Chapter 50 Defiance
LIAM
Coach’s office was silent. Too fucking silent.
Ava and I sat side by side, the tension so thick I could taste it. Neither of us spoke. Neither of us moved and coach was just staring. Like he could see right through us, through our charade, pretending, tension...everything.. There was no pacing, no yelling, just staring. And somehow, that was worse.
I could hear the clock ticking on the wall, feel the weight of his disappointment pressing down on me, on both of us, like a fucking anvil.
Finally, he exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
"Carter," he said, his voice deadly calm. "I'll start with you, so you don’t think I’m siding with my daughter." His eyes narrowed. "What the fuck was that outside?"
I swallowed hard, my jaw tightening.
There was no point in making excuses. No point in pretending I didn’t know what he meant.
I had lost my temper.
And worse? I had lost it in front of the entire team.
I sat up straighter, locking eyes with him.
“I was practicing, sir.” I said deadpan
Coach’s brows lifted slightly, like he was waiting for me to be serious.
Then, he let out a humorless laugh.
“Practicing?” he repeated, leaning forward. “Is that what you’re calling it?”
I clenched my jaw.
“It is practice,” I said, my voice even. “I know my limits.”
“Oh, do you?” Coach shot back, leaning forward. His voice dropped lower. Sharper. “Because from where I was standing, all I saw was you skating like a reckless idiot and nearly pushing yourself into another fucking injury.”
I forced a slow breath through my nose.
“I was fine.”
“Yeah? Then why the hell was Ava, who by the way, is your fucking doctor, was out there screaming at you?” he scoffed.
I flinched. I didn’t want to answer that, how i could I? i didn’t want to say that she was right, that I had been pushing too hard. That I was limping when I thought no one was watching, that i was tired and was not letting my self rest. Because that would mean admitting something I wasn’t ready to admit, something i dared not accept or voice out.
So, instead, I fell back on what I knew best.
Defiance. ultimate defence.
“She overreacted,” I muttered.
Bad fucking move, Carter.
Because Ava whipped her head toward me so fast I thought she might actually punch me in the ribs.
"Excuse me?"
Coach sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
I didn’t back down.
“I said you overreacted,” I repeated, turning to her. “It was a normal practice. You embarrassed me in front of the team.”
I hear her let out a sharp, bitter laugh.
“Oh, I embarrassed you?” she snapped. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
“Maybe next time, you could handle it privately instead of calling me out in front of everyone like I’m a damn child.” I gritted my teeth.
“Maybe next time, you could listen when I tell you to slow the fuck down before you shatter your knee again!” her eyes flashed.
My hands curled into fists on my thighs.
We were spiraling.
And Coach?
He was just watching it happen.
I forced a breath, trying to calm the fuck down.
“Snow…” I paused, almost forgetting we were right in front of her father “Ava, I…”
“No,” she cut me off, shaking her head. “I’m so sick of this, Liam. Why did you hire me, when you don’t trust me with your health, you treat me like I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.”
My throat felt tight.
That wasn’t true.
But I had no idea how to tell her that without making this worse.
Coach finally exhaled, pushing back in his chair.
“Jesus Christ,” he muttered. “You two are a fucking mess.”
Ava and I both snapped our heads toward him, but he just shook his head, rubbing his temples.
“Alright, listen,” he said, his voice lower, firmer. “This shit stops. Now.”
Neither of us spoke.
“You two wanna rip each other’s throats out? Fine. Do it on your own time. But you do not bring your personal shit onto my ice.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Carter, you will start listening to my daughter, or so help me, I will bench your ass for the next game. Got it?”
My stomach dropped. I knew he wasn’t bluffing.
Coach didn’t bluff.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, nodding stiffly. “Got it.”
Then, he turned to Ava.
“And you,” he said, his tone slightly softer. “I know you’re trying to protect him and prove you made the right choice with this career. But you need to figure out a way to handle him that doesn’t involve screaming at him like a lunatic in the middle of practice.”
She had something to prove. Just like I did. And I was here making it worse for her. Fuck
She scowled, crossing her arms. “Maybe if he wasn’t such a dumbass, I wouldn’t have to.”
“Real mature, Ava.” I shot her a glare.
She ignored me.
Coach sighed again, like we were both giving him a migraine.
“I don’t care what the hell is going on between you two, but I swear, I hope you two aren't sleeping with each other
“What the hell, Dad!” Ava shot him
We were. Can't he see the sexual tension oozing out of us?
“Good, cause all I do care about is that shit show is fucking up my team dynamic.”
My stomach tightened.
Coach studied both of us for a long, heavy moment before shaking his head. “Fix it.”
Neither of us moved.
“Fix it,” he repeated, “or I will fix it for you.”
I didn’t ask what the hell that meant.
Because I already knew.
And I wasn’t about to let it happen.
I glanced at Ava, but she was already looking at me.
Tension still thick, still pulsing between us like an exposed nerve.
This wasn’t over.