Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 115838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
“What the fuck?” I shout, throwing the papers in my hands. Jaxon looks up at the Jumbotron and then shakes his head, coming back to the bench.
“What the fuck was that?” I roar at him, walking down the bench toward the defense side. “That fucking play was for novice players.”
Jaxon comes onto the bench, slamming the door shut. “You better fucking hope he saves that shot.”
“Who knows if he would have had a chance had I not tried to stop him!” Jaxon shouts back at me. “Don’t fucking tell me how to do my job!”
Eric comes over to me and pushes me in the chest. “Step away, yeah,” he mumbles.
“I’ll tell you how to do your fucking job because that is my fucking job!” I shout back at Jaxon, and then I hear the referee on the ice calling the penalty.
“Just play the fucking puck,” I tell the referee, and he looks back over at me. “You’ve been fucking us all night fucking long with these fucking calls and you know it.”
He looks right at me and forms a T in the middle of his chest. “Coach Gilmore, two minutes penalty for misconduct.”
“Fuck you,” I call to him, and he holds both hands in the air.
“Game misconduct.”
“I’m not fucking going anywhere!” I shout back to him when he points to the locker room. “Fuck you, I’m not leaving.” My hands are shaking with rage.
The referee is pointing to the dressing room. “I’m not going!”
“All eyes are on you right now,” Eric warns.
“No fucking kidding,” I retort.
“Don’t give them more,” he mumbles, and I look over to see Cam looking at me with a smirk as he leans against the back of the bench. His eyebrows shoot up, as I shake my head and walk out toward the tunnel. The arena erupts in cheers, and no one makes eye contact with me as I stand here watching the monitor as the opposing team takes the penalty shot and scores.
I look over to the wall of sticks and think about lifting one and beating the shit out of the television with it. The four minutes are over in ten, and I stand here waiting for the players to come back. Jaxon avoids me and walks past me. I shake my head and close my eyes.
“That stunt is going to cost you twenty-five thousand dollars.” Cam shakes his head. “Idiot mistake.”
“Fuck you, Cam,” I snap, and his eyebrows shoot up. He smirks when he looks behind me and sees the press there.
I don’t say anything else. I don’t have a chance to, my phone rings and I look down to see Ken calling me. “What?” I say, putting my phone to my ear.
“Let Cam handle the press, or Eric. Do not go in front of one fucking reporter,” he instructs, and I hang up on him before I tell him to also go fuck himself.
“Eric,” I say when I get into the makeshift coaches’ room, “you’re taking press.” He and Cam both turn back to me.
“I’m taking press,” Cam says, and I shake my head.
“I’m in charge and he’s taking fucking press.” I point to Eric.
“It’s a fucking joke,” Cam retorts. “You are going to run this team into the ground.”
“Is that what you’re waiting for?” I ask him and he doesn’t say anything; he just walks out of the room.
“Listen, I get you’re heated,” Eric tells me, “but you need to relax for a bit. Why don’t you sit in here until we head back to the hotel?” I nod my head at him.
The bus ride back to the hotel is so quiet you could hear a fucking pin drop. I walk into the room, and I collapse on my bed. I can’t believe tonight went the way it did. Knowing I need a distraction and to hear her voice, I call Victoria.
“Well, that was fun,” she says, answering the phone after half a ring. “How are you doing?”
“I’m so pissed,” I confess, my voice sounding as defeated as I feel. “I just don’t know what the fuck is happening.”
“I know you’re frustrated, but freaking out behind the bench—”
I close my eyes. “I know, Victoria.”
“But losing sure does suck,” she notes, and I smile looking over at the dark sky.
“It sucks so bad,” I sigh out, “and I can’t even coach the next game.”
“How does that make you feel?” she asks softly, and I wish she was here.
“Aside from wanting to take all the furniture in my room and throw it out the window?” I close my eyes. “Like I let them down,” I admit
“Well, I think it’s a two-way street,” she explains. “You let them down, but they are also letting you down. I mean, that play by Jaxon was ridiculous.”
“It was and he knew it. It didn’t help that I got on his ass.” I fold my arm under my head. “They can play better than they are playing,” I hiss out.