Holiday Hockey Tale The Icebreaker's Impasse (By Ivory Row) novel Chapter 66

Stormi

“Dessert girl nights are just as good as dinner ones.” I manage to say before I stuff more chocolate truffle cake into my mouth.

Sydney laughs. “Especially when Baker sends Luci home with a whole chocolate cake. I love him.”

“He is awesome.” Luci agrees.

“Anything fun I can ask your hockey captain tomorrow.when I interview the four kings?” I ask her.

“Ask him if three candles are too much romance.” Syd says between laughs.

Luci laughs at that. “I asked Cole about his and Barrett’s romance escapades. Apparently,

Nanna intervened because Cole wanted to go to Pizza Palace with the little red votive candles. I burst out laughing at that. “I mean he isn’t wrong, Luci. Those do set the ambiance meter. Sweet boys.”

“Easton is calling them the romance rascals. I tried to ask Cole for more, but he said he and his daddy discussed everything and it’s all worked out. When Easton calls me tonight, I plan to find out what that means.”

“You didn’t see him?” Syd asks her curiously.

“No, he had somewhere to go with his dad after practice. Him and Jackson.”

“Coco and Big Bear, the romance rascals… Luci, you should write a book. And it could have a talking coconut and a bear. You could do it. You are so damn creative.” I tell her, running with it as the idea forms in my head.

“Maybe. Never thought of doing something like that.” Her brow is furrowed pensively and I let it go, hoping the idea will bloom now that I planted it.

Her phone rings and it’s unknown. She answers, “Looney Tunes Creative Services. How may I help you?” The laugh on my face dies as her face pales. I grab the phone and hear yelling before I hurry to hit the speakerphone button.

“Told my f*****g Julian we….together, didn’t you? You figure I didn’t think it…. Brooklyn wasn’t….she wasn’t sweet as you. If you want my attention so f*****g bad all you do was call cutie baby.”

Luci shudders as my stomach churns hearing that. Sydney looks furious. He sounds completely drunk, which is no consolation.

“That’s what you wanted baby isn’t it? My attention. You always liked full attention, didn’t you baby? You miss me…. liked dominance at the…hospital too.” Luci looks like she wants to throw up. “Hell no!” She barks.

I grab the phone and look at her with a question. She nods as Sydney wraps her up.

“Go to hell, asshole!” I snap at him before hanging up and blocking the number. She’s shaking.

“We need to call Easton.” Syd squeezes her. “I’m packing you a bag. We’ll go stay with my parents. Banning’s there with Barrett tonight.”

Luci nods and Sydney gets off the couch.

“Luci, what did he mean about the hospital?” She never told me the rest.

“Brooklyn, she hit me the night she died. On purpose.” She begins talking and the utter depravity almost overwhelms me. She ends with Julian bringing her all the photos, voicemails and videos.

“Oh Luci Lou…” I slide over to wrap my arms around her shoulders. “He needs to suffer. They all do. Extreme parental attachment. I’ve read about the syndrome but never thought it truly existed.”

“Both her parents have it.” She sighs.

Syd comes back with a bag. “Julian says Marshall is at his condo, not here because of football practice. And somehow he is very sure he’s there. I didn’t ask. It was all I could do to text him for that information. Easton can’t get here for a while and is pretty much an erupting volcano. Wants me to take you home to the parents. He’ll pick you up in the morning. He’s already calling Banning himself. And we are to all text him the minute we get home. You too, Stormi.” My phone lights up with several shared contacts. “That’s all of the angry hockey gods. Jackson mentioned something about us owing him some brownies or something for having to ride with your furious boyfriend.”

“Wait, we speak to Julian now?” I ask registering everything that just happened. “And Easton calls Banning?”

“Julian apologized and is on the no–kill list for now.” Syd explains wryly. “As for my brother, Easton and him are friends. Easton just doesn’t know it yet.” She points to her phone and I nod. I’m guessing there are some factors at play here that Luci isn’t aware of yet.

We leave in a group and I text Sydney and Easton that I made it home to my parents safely.

Sydney texts me what little she knows is going on and I make a note to see if I can find out more at their interview tomorrow.

When I walk into the hockey arena, I find them all sitting on the bleachers still in their gear. guys. I’m Stormi Britton.” I’ve never officially met any of them.

“Hi

“I’m Jackson, this is Easton, Kingston and Becker.” They each lift a hand in a friendly wave.

Their coach approved certain questions just like the football team members that I had to interview. After the second question, Becker holds up one finger. “Whoever wrote these canned questions sucks ass. Why don’t you ask us what you want to ask and we forget these.”

“Can you handle real questions? I think they believed you might have taken too many hits to the head. And these were written by your esteemed Coach Humpfuck.” I say dryly and he looks thoughtful for a minute.

“Almost as good as Fuckphries, Becker.” Easton says with a small grin my way.

“I can’t ask what the female audience polled for.” I flip for the ones Mike had written.

“Like what?” Kendall asks, amused.

“You know the normal things, whether you are dating anyone, what your sign is, what your…..shoe size is.” I raise an eyebrow suggestively at them. “Puck bunnies read the paper apparently.”

“Alright, here’s what the rest of the school wants to know. What’s your prediction for how hard it’ll be to beat the Ice Furies in three weeks in their home arena?”

“Doesn’t matter if it’s our ice or theirs, we should beat them easily.” Becker says quickly.

“Last season’s stats show differently. You beat them in the last second by one point once and they won the second game.” I tell him quickly. “Got anything better than mere hockey god confidence?”

He stares at me speechless. Easton intervenes with amusement. “Their center is out for the season and the replacement is a freshman. He doesn’t have the experience yet to beat us. Try that.”

“Their crowd does get way into the game. But that shouldn’t be an issue this year.” Jackson says pointing toward Kendall. I take the hint. I won’t type that up but Maxton Porter’s temper seemed to make a lot of smaller issues much bigger.

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