to face my demons.

  His words ring in my mind. His expression was so serious when he said it, I knew no matter what it was, it was important. And my feelings toward his relationship with Jeanette aside, I couldn’t let him deal with it alone. He’s my friend, and I stick by them no matter what. So no questions asked, I got in his car and we were on our way.

  “I’m here to ask my mother why she left and never looked back,” Andrew says, breaking the silence.

  I turn around to look at him, surprised by his confession. I didn’t know much about his family since Andrew rarely talks about them. His dad is some fancy-ass lawyer who plans to run for mayor. His mom’s not in the picture. That’s about it. And since he never talks about them, I kind of assumed he doesn’t care one way or the other, but I guess I was wrong.

  “Andrew, I…” I start, but really, what is there to say?

  “You don’t have to say anything. You’re not from here, and it’s been ages, so I suppose you haven’t heard.” He shrugs nonchalantly. “I don’t need nor want your pity.”

  “Pity you?” I force out a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. “You’re too big of a douchebag for anybody to pity you.” But when my laughter dies, I can’t help but ask: “You don’t visit her?”

  He chuckles, but there is no amusement in his expression whatsoever. “As far as everybody else is concerned, I don’t even know she’s here.”

  His gaze returns to the house. It’s like he can’t look away.

  “You didn’t want…?”

  “She took her shit and left,” he interrupts me. His tone is even, but I can see the hurt in his expression. Not that I can blame him. What kind of person leaves her kid behind and just walks away? “She left, and she never looked back. I found out by coincidence later on that she moved back here.”

  “Why visit her now then? You resent her so much, blame her for leaving you and fucking up your life, so why now?”

  “I want to know why. Why did she leave? Why did she never look back? Did I…” Andrew shakes his head, dismissing the last question. “It doesn’t matter. I came to get my answers so I can move the fuck on and forget about her.”

  I open my mouth, but Andrew doesn’t even let me think of what I want to say before bursting out, “I’ll be right back.”

  The door flies open, and he’s out in a second. It shuts behind him, and I watch him stride toward the house like a man on a mission.

  My gut clenches uncomfortably.

  What now?

  I know the guy but not that well. Should I go with him? Try to stop him? Or just let him do what he thinks is right? I mean, it’s not like he’s going to do anything stupid. He just wants to ask a few questions and be done with it.

  Still, I watch him carefully, looking for any sign of trouble Andrew might get into.

  As soon as he steps onto the front porch, he presses the doorbell. It’s like he knows if he doesn’t do it instantly he’ll change his mind, and that’s not an option. A few long seconds pass as he waits. The whole time I have a lump in my throat. I can’t even imagine how he might feel.

  For all the faults my parents have, at least I know they’re there if I need them. Yes, they’re self-centered and lost in their own worlds for the most part, but how am I different? With hockey and school, I barely have time to sleep. Andrew, on the other hand, is completely alone.

  Air gets stuck in my throat as the door swings open and an older woman comes out. She’s probably in her early forties but still looks quite beautiful. I can’t see much of her features since they’re farther away. Brown hair is pulled casually into a ponytail that makes me think of Brook.

  My heart aches at the thought of her. What is she doing now? Is she working again in that hole in the wall? Just the thought of her walking alone at night makes my gut clench.

  Let it go, man. She walked away.

  Because you didn’t fight for her.

  I push the thoughts of Brook out of my mind, at least for now. There is nothing I can do from here, and to be honest, I’m not even sure if there’s any point in trying.

  Andrew and the woman, who I suppose is his mother, talk on the front porch. She outstretches her hand as if to touch him, but he pulls away quickly. I see their lips move, but I can’t hear them or read their words. I’m not even sure I want to know. It’s their moment. The guy deserves at least this. The truth. Maybe if he gets the
answers he’s looking for he’ll be able to move on.

  Reaching for the radio to give myself something to do, I feel my phone buzz. I pull it out and check the screen.

  Dad.

  Fine hairs at the nape of my neck rise.

  Why is he calling now?

  Dad’s usually not one to call out of the blue. Hell, if it’s not hospital related, I’m not even sure he knows how to use the damn thing. If he’s not on call or waiting for a call from the hospital, he leaves his phone at the door and doesn’t think twice about it.

  My fingers clench tighter around the device. I’m not sure what’s happening, but I don’t like this feeling one bit. Swiping my thumb over the screen, I answer. “What’s up, Dad?”

  “Max…” he breathes, and my whole body goes on alert.

  I sit straighter in my seat, my lips pressed tightly together. I’m not sure if it’s his voice, the way he says my name or something else. My heart slows down until I can barely feel it beating.

  “D-dad?” My voice trembles at that one word.

  “Max, it’s Jeanette…”

  His words buzz on repeat in my mind.

  “W-what...?”

  “There’s been an accident...”

  Dad continues talking, explaining, but his words are just background noise. Blood is rushing through my veins, and the only thing I can hear is the echo of my heart frantically beating in my eardrums.

  Jeanette. No, this can’t be happening.

  “Max…” The sound of my name helps pull me out of my thoughts. “You need to come. It’s bad.”

  Fucking hell, Jeanette.

  “I-I’m coming.”

  I stumble out of the car, my brain still a mush of possibilities of what might have happened to her. Did he even tell me what happened? He probably did, but I’m not sure of anything anymore, my mind too occupied with thoughts of my sister.

  You have to live, Anette. Don’t you dare die on me. Don’t you dare leave me.

  As I burst open the door, I almost fall over my own feet. Gripping the cold metal to steady myself, I call out, not caring in the least what I might interrupt. “ANDREW!”