Icebound Rivalry

chapter 16- Deliberate Avoidance

Chapter 16-Deliberate Avoidance

Maya stayed at the far end of the bench during the morning skate the next day. She kept her notebook open but wrote very little.

The drills moved at a steady pace. Alex took his usual place with the leadership group and never once glanced toward the glass.

When the coaches called for a water break he skated to the opposite side of the ice from where she stood.

The choice was obvious. She made no move to follow or acknowledge it.

After the skate the team filed into the video room.

Maya took a seat near the back wall.

Alex sat in the front row beside Coach Langston.

They did not speak to each other during the meeting.

When it ended Maya waited until most of the players had left before she stood. She walked the long way around the hallway so their paths would not cross.

The extra steps felt petty even as she took them. She did not turn back.

The private session was still on the schedule for the afternoon.

Maya arrived at the conference room five minutes early and set her materials on the table. She left the door open.

Alex walked in at the exact time and closed it behind him. He took the chair across from her without greeting and waited.

Maya slid the printed sequence toward him.

“Same structure as yesterday. No timer today.”

Alex picked up the sheet and scanned it. “You are changing the approach.”

“I am removing the contest element. We are returning to the original work.”

He looked up. “Because you did not like how close the times were.”

“Because the contest was your idea and it served its purpose. Today we focus on recovery consistency.”

Alex set the paper down and began the first round without further comment.

Maya watched his form and the timing of his resets.

She recorded the numbers in her notebook and kept her instructions brief. Neither of them added anything unnecessary. When the final sequence ended Alex pushed the chair back and stood.

“That is enough,” he said.

“We still have ten minutes.”

“I am aware of the time. I am ending the session.”

Maya closed her notebook. “You asked for competition yesterday. Today you want distance. Decide which version of this you prefer.”

Alex’s jaw tightened. He remained standing and looked down at her.

“I prefer the version where the work stays clean and the rest of it stays out of the room.”

“Then stop creating the rest of it.”

He held her stare for a moment. The silence felt heavier than the earlier sessions. Alex turned and walked to the door.

He paused with his hand on the handle but did not look back.

“Game tonight,” he said. “Keep your observations professional.”

“I always do.”

He left. Maya stayed seated until the hallway was quiet. She gathered her papers slowly and placed them in her bag.

The short session had done exactly what both of them seemed to want.

It had kept them in the same room while allowing each of them to hold the other at arm’s length. She disliked how carefully they were now managing even the silence.

She returned to the hotel and stayed in her room until it was time to leave for the arena.

On the bus she took a seat near the front. Alex boarded later and walked past her without slowing.

He sat three rows behind the coaching staff and kept his eyes forward. Maya did not turn around once during the ride.

The game was physical and close. Maya watched from the staff section and tracked the leadership group through every period. Alex played with his usual intensity.

He did not look toward the stands. When the final horn sounded the Blades had won by one goal.

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

She kept her back against the wall and her bag close to her side.

Alex came out near the end of the group. He saw her and slowed only long enough to speak.

“Session tomorrow afternoon,” he said. “Same room.”

“I will be there.”

He nodded once and continued toward the buses.

Maya waited until the hallway cleared before she followed. The ride back to the hotel was quiet.

She kept her notebook closed and her attention on the window. When they arrived she went straight to her floor without looking to see which elevator he took.

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

The day had been a series of careful choices. Separate seats. Separate paths. Short sessions. Limited words.

Both of them were good at avoidance when they decided to be. Maya opened the notebook and wrote one line under the date.

He is keeping his distance. So am I.

She closed the book and stared at the wall. Tomorrow they would sit across from each other again.

The work would continue.

The deliberate space they were building between them would continue as well.

Maya lay back against the pillows and turned off the light.

The quiet in the room felt earned. She planned to keep it that way for as long as she could.