Filed to story: Luci Forrester and Easton Reed: Hockey Romance Story
He shook his head in frustration, “Leave before I extend that suspension to six games.” Maxton shot a venomous look in my direction before storming off, his anger palpable as he climbed into a sleek black Mercedes and sped away, tires screeching against the asphalt.
Taking a deep breath, I felt the weight of the moment settle on my shoulders. I needed to make things right, to confront the remnants of my mistakes. With every ounce of courage I could muster, I stepped closer to Coach Humphries, though I kept my distance, careful not to provoke him further.
“I made him late… Easton Reed,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper, hoping he wouldn’t notice how my hands trembled. His disdainful gaze bore down on me, and I pressed on. “It was my fault. I miscalculated the time for us to arrive. He… he didn’t…”
He leaned in, invading my space, and I felt Cole grip my leg tightly, his small fingers clenching as if to shield me. Barrett, too, held on, his little body vibrating with tension.
“You’re just a nuisance, causing chaos wherever you go. I had to suspend a player because of your actions. Your mistake made my star player sit out the first crucial minutes!” Humphries’ voice was filled with frustration, and I felt the sting of his words.
“Leave her alone!” Barrett shouted, his voice small but fierce as he pushed his way between us. “Barrett, it’s okay. I can handle this,” I reassured him, cupping his chin gently and gazing down into his determined eyes. I needed to stand my ground, especially with the two little boys watching. “You should be upset with me for making Easton late. I understand your anger, and it’s valid. But I don’t appreciate you calling me names in front of the boys. I promise I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again. Maxton Porter is responsible for his own actions.”
Nick Humphries studied Barrett and Cole for a moment, his expression softening slightly. He let out a heavy sigh, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “Yes, he is. It wasn’t your fault.” With that, he turned and stormed back toward the arena, leaving me with a mix of relief and unresolved tension.
I released the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and sank onto one of the cold metal benches, feeling the chill seep into my bones. I knew that was as close to an apology as I would ever receive for his earlier comments about Maxton.
Cole climbed into my lap, his small frame fitting against me like a comforting weight. “Luci, are you okay?” he asked, concern etched on his innocent face.
Barrett was watching me, his expression a mirror of his father’s, a mix of anger and confusion. “I’m fine. Let’s just wait for your daddy here,” I replied, trying to sound more composed than I felt.
“Luci, why did you let him be mean to you?” Barrett asked softly, his voice laced with genuine concern.
I paused, searching for the right words. I always encouraged him to stand up for himself and for those who couldn’t. “Because I made a mistake, and he was expressing his anger about it. He has the right to tell me how my actions affected him today.”
“But he called you a pain in the ass. That part was wrong,” Barrett insisted, his small face scrunching up in disapproval. “You know bad words,” he continued, his eyes wide. “He shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Yes, it was wrong, and I told him that. But sometimes, when people react in anger, it’s important to think about how we respond. If I yelled back or called him a name, I would feel bad about it later,” I explained, wrestling with my thoughts. The phrase “insufferable asshole” flickered through my mind, but I knew that wasn’t the response I wanted to model.
“Every time you make a decision about how to react…” I searched for a simpler way to express myself. “How you talk back to someone, you have to be okay with it later on, like when you go to bed. Words are like swords and lightsabers. If you’re not careful how you use them, you can hurt someone so badly they can’t heal. We get to choose what we say, but we also need to think about how those words affect us. If I yelled at you, I would feel bad later because that’s not who I am. I need to be Luci all the time, even when I’m angry. I can defend myself without turning into a monster. It’s about being the bigger person with our words. Sometimes, people just need to let their feelings out, but they should do it the right way. Does that make sense?”
I looked down at the two little faces, hoping they understood the weight of my words. They nodded slowly, and I felt a flicker of hope that my message had landed.
“And some people never change. They just stay mean and horrible, like ogres. Those people? I prefer to ignore them. It drives them even more crazy. Sometimes, that’s the only power you have in those fights. Like when Luke refuses to fight Darth Vader because it’s the only way he won’t turn to the dark side,” I added silently, knowing all too well how relevant that was to my own situation.
Easton
“You can go home.” I say, waiting in the locker room for Humphries. I’m sure he wants to ream me out for my tardiness again. He was pissed we let the game get tied up. All knowledge that the opposing team, the Ice Devils, was ranked right below us in the current standings left his brain with his anger. We’d talked nonstop about how they’d match up to us well. Wish he’d hurry, I’m ready to leave.
Becker shakes his head angrily as we hear Coach stomping into the room. Kendall is lingering too. They’ve delayed packing their stuff as long as they can.
“Young! You are now starting for the next three games. Porter’s been suspended. Could be longer.” The veins in Humphries’ forehead bulge, ready to explode.
“Coach?” Kendall stares at him with concern.
He’s pacing and muttering with anger. “Look, he just assaulted a girl outside the team exit.”
My heart hammers at that and I glance at Jackson. He steps in front of Kendall and places his hand on his shoulder.
“You need to be smart about this. The girl he pushed, it’s your cousin. She was waiting there, and he got mad before he shoved her. She hit the ground and hurt her arm. They are in the treatment room with Dr. Stevens. If you go off and give Maxton a down, you’ll be off the team. So be smart Young!” With that he turns to me.
“You can go. We’re good.”
Kendall rushes out heading left toward the treatment room. Kingston runs after him muttering about watching him.
I don’t move. “Coach?”
He briefly turns to me. “I know why you were late. Don’t let it happen again.”
“Anyone else hurt?” I demand softly. Maxton has shown he has beef with Luci and she’s supposed to be by that exit with my son.
His eyes dart to me, but he averts them quickly. “No. Go home.”
He walks out fast and I hurry to grab my bag before hustling for the exit. I need to see my son…
I find them as I hit the opening. Luci sits on the bench with Cole in her lap and Barrett beside her. I hear Barrett “Luci, why did you let him be mean to you?”
I hold my hand up behind me, halting Jackson and Becker. We listen as she talks to them about choices phrasing it with references they will understand. Once she’s done, they lean against her quietly.
Kingston steps up behind us and I walk out slowly. Cole sees me first and he comes running. I lift him up and he chatters along about the game.
“I had to teach Luci. She doesn’t know nothing about hockey.” He beams and I finally relax. Doesn’t sound like Maxton said anything to upset him.
Luci stands patiently with Barrett.