Dirty little Summer

Coach's warning

The entire arena fell so quiet you could hear the ice melting.

Dozens of eyes shifted between Coach Harrison, Jack, and me.

Jack didn't even blink. He adjusted his gloves, his voice dead calm. "She’s Anna’s best friend, Coach. She’s just here to watch us practice."

Coach Harrison’s sharp gaze dragged over me. "I know who she is, Jordan. That video from last night’s party has been circulating around every sports group chat since six this morning." He tapped his clipboard against his thigh. "The university athletic board is already breathing down my neck, and the semester hasn't even started."

I stepped forward, popping my bad-girl armor back on. "Look, Coach, if my face is causing a scandal, I can walk out right now. Wouldn't want to ruin the boys' precious focus."

Coach Harrison scoffed, giving me a dry look. "You haven't done anything wrong, kid. But I expect people under my roof to act like adults." He turned his glare straight onto Jack. "And you, Jordan. You're the captain. Captains don't throw punches at parties, no matter how much the guy deserves it."

"Understood, Coach. But if someone grabs a woman in front of me, I'm swinging again. Every single time."

Coach let out a tired sigh, shaking his head. "Just get on the damn ice. All of you. Move!"

As the team scrambled over the barrier, Daniel skated past Jack with a nasty smirk. "Nice leadership, Captain," he muttered under his breath.

"Shut up," Jack said without even looking at him.

A minute later, the rink doors opened, and Nick walked out late. He was wearing his full gear, but nobody was looking at his jersey. Everyone was staring at his face. His lower lip was swollen, purple, and stitched up.

"Damn," Anna whispered beside me on the bleachers. "Jack really laid him out."

"He had it coming," I muttered, but a tiny knot of guilt twisted in my gut.

Practice started, and within five minutes, it became a complete disaster.

Nick was playing like a man possessed, targeting Jack on every single drill. Every time they crossed paths, Nick threw a cheap shoulder or tried to trip him, pretending it was just "aggressive training."

Jack refused to take the bait. He kept his head down, slicing through the ice with effortless skill, ignoring Nick because he knew Coach was watching him like a hawk.

"Keep pushing him," I heard Daniel whisper to Nick near the bench. "He’ll snap eventually."

Anna leaned over to me, her brows pulled together. "Nick’s always hated taking orders from Jack. He thinks he deserves the captain spot."

"This is ridiculous," I said, rubbing my temples. "I should just go. I'm making everything worse just by sitting here."

"Don't you dare," Anna snapped gently, grabbing my wrist. "Nick made this mess all by himself on graduation night. Don't blame yourself for his bruised ego."

Suddenly, a loud, violent CRACK echoed off the glass.

I jumped. On the far side of the rink, during a passing drill, Nick had swung his stick hard, slamming it directly into Jack’s lower back. Jack stumbled forward, catching himself against the boards.

Coach Harrison’s whistle blew so loud my ears rang. "What the hell was that?!" Coach roared, stepping onto the ice.

Nick held his hands up, looking completely innocent. "Accident, Coach! Lost my grip!"

Several players exchanged looks, whispering among themselves. Jack stood up straight, turning around slowly. His knuckles were white around his stick.

"One more 'accident' like that, Nick, and you're benched for the first five games of the season," Coach Harrison growled, pointing a finger in his face. "Got it?"

Nick clenched his jaw, his eyes blazing with fury, but he nodded stiffly. "Got it."

An hour later, the brutal practice finally ended.

The rest of the players trickled off the ice toward the locker rooms, leaving the arena echoing and mostly empty. Anna and I stood near the exit doors, waiting for Jack while he finished a brief talk with Coach.

"I'm going to grab us some water from the vending machine," Anna said, checking her purse. "Be right back."

"Take your time," I said.

The second Anna walked around the corner, a shadow fell over me.

I looked up. Nick was standing two feet away. He had tossed a grey hoodie over his shoulders, his swollen lip making him look bitter.

"Give us a minute, Rory," he said, his voice quiet and tight.

"Anna’s not here, and I don't have a minute for you," I said, stepping back and crossing my arms over my chest. "Get out of my face, Nick."

"I just want to explain—"

"There is nothing to explain!" I cut him off, my voice sharp enough to draw blood. "I caught you red-handed. You cheated. End of story."

Nick stepped closer, his eyes pleading, though his jaw remained tense. "It was one mistake, Rory! One stupid, drunk mistake on graduation night. Are you really going to throw away years over one mistake?"

"Cheating wasn't a mistake, Nick," I said, looking him dead in the eye. "It was a choice. You made yours, now live with it."

Nick’s face twisted. "Quit being a b***h, Rory, it doesn't suit you at all."

"Say whatever you want Nick, call me whatever names it pleases your ego. Just get the f**k out of my face."

Nick opened his mouth to snap at me, but his eyes suddenly flicked past my shoulder.

Across the wide hallway, Jack was walking out of the Coach's office, pulling his shirt down over his massive shoulders. His blue eyes locked onto Nick standing in my space, and he started heading straight toward us with quick strides.

Nick watched Jack coming. Slowly, an ugly, bitter smile spread across Nick's bruised lips.

He looked back down at me, his voice dropping into a whisper that made my pulse spike.

"Tell me the truth, Aurora... are you falling for Jack already, or are you just using him to hurt me?”