Breaking The Ice

Riley POV The locker room went silent the second I stepped inside. Not quiet. Silent. All eyes turned toward me, and for one brief second, all I could hear was the distant scrape of blades against ice from the rink beyond the walls. Nervously, I tightened my grip on my hockey bag. Here we go. I thought as I moved further into the changing room. I had spent my whole life being the odd one in the room at my previous school. The only girl at practices. The only girl at tryouts. The only girl fighting twice as hard just to earn half the respect so these stares was nothing new. Still, walking into the Wolf Ridge University men’s hockey locker room felt different. Bigger. Heavier. Like the moment I crossed that threshold, my entire future shifted beneath my feet. Someone near the back let out a low whistle. “Well, damn. Coach wasn’t joking.” A few guys laughed. Again, nothing new, I ignored them and walked toward the only empty locker I could see.I crinkled my nose at the smell of sweat, tape, and cold air. Familiar. Comforting, almost. I dropped my bag onto the bench and started unpacking like I belonged there. Because I did. I have busted my ass to earn this. A year ago, I wouldn't have believed I'd be standing here. Most universities wouldn't even look at me once they realized I was female but Wolf Ridge had. They'd watched my game footage, ignored the criticism, and offered me a chance. I wasn't about to waste it. “Is she seriously playing with us?” Some guy asks. “She better be good.” Said another. “She’s smaller than I expected but still cute, though.” Said someone closer. I kept my face blank. Real original, I thought to myself. These players are all the same. Before I could pull out my shoulder pads, a shadow fell over me. I looked up. And up. Tall. Broad shoulders. Dark blond hair that looked like he'd just run a hand through it. A jaw sharp enough to cut glass. And eyes so cold they reminded me of the rink before dawn practices. His black practice jersey stretched over a chest that looked like it had been carved from pure arrogance. And those eyes. Cold blue unimpressed eyes looked me over. Jaxon Hayes. He didn’t look at me in appreciation. It was more like he was evaluating a player he already expected to fail. I recognised him from the team pictures. Captain of the Wolf Ridge Wolves. The University golden boy and future professional hockey star. And from the look on his face, already my biggest problem. He crossed his arms over his chest. “You lost?” He asks. The locker room erupted with laughter but I smiled sweetly. “Nope.” I answered and put my shoulder pads into the locker as though I wasn’t interrupted. His eyes narrowed. “The women’s locker room is down the hall.” He said helpfully and the laughter grew louder. I stood slowly, refusing to let him tower over me while I was sitting. “Good thing I’m not looking for the women’s team.” I said back, smirking as the laughter in the locker room died. Someone muttered, “Oh, damn.” Somebody choked on a laugh. Another player muttered, "She's got balls.” Before another added, ”Pretty sure she'd have to have some to be here.” someone answered. Jaxon’s jaw tightened, ignoring his team mates. “You’re Riley Bennett.” He asks coolly. “That’s me.” His gaze swept over me like he was trying to find a reason to send me packing. Too bad for him, I had packed stubbornness right beside my skates. “I’m Jaxon Hayes.” He introduces himself but not extending a welcoming hand. “I know.” Something flickered in his eyes. Annoyance, maybe. Good. I thought to myself. Before he could say anything else, the locker room door slammed open. Coach Reynolds stepped inside, clipboard in hand and whistle hanging around his neck. He gave one look around the room and summed up the situation. “Enough staring. Bennett is part of this team. Anyone with a problem can skate suicides until they stop having opinions.” He barked as he strode into the middle of the room. Silence. Beautiful silence from everyone. Coach looked at me. “Gear up, Bennett. On the ice in five.” He barked again before blowing on his whistle that made all of us in the room winch. “Yes, Coach.” I called after him as he left the room. Jaxon stepped aside, but not before leaning in just enough for only me to hear. "This isn't a publicity shoot.” The sneer in his voice made my fingers freeze on the strap of my gear. For a second, I just stared at him. Then it clicked. So that was it. The reason behind the cold stares. The attitude. The hostility. He didn't think I belonged here. He thought I was some marketing campaign dreamed up by the university. A headline. A girl joins the Wolf Ridge Wolves. I looked up at him, finding nothing but certainty in those icy blue eyes. He'd already made up his mind about me. Had probably done it the moment he'd heard my name. The worst part? He wasn't the first. I'd spent years listening to people tell me I only made teams because coaches wanted diversity. Because parents complained. Because a girl on the roster looked good in photographs. Never because I was talented. Never because I'd spent countless hours on frozen rinks while everyone else slept. Never because I'd worked for it. My jaw tightened. Fine. If Jaxon Hayes wanted to believe I was a publicity stunt, that was his problem. I'd let my game do the talking. I smirked. "No," I said softly. "It's a hockey team.” Then I turned away and started getting ready. But I felt his stare on me the whole time. Good, let him watch. By the end of practice, Jaxon Hayes was going to learn one very important thing about me. I didn’t come here to be liked. I came here to play.