The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 167

Chapter 167

Chapter 167

JULTAN’S POV

I woke up to a splitting headache and the familiar, sickening smell of stale liquor. When I finally forced my heavy eyelids open, I realized I was sprawled out on the cold living room floor in a total mess. Again.

I rolled over with a groan, the movement causing my head to throb violently. As I pushed myself up onto my elbows, my knuckles grazed the floor, brushing against the sharp edges of broken glass.

I looked around the dim room/It was a complete disaster zone. Shards of smashed crystal and empty bottles of expensive alcohol were scattered everywhere across the hardwood floor and the ruined carpet.

I had completely lost my mind the night before, destroying my own furniture just to feel something other than the crushing weight in my chest.

Numbly, I dragged myself off the floor, stumbling over a broken stool as I found my way up the stairs to my bedroom. I caught a glimpse of myself in the hallway mirror and winced.

My eyes were bloodshot, my jaw was covered in dark stubble, and I looked like a ghost of the man I used to be. Then, my eyes flicked to the digital clock on my nightstand, and a jolt of adrenaline shot through my system.

Shit.

I had an incredibly important ice hockey rehearsal today. The finals were right around the corner, and I was already running dangerously behind schedule.

I stripped out of my wrinkled clothes, threw myself into a freezing cold shower to force the alcohol haze out of my brain, and quickly freshened up. I didn’t even bother to shave or eat.

I just grabbed my gear bag, ran down to my car, and drove like a maniac straight to the ice rink.

By the time I slammed the heavy doors of the arena open and hurried toward the benches, the entire team was already out on the ice. The loud, scraping sound of skates cutting through the ice echoed through the chilly air.

Our head coach, a strict and unforgiving man, looked up from his clipboard the moment he heard my footsteps. His eyes narrowed instantly as I approached.

“You’re late, Julian,” the coach said, his voice flat and tight with irritation as he pointed a finger directly at the digital scoreboard clock. “Twenty minutes late. The team has already finished their warm-ups.”

“I know, Coach. I’m sorry,” I muttered, keeping my head down as I quickly pulled my heavy pads and jersey over my head.” Traffic was a nightmare.”

“Yeah, right,” a loud, mocking voice sneered from the ice.

I looked up, my eyes narrowing into slits. It was Marcus, one of our defensemen, who had been competing with me for the team captain spot for months.

He skated over to the boards, a stupid, arrogant smirk plastered across his face. He leaned against his hockey stick, looking at me with pure amusement.

“Cut him some break, Coach,” Marcus called out loudly, making sure the rest of the teammates on the rink could hear him. “Our boy Julian here must have been battling some serious depression today. It can’t be easy waking up and seeing your baby mama kissing another man on every single television screen and headline news across the country.”

A few guys on the team let out low chuckles, while others quickly looked away, sensing the sudden change in the atmosphere.

The mention of Aria’s and the brutal reminder of her locked in Brandon’s arms made something inside my brain completely snap. The hot, blinding rage that had been bubbling under my skin for days exploded in a single second.

I didn’t think. I didn’t care about the coach, the team, or my career. I stepped onto the ice, lunged forward with a low growl, and drove my fist straight into Marcus’s face.

The loud, sickening sound of his nasal bone breaking echoed through the quiet arena. Marcus let out a sharp yell of agony, his legs buckling beneath him as he crashed hard onto the solid ice, clutching his bloody face.

Blood instantly began to pour from his nose, staining the white ice a bright, grotesque red.

“Julian. What the hell are you doing?” The coach

rushed forward to grab my arms and pull me ba Successfully unlocked!

histle aggressively as three other teammates

“Get off me.” I snarled, shaking them off, my chest heaving as I glared down at Marcus, who was groaning in pain. “Keep

your mouth shut about her, Marcus, or next time I’ll make sure you never walk onto this ice again.”

Chapter 167

“Enought the coach roared, stopping between us. His face was bright red with fury. “Marcus, get to the medical room right newidian, get your tread in the game. We are starting the practice match right now, and God help you if your attitude ruins this session.”

The game proceeded, and from the very first minute, it was the absolute worst I had played in my entire life.

My vision was completely blurred. Every time I looked out across the ice, I could barely make out the figures of my teammates or the puck.

My coordination was completely gone, dragged down by the heavy hangover and the lingering toxic haze of alcohol in my system. But worse than the physical toll was the mental torture.

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