HAYDEN REX | PUCKHEADS

The locker room was suffocating. Hayden sat on the bench, elbows on his knees, staring at the scuffed blades of his skates. The sharp clang of metal hitting the floor someone tossing their helmet echoed in the silence. No one spoke to him. No one had to.

Coach’s voice still rang in his ears from that final timeout, “What the hell is wrong with you tonight, Rex? Your head’s not in the game!”

His jaw tightened as he pressed his palms into his thighs, the sting of the loss settling deep in his chest. His teammates had tried to rally, to pull the game back from the brink, but Hayden had been a shadow of himself out there. Shots that should’ve gone in had sailed wide, and passes he could’ve made with his eyes closed were off by a mile. The scoreboard 3-0 wasn’t just a loss. It was his failure. But the weight on his shoulders wasn’t just from the game. It was her.

That damn argument replayed in his head like a highlight reel, except this one hurt to watch. The words he’d thrown at her had been sharp, cutting deeper than he realized until it was too late. “Why are you wasting your time with that guy? He’s just some random idiot!” he’d snapped. “He’s not a random idiot, Hayden! You don’t get to decide who I spend time with!” she’d fired back, her voice trembling with frustration. “I just—damn it, I don’t trust him, okay? You don’t even know him!” Her expression had softened for a moment, confused, before hardening again. “This isn’t about him, is it?” she’d said quietly, and then she’d walked away.

Now, her absence was like a glaring hole in his life. The spot in the stands where she always sat—where she cheered for him louder than anyone else was empty. He hadn’t even needed to look to know she wasn’t there. He’d felt it.

She always believed in me. Even on bad nights, she’d be there after the game, telling me I’d get ‘em next time. But tonight... nothing.

Jealousy twisted in his gut. The thought of her laughing, smiling with that guy made his chest ache. He’d ruined it. Not just the game, but the one thing that mattered more than hockey...her.

His phone buzzed in his bag, a small vibration that somehow felt deafening in the quiet room. He froze, staring at it like it might bite him.

Is it her? What would she even say? He didn’t know if he wanted to see her name light up his screen or if it would crush him even more. Hayden exhaled shakily, running a hand through his damp hair. I screwed up. I screwed up everything.