106

BROOKS

THREE WEEKS LATER

The score buzzer screams. 3–2, final.

Another goddamn loss.

I slam my stick into the boards on my way off the ice. The blade snaps clean in half. Splinters fly. I don’t care.

Chicago Frost vs. Detroit Steel. At home. A packed arena and we still managed to fumble the lead in the last seven minutes. It’s our third straight loss. We’re sliding hard. No chemistry. No structure