Ashford's POV
This was supposed to be our biggest game of the season.
I'd spent weeks preparing for it. Beating Jude wasn't just about earning another win for the Eagles. It was supposed to prove that leaving Nando had been the right decision.
Instead, I was sitting on a stretcher outside the rink, my shoulder throbbing beneath layers of protective gear while the game continued without me.
I was in pain, and the injections did little to nothing.
Jude's words echoed inside my head for the umpteenth time, and his voice was louder than the crowd.
"I visited your mother's grave."
I closed my eyes.
Most people on campus didn't know that I used to play for Team Nando.
Jude and I were inseparable back then. He was my best friend.
I could tolerate almost anything—trash talk, rumours, in
