Bending the Rules (The Rules, #1)

46

Brenna

After the game, which Kelowna wins 9-0, we're all at the café. Shea had to pick Chelsea up afer quick trip to the hospital, so we met up with the team after. Shea's been cleared to play. He has no signs of a concussion (which I don't understand why they tested since his shoulder was the issue), and only some bruising on his shoulder. The initial pain was worse than the injury itself, which is a blessing for any hockey player. As long as he wears extra padding over the bruised area, everything's okay. So tomorrow's game against Shea's team will be a riot, and I'm excited to partake in the competition.

And now that the game is over, I can speak the dreaded s-word that will jinx any goalie if spoken prior to the game ending.

Shutout.

Catina got a shutout in her debut game. No Vernon player scored on her, which made Connor irate. He smashed his goalie stick in half on the boards once the final buzzer went off.

If we were old enough to drink, we'd be at a bar doing shots of tequila and celebrating. Win or lose, we'd still be celebrating. Another girl has carved out her spot in this league, undermining the patriarchal chokehold hockey has. She's staying with the team for the remainder of the season. It wasn't difficult to convince her. Aside from Preston, the team was welcoming. They're happy to have a goalie who can perform, and Coach Matthias raved about her skills in net. 

KJ props his feet up on the table as he sips a mug of hot chocolate. "Fuck, I feel high. We beat Vernon nine-nothing thanks to this little shit over here." He reaches over and ruffles Catina's red hair, making the scrunchie holding her bun in place fall out. Her hair brackets her face in wavy layers.

She curses at KJ, setting her mug down to fix her hair. "Asshole."

KJ shrugs. "I've been called worse."

"Yeah," I snort. "Most of which were probably said by Ella." I cock an eyebrow. "Am I right?"

He sighs in defeat. Rubs his face with the heel of his hand. "Maybe."

Catina and I snort. Half the time, Ella is joking when she reprimands KJ, but it's fun to watch his jaw tic. Bringing up Ella makes him hot and bothered, and sometimes, KJ needs a taste of his own medicine. 

"I'm sorry we didn't stand up for you better, Brenna," Jayden says.

Everyone shoots Jayden a quizzical look. His statement is random and completely off-topic. Plus, I'm not sure why he's bringing this up. We just beat Connor's new team. Discussing the bet and Connor's mindset isn't as good as celebrating his loss. Or watching his outburst. 

Jayden clears his throat. "Their ignorance isn't an excuse. KJ and I could've done more. The night of the bet. We tried to put a stop to it, but we weren't persistent enough."

I eye KJ, watching for his reaction. It seems as if he's sobered up from his claimed high. He's sitting up straight now, keeping his gaze locked on the mug before him. 

KJ nods in agreement. "I mean, we did speak up, like Jayden said, but they pushed us over too easily. After the conversation from earlier, we realized we owe you an apology."

Thoughtfully, I nod. "Well, I accept your apology. What matters is that, if this happens again, you know what to do." I glance over my shoulder, to where Shea, Noah, and Chelsea are. "And so does Shea."

I turn around just in time to see KJ snatching a piece of my scone.

"Hey!" I slap his hand away.

KJ flashes a devilish grin as he pops the piece of scone into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully before swallowing. Then he clears his throat. "There won't be a next time because you and Shea are endgame. Even if you guys decide to take a break for post-secondary. You'll somehow find each other again."

My stomach does a funny flip. "What makes you say that?"

Jayden snorts. "Please. Just look at the patterns. You and Shea were best friends, then you hated each other, now you're more than friends. Even the hatred had a bit of a magnetic pull. You two loved getting under each other's skin. Sure, Shea hated you, but you always knew how to put him back into place. I think he likes that." Jayden glances over my shoulder. "But, if it doesn't work out, maybe I can convince Shea to give me a chance."

He rubs the heel of his hand against his jaw as he watches Shea. Shea's wearing those stupid grey sweatpants again, paired with runners and a black, tight-fitting T-shirt. His ball cap is on backwards and little tufts of hair are sticking out.

Cat kicks my shin beneath the table. "Have to agree with my teammate—no matter how much I dislike him."

Hunter pops a piece of scone into his mouth. "I'll second that."

I ignore the agreements and follow Jayden's gaze. Shea, Noah, and Chelsea are working together to finish cleaning the workspace, and Shea's on this side, polishing the display case. We're being given a full view of his ass in those grey sweatpants.

"It's the grey sweatpants," I say.

Jayden groans. "Don't get me started. Grey sweatpants are like kryptonite."

"His ass is fantastic," I nod.

The blush on Jayden's face is adorable, and it mirrors the same blush present on my cheeks. However, what really sends my heart stumbling is how open Jayden is around us. He's comfortable displaying his sexuality, as any person should be. Love is love, and nothing will change that. 

As we watch, Noah leans over the counter and mutters something to Shea. Shea's posture straightens and he responds with a question. I can tell because his eyebrows are raised. Noah nods, and then Chelsea does, too.

The smile on Shea's face is contagious. With a bop on Chelsea's nose, he heads over to our table and sits down beside me. It seems as though Noah has let him off the hook. 

"What are we talking about?" Shea asks after swiping a piece of my scone. 

KJ snorts. Cat looks away, up at the ceiling. 

"Nothing," Jayden and I reply.

Shea cocks an eyebrow. "What the fuck was that snort for, then?" 

"Your ass," Hunter says. "They were talking about your ass."

Shea flashes us a smug grin. "It's the grey sweatpants, isn't it?"

Jayden and I stare at each other, shaking our heads.