34: Cleaning Off

“What’s wrong?” Aiden asks, his expression creased with concern. He pulls off his helmet and runs a hand through his hair. His tousled locks look messy in a shockingly attractive way. I try to shove down the immediate wave of attraction I feel at the sight. Not now, I remind myself. This is important. I take a deep breath. "Aiden. I know you want to win. I know this match is important to you, of course, but… Don’t you think this is a little much?” Aiden only looks more confused. “A little much? It's just an extra practice. Coach Bower recommended it,” he says. His words come out more quickly than normal. I can tell he’s still a little out of breath even now. If he’s out of breath, I can’t even imagine how his teammates feel, I realize. “I understand,” I say slowly, “but you need to be careful.” Aiden still doesn’t seem to catch my meaning, so I gesture toward his teammates. “Just look at them.” Aiden turns his head. His teammates haven’t even skated over to the sidelines. Instead,