Playing the Game

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER ONECoach Walker blew the whistle. Time to line up for scrimmage. Tyler positioned himself for a faceoff against Matt, jaw clenched. Ironically, practice was the last place Tyler wanted to be this morning. Looking up before Coach dropped the puck, he caught Patrick’s eye. He did his best to put up with Pat, but he couldn’t stop the sour taste that flooded his mouth. After all, Pat had stolen his girlfriend.

His ex, Gia was beautiful and sexy—and she should’ve been his.

He’d become friends with Gia the moment he’d met her at Kris’s house. It hadn’t been a crazy romance, but their friendship had turned into more. But he hadn’t treated her as well as he should’ve; hockey always came first. This was his team; he’d earned his spot, and he ate, breathed, and slept Renegades hockey, meetings, practices, work outs and training. He was dedicated to his team when he should’ve been dedicated to her.

That was his mistake.

His off-season training had taken him to Canada. While away he’d missed her, and knew that if he wanted to keep the relationship, he needed to start putting her first. But by then it was too late. Patrick had already swooped in.

Fucking Patrick.

He’d tried to get over Gia, he really had. He was angry; he lashed out. At first he thought she’d broken his heart when she cheated on him with Patrick. He fell apart. Surprising him with a pregnancy hadn’t helped his rage. His focus went from Gia and hockey, to pure hatred towards Patrick.

That’s when he realized his heart wasn’t really broken over Gia. He still wanted to care about her as a friend, but he knew with certainty she wasn’t the one for him. Fire ran through his veins, but it wasn’t fire for her. He’d been more hurt by the betrayal. She hadn’t lied about it or tried to hide it, but she’d killed his trust when she cheated, and nothing could fix that. Not to mention his shattered ego. Why hadn’t he been enough for her? What did Pat have that he didn’t? But she hadn’t had an answer to those questions, and finally he stopped asking.

He felt for her when she lost the baby. But he wasn’t there for her; he just left. That was his coping mechanism—leaving. With her that seemed to be all he ever did. Her selfishness and two-timing had destroyed his faith in women, in relationships, and he’d had no empathy left for her.

He tried to stay friends with her. Also easier said than done. That just was something that people just said; let’s still be friends. But could anyone actually do it?

Since then alcohol had become a temporary fix. Hell, alcohol was his best friend. Random girls kept him company and tended to his needs but they didn’t satisfy him. He wasn’t going to let any other woman have a chance to betray him the way Gia had. His game suffered; his attitude was poor. He was the f*****g face of the league so why did it matter? If he said jump, people asked, ‘how high?’ He didn’t have to be nice to be in charge. After all, he was Tyler f*****g Kidd.

Coach made him promise to be professional with Patrick on the ice. What did that even mean? Professional. This was hockey, the game revolved around big, nasty hits and fights. Surely he could let out some aggression in practice and call it ‘part of the game’ while still being professional.

Patrick was an asset to the team; he was what was best for business. Ty was tired of that rationale. All he could see was the prick that stole his girl.

As he stared at Patrick, now across from him on the ice, the argument that fateful day rang through his thoughts…

"Tyler, I need to tell you something..." She couldn’t meet his eyes and a sickening sense of déjà vu came over him.

The silence of the room was deafening.

"Ty, I really do love you, you need to know that… But I slept with Patrick, again. I'm so sorry Tyler."

Again. She was sorry.

He threw her jewelry box across the room; it smashed against the wall. Pieces splintered off and flew everywhere, and her trinkets scattered across the floor.

His blood ran hot and his lips spewed words like venom. "For f**k’s sake, what is it about me? Why am I not enough for you, G?”

"Tyler, please let me explain."

Explain? There was nothing she could explain. She’d rather be with that scrub, Patrick, than him. Tyler was the captain of this f*****g team, and she chose Pat?

I'm the f*****g face of the Professional Hockey League. I'm Tyler f*****g Kidd. Every girl wanted me, and I proved that night after night.

His body ran hot and his head felt heavy. Okay, so maybe I’m not over it. The deal he made with Coach was that Patrick could stay so long as he would never be on the ice with him. Tyler played on the first line, and Pat rotated between the third and fourth. It was flawless, until today. There he was, just feet away. Tyler needed to have his head in the game, his eye on the puck, but instead every ounce of concentration centered on Patrick. His blood raced through his veins, and every muscle seized.

Coach Walker dropped the puck and Tyler whacked at it with his stick; he wanted to win the face off. He hated to lose. After breaking the puck free from Matt’s best attempts, he tossed it in Patrick’s direction. He didn’t care about the puck, or the drill that Coach wanted to run. All he saw was Patrick. His heart pounded against his chest and his mouth went dry.

His emotions overrode all common sense as Patrick took the puck. Tyler chased him to the corner, slamming his stick into Patrick’s chest, and knocking him backwards against the boards.

“What the hell, Tyler?” Patrick yelled, shaking off the effects of the hit.

I told her we could be friends. What a crock of s**t. He cross checked him again with his stick.

“Ty, back off!” Kris called, hitting the puck. Patrick took possession of it and skated away from Tyler.

Coach yelled some directions, but Tyler didn’t pay any attention; he just raced after the puck. Instead of putting the biscuit in the net, he shoved Patrick into the hard steel posts.

“What the f**k is your problem, dude?” Patrick snapped.

I still can’t believe she left ME for him. His gloved hand caught Patrick with a right hook.

Patrick massaged his jaw as Coach Walker blew the whistle. “Enough rough-housing, boys. Keep the nastiness to a minimum; it’s only practice. Line-up again.”

As they skated back to center ice, Patrick shouted to Tyler. “Get a grip, dude.”

Tyler dealt with Patrick day after day, but today he was out of control. All he saw when he looked at Pat was betrayal.

Coach blew the whistle and dropped the puck.

I said I’d be professional with Pat, but tough s**t. Tyler shoved Patrick into the boards, plastering his face against the pane of glass. Frustrated, Patrick grunted, whipped around, and slashed Tyler’s leg with his stick.

Tyler bent over in pain, but quickly composed himself before lunging at Patrick. Taking hold around his neck and shoulders, Tyler tackled him to the ice. His own elbow caught his fall. That’s going to leave a mark.

“Kidd! What the hell?” Coach Walker smashed his clipboard against the boards. “Enough of this playground bullshit!”

Kris quickly pulled Tyler off Patrick, and onto the ground. “Ty, what the hell are you doing?”

“Back off, Kris.” Tyler growled as he got up, brushing off the ice. “This has nothing to do with you.”

“Kidd! I’m not your personal babysitter. The rest of the team is here to practice and your antics are nothing but a distraction. Take it to the showers.”

“Coach—” Tyler pleaded as he skated away from Kris.

“I don’t want to hear it, Kidd. You’re done for the day.” Coach Walker turned his attention back to the team. “Tanz, stand in for Kidd.” He motioned to Tanner.

“f**k this.” Tyler headed down the runway to the locker room, slamming his stick against the wall, and then hurling his gloves to the floor. He made his way to his stall, peeled off his pads and flung them at his locker. Taking a deep breath he tried to calm down. f*****g Patrick.

“Tyler.” Coach Walker entered the locker room.

“Coach, I don’t know what came over me.” Put me on the f*****g ice with Pat and that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

“Ty, I can’t have you doing that. You said you could work with Pat and keep it professional. That was far from professional.” Coach crossed his arms.

“I know—”

“You don’t know or you wouldn’t still be doing it. You can’t lose it every time you see him. I don’t know what to do with you. You’re the star of this team. I can’t have you be a liability.”

“I understand.” Tyler sat and ran his hands through his hair. Just keep Pat away from me and there won’t be any trouble. It wasn’t usually a problem, but today, having him right there… big problem.

“Ty, I don’t think you do. If you can’t get yourself together, you’re going to sit. I don’t know how to make it any clearer.” Coach shook his head and sighed. “We don’t need these disruptions. You’ve been off your game, Ty. This losing streak that we’re on needs to stop. I don’t know how to tell you to get over it, but you need to figure it out.”

Tyler looked up at him. Coach was right. Maybe I should’ve made sure they traded Patrick when I had the chance.

“By the way, Pat’s not going anywhere, so don’t get that idea again. Act like the damn captain that you are and step the f**k up. There’s no room for whiners on our top line.”