The Center

The CenterBeacon Hill Bad Boys 1Jamie Long7th Veil Books Copyright © 2023 7th Veil BooksAll rights reservedThe characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.Cover design by: C. BuitragoPrinted in the United States of America Contents Title PageCopyrightChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9 Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21EpilogueAbout The Author Chapter 1JackAs I rounded across the ice, the crisp winter air biting at my cheeks and nose, I couldn't help but feel a sense of peace wash over me. Gliding effortlessly across the rink, the sound of skates cutting through the din of the stadium made me feel at home.The days leading up to a game were always the worst with nothing to do but wait for the moment to come. Not that I ever worried, but it was only natural to feel annoyed with the anticipation. As the game approached, my anxiety gave way to calm. With each step towards the first whistle, I slowly built myself up; lacing my skates, snapping in my helmet, and picking up my stick. By the time the buzzer sounded, I was invincible.Life had never been easy for me. Home was filled with uncertainty, my mother died when I was young and my father was a drunk. The ice was my domain. The place where I had complete control.Over four years at Beacon Hill University, I had developed into a school legend and one of the best players in the league. Today, we had a chance to take our place in the championship game with a win over our border rival.The stadium was packed. I scanned the crowd, allowing my eyes to stop momentarily at the seats in section 012. They were unoccupied as always. I breathed in deeply, allowing myself to close my eyes. The calm before the Chapter 2JackI was having my worst game of the season. Something was off. Besides my physicality, I had always prided myself on being able to diagnose the game.Having spent every waking moment on the ice, playing at the park after school, traveling with youth teams on the weekends, I had put in so many hours that playing hockey was second nature to me. I had an innate sense on the rink––an ability to see what would happen before it did. Anticipating where the puck would end up before it arrived, I was able to manipulate defenses easily and bait opponents into overcommitting by exploiting their tendencies.But today, my mind was elsewhere. That girl in the stands, who was she? She was sitting next to Chloe, a notorious puck bunny, but I had never seen her in the student section before. As the star player at a hockey school, I assumed I knew everyone worth knowing on campus. She was a mystery and one that was taking up too much space in my mind.The second period ended. I made my way back to the bench.“We have got to make better decisions when we have the puck…” Coach’s face had that characteristic blush. We could never figure out if it was the cold or the stress that made his cheeks light like a fire. It was a darker blush than the one on her face. Her blush was rosy and pink. I looked over to the crowd. She