Ruled Out

They think my greatest gift is my ability on the ice. But they’re wrong. I’ve been hailed as the guy who has it all when it comes to hockey. Powerful people have invested their time and money, determined to turn my potential into their reality. The most influential of those people? Graham Jenkins—former NHL player and the General Manager of the Dallas Destroyers. The second he set eyes on me in the little leagues, he piled all his resources into my success. And when the Destroyers were awarded the first-round draft pick, he didn’t hesitate to snap me up. He thought I was the golden boy, the star that would make his team as successful as his playing career. Only I wasn’t. Instead of unleashing my potential in front of the goal, he discovered my real talent—secrets. And I have many that I will never share. One for every scar disguised beneath the tattoos painting my body, along with the childhood memories either buried deep inside my broken mind or drowned out by empty bottles lining my kitchen counter. There’s only one secret I wish I didn’t have to keep. She’s also the addiction I know I’ll never kick. A detox my heart could never survive since it only beats for her. And even years after we were torn apart, my fixation hasn’t changed. Although neither have our circumstances—I’m still the broken boy, suffocated with trauma. And she’s still Mia Jenkins, the good girl, and daughter of the man who offered me everything except his blessing to date her. But one thing about addiction? It never seeks permission.

They think my greatest gift is my ability on the ice. But they’re wrong. I’ve been hailed as the guy who has it all when it comes to hockey. Powerful people have invested their time and money, determined to turn my potential into their reality. The most influential of those people? Graham Jenkins—former NHL player and the General Manager of the Dallas Destroyers. The second he set eyes on me in the little leagues, he piled all his resources into my success. And when the Destroyers were awarded the first-round draft pick, he didn’t hesitate to snap me up. He thought I was the golden boy, the star that would make his team as successful as his playing career. Only I wasn’t. Instead of unleashing my potential in front of the goal, he discovered my real talent—secrets. And I have many that I will never share. One for every scar disguised beneath the tattoos painting my body, along with the childhood memories either buried deep inside my broken mind or drowned out by empty bottles lining my kitchen counter. There’s only one secret I wish I didn’t have to keep. She’s also the addiction I know I’ll never kick. A detox my heart could never survive since it only beats for her. And even years after we were torn apart, my fixation hasn’t changed. Although neither have our circumstances—I’m still the broken boy, suffocated with trauma. And she’s still Mia Jenkins, the good girl, and daughter of the man who offered me everything except his blessing to date her. But one thing about addiction? It never seeks permission.