Icebound Rivalry

Chapter 18-Jealousy neither admits

Chapter 18-Jealousy neither admits

Maya stood along the glass during the morning skate and kept her notebook closed.

The drills moved at a steady pace. She tracked the leadership group without writing anything down.

Alex worked through the sequences with his usual control and did not glance in her direction.

Near the end of the session a young forward from the developmental squad stayed after the main group left the ice.

He asked Maya a short question about recovery timing between shifts.

She answered with a clear explanation and demonstrated one of the reset positions on the spot.

The forward nodded and thanked her before skating off.

The exchange lasted less than two minutes.

Alex had remained near the bench adjusting his glove.

He looked up once during the conversation and then returned to the glove as if he had not noticed.

When Maya walked toward the exit he was already ahead of her in the hallway. He did not slow down or speak.

The private session was scheduled for early afternoon.

Maya arrived on time and set the original sequence on the table as he had requested the day before.

Alex walked in a minute later and closed the door. He sat down and looked at the sheet without comment.

“You spoke with the developmental player after the skate,” he said.

“He asked about recovery timing. I answered.”

“That is not part of your assignment with the leadership group.”

Maya kept her hands still on the notebook.

“Helping a player understand basic recovery is not a conflict with the assignment. It took two minutes.”

Alex picked up the sheet and turned it once in his hands.

“Players at that level should go through the coaching staff.”

“He came to me. I did not seek him out.”

“You still engaged.”

Maya met his eyes. “Are you telling me how to do my job now.”

“I am telling you the structure exists for a reason. Outside conversations create noise.”

“The only noise I hear is coming from this side of the table.”

Alex’s jaw tightened. He set the paper down and began the first sequence without another word.

Maya timed the rounds and recorded the numbers. The work stayed clean and short.

When the final interval ended he pushed the chair back and stood.

“Tomorrow we keep the same structure,” he said. “No extra conversations on the side.”

“I will continue to answer questions when they are asked. That is not changing.”

He looked at her for a longer moment than the earlier sessions had allowed.

“You enjoy making everything more complicated than it needs to be.”

“And you enjoy deciding what is complicated for everyone else.”

Alex turned and walked to the door. He left without answering.

Maya remained seated until the hallway was empty.

She gathered her materials and placed them in her bag.

The exchange had stayed professional on the surface.

Underneath it had carried a sharper edge than the data required.

She returned to the hotel and stayed in her room until the team bus left for the evening game.

On the ride to the arena she took a seat near the front. Alex boarded later and walked past without slowing.

He sat farther back and kept his attention on the window.

The game itself was tight. Maya watched from the staff section and tracked the usual markers. Alex played with clear intensity and limited unnecessary contact.

In the second period a player from the opposing team lingered near the boards after a whistle and said something that made Alex’s shoulders stiffen.

The exchange ended quickly. Maya made a short note and then closed the book.

After the final horn the Blades had secured a one goal win.

The locker room stayed controlled. Maya waited in the hallway until the players began to exit.

Jazz passed her with a short nod. Liam offered a quiet word of thanks for an earlier recovery tip.

She answered both with brief replies.

Alex came out near the end of the group. He saw her speaking with Liam and slowed.

The forward moved on after a moment. Alex stopped a few feet away.

“Another side conversation,” he said.

“A player said thank you. That is the entire exchange.”

“It is becoming a pattern.”

Maya adjusted the strap of her bag. “The pattern is you tracking conversations that have nothing to do with you.”

Alex’s expression stayed closed.

“I track what affects the group. Outside attention creates distraction.”

“The only distraction right now is this conversation.”

He held her stare for several seconds. Neither of them moved. Neither of them softened the tone.

“Session tomorrow afternoon,” he said at last. “Same room. Same structure.”

“I will be there.”

He turned and walked toward the buses. Maya waited until the hallway cleared before she followed.

The ride back to the hotel was quiet. She kept her attention on the window and did not look toward his seat.

Inside her room she set the bag down and sat on the edge of the bed.

The day had carried a new kind of friction. He had noticed the short exchange after the skate and the brief word with Liam.

She had noticed the way he reacted to the opposing player along the boards. Neither of them had named what sat underneath the comments.

Maya opened the notebook and wrote one line under the date.

He is watching more than the work. So am I.

She closed the book and stared at the closed door.

Tomorrow they would sit across from each other again. The structure would stay the same.

The extra edge that had appeared today would still be there.

Maya turned off the light and lay back against the pillows. The quiet in the room felt temporary.

Whatever had shifted was not finished.