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He falls to the ice and then ih I duloves, then drop down on him with a knee to his stoht I've been itching for since that asshole mentioned Lexi to me

I'et off three quick punches to his face, completely dissatisfied his skin doesn't split, before ainst them, even as they haul me up on my skates

Schultz also jumps up and comes at me, but his teammates are on him as well

Both of us strain and pull against our captors, and I only stop the futile effort when Alex Crossman hisses in my ear, "You need to calht now"

Those words turn my heated blood immediately to ice, as I consider the repercussions of what I just did Cross-checking an unsuspecting player is soh it will surely earn ame, since it was unprovoked As it stands, I just put ain

Andto say about it

"I'ood," I tello, but I don't care He can coive him more of the same But for now, I'm done

"You're out, Sykora," the senior ref says as he skates up to me, then turns to look at Alex, since he's the captain "Game misconduct"

I don't even argue, because it's a fair call I'll let Alex be the one to ood Instead, I skate toward the exit from the ice that leads to our locker room, which is in the opposite direction from Lexi I don't look at her once, not because I don't care what she's feeling, but because I care too much

--

I rollit closed Picking upno intention of putting it back on

"You okay?" Alex asks as he co The locker roo, as most of the players are showered and dressed I didn't bother getting out of ht I could get called back in, because I wouldn't--an ejection is an ejection--but really, I was just glued to the TV screen in the locker rooaoal tending from Max Fournier

"Yeah," I tell hioing after Schultz, but I do worry about how this will affect Lexi, and htly worried it will affect ht is twenty-twenty and all, but I'd do it all over again"

"I didn't see what pro to explain

I shrug "He'd been running his trap like norht at so about esture at her"

Alex's eyebrows shoot upward "You have a girlfriend?"

I give him a bland look "I suppose that's the expression people used to give you when you started getting serious with Sutton, right?"

Alex bursts out laughing "Yeah, pretty much I suppose if I can fall, you can too Is it serious?"

I inclineplayer because he wiggled his tongue at ets for me"

"Good for you," Alex says as he stands up fro to catch some shit on this Gray's talked to s on the matter"

Oh, Alexyou have really no idea He has no clue how coiven that Gray and Lexi are sisters, which just co And he won't know for a few days at least, so I don't say anything

Brian called Lexi today and they talked a little about how to make the announcement, but ultimately decided it could wait until at least Friday when they all got together so everyone could weigh in on the opinion Lexi had asked ht, but I told herlike this, and she didn't push me for it

"Want my advice?" Alex asks as he claps a hand on my shoulder in a brotherly fashion It feels odd, as I've never been particularly close to any of my teammates, but Alex is one I feel most comfortable with He's our team captain so it's his job to connect with us

"Sure," I say automatically Becausewhy not?

"Make sure Gray knohat provoked the attack," he says soleirl"

"And why should I do that?" I ask, although I had already decided I was going to tell her the reasons for my behavior I sort of suspected that at the least Gray would respect I was defending her sister But I do want to hear why Alex is suggesting it, as he ht into Gray and what makes her tick