When Alec Met Evie (Appies, #6)

by Jenny Proctor

We dominate the first two periods and start the third with a two-point lead. Halfway through the third, Coach adjusts our defensive rotation and pulls Nathan and me, adding the twins, who are eager for as much ice time as possible. I’d normally hate to sacrifice the minutes played, but this time, I’m happy to let them have it. My knee keeps locking up, and a locked-up knee on the ice could mean jacking up my hips or messing up my good knee. I pull off my helmet as soon as I’m on the bench and reach for a water bottle. Nathan drops down beside me. “You’re off, man,” he says. On the ice, Camden flies past us, then hits the puck to Logan who scores, increasing our lead to three. “We’re winning, aren’t we?” “Not because of anything you’ve done,” Nathan says. I know better than to be insulted by Nathan’s assessment. He won’t mince words to spare my feelings, something I usually appreciate. He knocks his stick against my skate. “Is it your knee?” “I’m fine,” I say, eyes on the game. The other team is in possession now, and Carter and Theo move toward each other, crossing in front of Felix as the opposing offense moves closer. “You aren’t fine,” Nathan says. “And when you aren’t fine, I’m the one who has to pick up the slack. You know I’ll do it.” He whacks my skate one more time, and I finally lift my eyes to meet his. “You know I’ll do it,” he repeats. “But you gotta tell me what’s going on so I know what we’re dealing with.” My jaw clenches, pride making my anger flare, but Na...