My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 436

My voice trailed off. I didn’t want to say it, but I didn’t really need to; Matt knew what I was talking about.

“It’s okay to be angry, Enzo,” he said softly. “Just don’t take it out on her.”

“I’m not. You can trust me on that.” I ran a hand through my hair and sighed.

Truthfully, ever since the pure shit that had gone down in Mila’s underground palace, I had developed some… anger issues. The punching bag helped, but only so much. Lately I had caught myself having to refrain from snapping at Nina over small things, and I felt like shit for it.

“I haven’t yelled at her or anything like that,” I said. “I don’t even think she knows how angry I get sometimes.”

“She notices. Nina notices everything.” Matt met my gaze squarely. “But she loves you, even if you’re beating that punching bag to a pulp.”

I swallowed and looked over at the punching bag; there was a sizeable dent in it now that hadn’t been there just days prior.

“Heh. I guess I should give it a break,” I said with a laugh.

Matt smirked. “How about a spar, then?” he asked. “Switch it up a bit.”

“Yeah. A spar would be good.”

Matt and I circled each other, fists raised in front of our faces. Despite our outwardly sweaty and out of breath appearances, we were in high spirits. With music playing over the bluetooth speaker and our usual banter filling the air, it felt no different from a casual hockey session or a run in the woods.

“Come at me,” Matt teased, egging me on. “I know you can do better than that.”

“Oh, do you?” I lunged forward and went for an uppercut beneath Matt’s ribs avoiding the face for good sportsmanship. I got a couple of good jabs in, and then Matt whirled around me, going for the back of my knee with his foot.

It was just a spar. Something light-hearted to get the blood pumping. That was all it was supposed to be.

What had I done?

I instantly scrambled away, looking down at my bloodied hands. I had done that; I had attacked my friend, and now he was sputtering up blood and rolling over to his hands and knees. How could I…?

Suddenly, the door swung open. “Hey guys, I brought—oh my god!”

I jerked my head up to see Nina standing in the doorway. A tray of coffee and donuts lay discarded at her feet, and her hands were clamped over her mouth, shock written across her face.

“Enzo… What have you done?!”