Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 83550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
The one thing I can always count on is my father kicking me when I’m already down. It’s his specialty.
“Your game was off?” he repeats with a laugh, but there’s zero humor in the snapped-out question. “You were a goddamn embarrassment out there. I should have left after the first period instead of wasting my time watching that shitshow.”
Even though his words cut deep, I keep my head down and focus on the tile beneath my feet. I don’t trust myself to look at him.
“I don’t need a lecture from you,” I say, my voice low but firm.
“Excuse me?” he growls, stalking closer.
My head snaps up. That’s when I remember just how dangerous it is to let my eyes stray from him. When he eats up the distance between us, I rise to my feet and straighten to my full height.
Western University Chat App
FragileLikeABomb
Okay, real talk. What’s your go-to midnight snack?
ColdAsIce17
Peanut butter straight from the jar. You?
FragileLikeABomb
Gummy bears. I like to bite their heads off first.
ColdAsIce17
That’s... mildly concerning.
FragileLikeABomb
Says the guy who eats peanut butter like it’s soup.
ColdAsIce17
Fair point. Truce?
FragileLikeABomb
Truce. But I’m keeping an eye on you.
21
Holland
The lobby buzzes with post-game energy, a mix of excitement and relief that the Wildcats pulled off the win. The fact that I’m standing with the other girlfriends, their laughter and chatter flowing around me, feels a bit surreal.
This isn’t a place I ever thought I belonged.
I’m not even sure I do now.
Especially wearing Bridger’s jersey.
Carina nudges me, a knowing smile lifting her lips. “Can’t say I ever expected you to be dating a hockey player.”
I huff out a laugh. “It wasn’t exactly on my bingo card for the year.”
“Honestly?” Juliette chimes in, her tone light but thoughtful. “I like you and Bridger together. He needs someone. Sometimes he just seems so…” She hesitates, searching for the right word. “Lonely.” She shrugs. “Anyway, it’s nice to see.”
My gaze gets snagged by Willow. When she beams like a Cheshire cat, I shake my head and roll my eyes.
I don’t realize that the others have been listening to the conversation until they all murmur in agreement. My stomach twists into a series of painful knots. They’d be shocked to learn that this isn’t the real deal.
He essentially blackmailed me to be here, pretending to be his girlfriend.
It doesn’t escape me that these girls have gradually become my friends and I’m lying to them. I don’t like the way it makes me feel.
Like a fraud.
My attention drifts across the lobby before landing on a trio of men near the far wall. Two of them are big, well-built, and impossibly good-looking. The third is the chancellor of the university, Richard Sanderson. Even from here, his presence feels sharp and cold, like a brittle winter wind slicing through a thin coat.
“Who are the two men with Bridger’s father?” I ask, nodding toward the small group.
Juliette follows my gaze. “The one on the left is my dad,” she says with a small smile, “and the other is Colby’s father.”
“They’re both former NHL players,” Britt adds, tossing her caramel-colored hair over her shoulder. “Gray McNichols now works for ESPN.”
“No shit?” I nod, impressed despite myself. I’ve never been into athletes, but maybe I’ve been too hasty about that decision.
Carina leans closer, her voice low and teasing. “Almost makes you want a daddy, huh?”
My eyes widen as I choke on a laugh. “Jesus, Carina. What would Ford say if he heard that?”
Her expression turns sly. “Probably that he loves his baby girl more than anything.”
I shake my head.
On second thought, I could totally see that.
The locker room doors finally open, and the guys start trickling out one by one. Each player greets their significant other with smiles, hugs, or kisses. Ford beelines straight to Carina before wrapping her up in his arms and smacking her lips with a kiss. A few of the other guys do the same with their partners. I’ve never been a girl who thought she was incomplete without a man in her life. I’ve never had the time for a relationship, and after allowing myself to get close to Bridger freshman year and getting burned, I didn’t want to risk my heart again.
But…
Seeing all the other couples, especially Maverick and Willow, I can’t help the loneliness that creeps in at the edges. Like maybe being on my own isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
I scan the face of each player who joins the throng, looking for Bridger. A few more minutes tick by and there’s still no sign of him.
I spent a lot of years at the hockey rink with Willow watching her twin brother, River, play. I wouldn’t say I’m an avid fan. Although the fights that erupted were mildly entertaining. But I know enough about the game to understand that Bridger had a rough one.
After the way he held me in his arms and comforted me last night, the walls I normally keep in place where he’s concerned have started to crumble.