RHYS’ POV
Saw it before the first whistle.
Diamond formation. Caleb calling it from center ice with that captain's voice – authoritative, the voice of a guy who'd earned the C on his jersey and knew exactly how to weaponize it. Diamond formation puts four players in a tight box. Pushes the left wing wide. My position. Wide means isolated. Isolated means no passes. No passes means I'm skating alone on the far side of the ice looking like I don't know where I'm supposed to be.
He didn't glance at me when he called it. Didn't need to. The play was the message.
I followed it. Skated to my position. Watched the puck move through the diamond – Caleb to Miller to Owens to Caleb again – while I stood on the outside like a kid who'd shown up to the wrong practice. Four passes. None of them mine
