Hands Off The Ice King novel Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Hope’s POV

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“Levi is really never out of his prime,” Lia said excitedly as she watched the game unfold before us.

The two of us stood to get a better view, and what she said was true. Levi looked like he was in his prime out there on the ice.

I hadn’t been able to watch all of the practice games while he was gone, but seeing the original lineup together again made my heart race. Their chemistry was on another level. That had to be the reason the franchise had never truly managed to replace them all these years.

Lia clapped loudly when Desmond blocked a shot from Connor, and I smiled at her reaction. Her eyes sparkled as she watched him, and even though she never admitted it, I could tell there was something there. A spark.

The puck slid across the ice and landed on Levi’s stick.

I felt like a complete hypocrite. The second he touched it, my pulse quickened.

My eyes locked onto him instantly, following his every movement like the rest of the rink had disappeared. I watched him maneuver around the defenders and watched the focus in his eyes.

I was so absorbed in him that I didn’t see what happened next.

“Fuck, Levi!” Lia screamed beside me.

My head snapped forward.

Levi was on the ground, and Connor was on top of him.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

My vision blurred for a second, but I could still make out the horrifying scene. Connor’s hockey stick was trapped between Levi’s legs, forcing one of his knees upward at an unnatural angle. At the same time, Connor’s elbow dug into Levi’s shoulder.

My breath caught.

I froze.

Desmond skated toward the scene and immediately grabbed Connor and yanked him away from Levi, but fear was already clawing its way through my chest.

Levi grimaced as he lay there, and the pain written across his face made something inside me ache. The feeling hit me with startling clarity. My feelings for him had become undeniable.

“Hope!”

Lia’s voice cut through my panic.

I turned toward her.

“Go,” she urged. “Follow them.”

I nodded right away. The knot in my chest only tightened as several of Levi’s teammates helped him off the ice.

“Do you need a stretcher.” Forest asked.

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Despite everything, Levi still found enough strength to glare at him.

“Fuck no,” he snapped. “Just take me to my room.”

“We should go to the hospital,” I said urgently. “We need an X-ray.”

“I’m fine.”

His voice came out sharp.

“Just take me to my room.”

Forest and Desmond exchanged exhausted looks. Then, Forest looked at me.

“Take care of him, Hope. We really can’t win with this guy.”

I bit my lip and followed behind them. But before leaving the rink, I glanced back one last time.

Connor was still standing there, watching with a smirk that tugged at his lips.

My stomach dropped.

The memory of his words inside the car slammed into me in full force.

‘I’m going to break up with her once I secure the spot as first-line center.’

‘I have a plan, Hope.

Was this the plan he had been talking about?

The thought made me sick, but I shoved it aside. Right now, my focus is on Levi. Nothing else mattered.

We arrived at his room a few minutes later.

Desmond and Forest carefully lowered him onto the bed.

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Levi groaned, and the sound tugged painfully at my heart. My eyes burned, feeling dangerously hot, so I swallowed hard to stop myself from crying.

“Continue the game,” Levi said as he leaned against the headboard.

Desmond stared at him.

“Are you insane? Why would we-”

“The first game is the day after tomorrow,” Levi interrupted. “You can’t afford to slack off. I’m fine. That bastard didn’t do much damage. Just get Patrick to play for me.”

Forest and Desmond exchanged another look.

“Fine.” Desmond muttered. “We’ll crush those newbies for you.”

A smirk appeared on Levi’s face. Meanwhile, I was one step away from completely losing my mind. The two men finally left.

I remained standing there awkwardly, unsure what to do.

It was ridiculous. I knew basic first aid, but the sight of him hurt had scattered every useful thought in my head.

Slowly, I walked over to him. The lump in my throat only grew bigger. I started helping him remove his gear. His gloves. His

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Chapter 76

pads. Then his top.

But when I reached for the edge of his undershirt, his hand wrapped around my wrist.

My breath caught.

I looked up, and our eyes met. Just like that, the tears I had been fighting became impossible to control.

I bit my lip hard. I saw his gaze soften as he glanced down at my lips.

“Fuck,” he muttered quietly. His thumb brushed against my cheek.

“You’re crying for me again.”

The tenderness in his voice destroyed the last of my restraint.

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A tear slipped free. Before I could wipe it away, his thumb caught it. More tears slipped from my eyes, but he patiently brushed each one away.

“I’m fine,” he said softly, never looking away from me. “My gear shielded most of it.”

“It looked painful, Levi. Do you know how scared I was?”

“Hope-”

“What if you can’t play?” I whispered. “What if all the rest and recovery you went through ends up being for nothing?”

For a moment, he simply stared at me. Then, the corner of his mouth twitched.

“I was in pain because that bastard jammed his stick near my dick.”

“There’s only so much protective gear can cover,” he added with a small smile.

The tears stopped in record time.

Levi’s grin widened.

Meanwhile, heat rushed straight into my face.

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