Spiral (Off the Ice, #2) (18)
With my teeth chattering, I slip into jeans and a white top. In the kitchen, I empty the plastic bag of sugar-free cookies into a container. The moms would judge me if they found out I bought the cookies at a grocery store. But the oven in my apartment hasn’t worked since I tried to cook a lasagna a few months back. I didn’t tell my landlord because she would ask me to pay for it. So frozen dinners in the microwave are my go-to.
Today, Sean’s school has a spring barbecue that’s mandatory for parents and guardians. That means taking a train a few hours away to eat corn and pretend that everyone is not whispering about our family. The silver lining is that I get to see Sean after months, and although he understands I’m busy, I’d like to make up for the missed calls.
Scanning my Presto card at the station, I make it just in time for the afternoon train that takes me straight to York Prep School, the all-boys school in a quiet suburb, surrounded by houses with acres of land separating them from their neighbors, and women who keep their poodles in designer bags.
It’s no secret that getting Sean accepted to York was difficult, but with some luck and a help from our uncle, he was admitted. He wasn’t enthused about living at a boarding school, but his best friend keeps him sane.
Sean’s best friend, Josh Sutherland, hails from a family of ranchers. He has a business tycoon for a dad and a motivational speaker who writes bestsellers like she’s popping Tic Tacs for a mom. He’s the sweetest kid I know and nothing like those snot-nosed boys who bullied Sean when he first started at York. Our family history is not a secret, and the parent board made sure the principal knew about the “delinquent” they allowed into the community. Sean never complained about any of the harassment, and I only found out because Josh punched his classmate for asking if Sean had an addiction too. Not a funny joke, and Josh made sure the kid knew that.
My sandals slap against the unstained pavement as I cross the short path, careful to watch for the self-driving cars that cruise by in an undetectable whisper.
Inspecting my Tupperware, I’m relieved I’ve kept the sugar-free cookies from crumbling on the shaky train ride. When I spot the fairy lights that run along the ivy-covered brick walls, they lead me straight to the picnic tables in the outdoor area, filled with homemade desserts and what looks like a vegan alternative for barbecue food.
The formality of greeting anyone at the crowded table has never been something I had to worry about, so I slip past them to the bowl of strawberry refresher. It isn’t long before I feel the weight of a gaze on my skin, but I focus on eyeing the area for Sean or Josh.
But with my luck recently, it’s not Sean that finds me, it’s my miserable past.
My ex-boyfriend is waving at me.
Owen Hart weaves through a swarm of judgmental parents and their equally irritating children and beams brightly at me. I spot his brother sitting on the bench, giving me a tight smile before focusing back on his phone. He was a part of the group of kids who bullied Sean four years ago when he first started at York Prep. But when the parents were called in, Owen showed up with his parents and apologized profusely for his brother’s actions. He offered to drive me home that day, and we had been together ever since. Well, until a few months ago.
He’s staring as though I’ll disappear if he looks away. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I’m stuck in place like an immovable boulder. There is a part of me that wishes we could have stayed together, because it would make my life much easier. He was the only stable thing in my life I could cling to, but ultimately, that’s what broke us.
I assumed he’d been drafted to a team somewhere out of the country, so I wouldn’t see him today.
This is not what I had in mind.
“Sage.” He pulls me in for a hug that leaves an itchy feeling under my skin.
“Owen. What are you doing here?”
It’s obvious what he’s doing here, but I’m not one for inventive small talk.
“You didn’t hear the news?”
“What news?” I’ve been strategically staying away from the news after Elias mentioned there may be a man with a camera who will start following me. Though I’m sure they would get bored rather quickly.
“I got called up.”
No.
“I’m the new right-winger for the Toronto Thunder.” His words project like rocks aimed at my head, and I try not to flinch. “Your uncle was the one who called me about it.”
I’m going to be sick.
He touches my shoulder. “Hey, you okay?”
My face feels hot from my hairline down to my neck, and I find it hard to look at him. “That’s great.”
“Yeah? Because I was hoping we could talk.”
My tight-lipped smile masks my grimace. “About what?”
“Us.”
Can one word trigger a tsunami in your stomach? The us tumbles into the dark pit, burning in the acidity.
“Sage!” To my relief, it’s my brother Sean, like the little angel he is. “I’ve been looking all over for you. The new vice principal wants to meet you.” He nods over to where the teachers are gathered by the snack table. The save is much needed, and judging from the look of urgency on Sean’s face, he knows it. He doesn’t bother acknowledging my ex-boyfriend, but that doesn’t stop Owen from moving forward to greet him.
“Shit, you’re getting tall, kid.”