揑 think I can handle it on my own, but thanks.?He laughs and stands with his pizza. 揑抦 heading out to the library to meet a buddy from history class. See ya later, nerd.?
On game days, we do a light skate in the mornings. It抯 mostly a way to ensure guys don抰 go out and do anything dumb the night before. Or if they do, they sweat out the alcohol and still have all day to recover.
And when I say they, I mean all of us because I抳e totally been there before.
After leaving the arena, I run into Violet coming out of University Hall with a to-go coffee in hand.
揌ey.?I hold open the door for her as she steps out and pulls her sunglasses down over her eyes.
揟hank you.?
揇aisy with you??I look inside, but it抯 packed with people in line for coffee before classes.
揘o. She was up late studying for a big test today.?
揝he has a test today??My stomach drops.
揗hmmm.?She takes a sip. 揂nd she was busy helping someone else all week.?
揑 didn抰 know.?
揑 figured,?she says. 揇aisy is like that. It抯 easy for people to take advantage of her.?
揇amn. It抯 not even eight o抍lock. It抯 too early for a guilt trip.?I rub at my chest. Fuck. I didn抰 even think to ask if our nightly tutor sessions were messing with her own schedule.
Her lips twist into a smirk. 揃e nice to Daisy.?
揥ill do.?I mock a salute, and she starts off. 揃ut maybe I抦 not the only one that needs to remember to be nice.?
She pauses and faces me. One brow lifts over the frame of her sunglasses. 揗eaning??
揥hat抯 your issue with sporting events? Liam抯 invited her twice. I know Daisy. Or I抦 starting to. She wants to go.?
揑抦 not stopping her from going.?
揝he won抰 go without you.?
揥hy do you care so much??
揑 don抰。？My skin burns with her accusation. Why am I meddling? It isn抰 for Liam抯 benefit that much I know. I flick my gaze away from her and step into University Hall.
15
DAISY
The noise in the arena reaches a deafening level that vibrates inside of me. Valley just scored another goal, and it抯 impossible not to get caught up in the excitement. Or almost impossible.
揙uch!?Violet yelps as the person on the other side of her jumps up and down, stomping on her foot in the process. 揥atch it.?
揝orry,?the guy apologizes, yelling over the roar of the crowd as it starts to die down. His face is painted梙alf yellow and half blue梐nd he waves his beefy arms around. 揥e scored!?
He turns back to the ice, and Violet抯 annoyed glare softens when she sees my expression.
揧ou抮e enjoying this??
Shrugging, I smile. 揑t抯 kind of amazing.?
I抳e been to sporting events before. Admittedly it抯 been a few years, but I saw a football game or two in high school. I think I even went to a swim meet. However, the number of people crammed into this arena to cheer on the Valley hockey team is double or triple anything I抳e ever attended.
Hockey is fast and fierce. Watching the players race up and down the ice makes my heart gallop like I抦 out there with them. I feel like I抦 a part of something.
Violet would roll her eyes, and I get it; I will leave here tonight and never speak or see some of these people again. But as someone who is always watching from a distance, it抯 nice to be one of many sitting on the sidelines for a few hours.
The Valley bench is all smiles and high-fives as the buzzer sounds. It抯 the end of the second period, and Violet bounces beside me, ready to flee. She doesn抰 say that, though. She might not want to be here, but she抯 committed to seeing it through for me.
I was shocked when she suggested we go to the game tonight. Honestly, I thought she was joking at first and laughed in her face. When she confirmed that I had heard her correctly, and no, she wasn抰 kidding, I didn抰 ask any more questions.
Dahlia is still at her golf tournament, and Jane went over to her friend Eric抯 house to hang out and play some music.
揇o you want to get something to drink??I ask. People around us are filing out of their seats to the concessions and bathrooms.
揝ure.?
We fall into a slow-moving line with the rest of the crowd, moving up to the nearest mezzanine.
揟hank you for coming tonight.?
She attempts a smile that looks more like a grimace. 揑t抯 nothing. If the roles were reversed, you抎 have done it for me.?
揑抦 surprised that you even knew there was a game tonight.?
Her brows lift, and her mouth presses into a thin line. The response only lasts for a second, but it抯 long enough for me to realize she isn抰 telling me something.
揌ow did you know??
She lifts onto her toes to peer over the line in front of us. The smell of burnt popcorn is stronger the higher we climb up the stairs. 揑 think Liam or Jordan must have mentioned it at bowling. Or maybe I heard it around campus.?
The line is at a complete standstill, and eventually, she has to look at me.
揙kay, fine. I ran into Jordan this morning at University Hall.?
My stomach lurches. 揂nd??
揌e told me that Liam抯 been inviting you to home games but that you wouldn抰 go unless I did.?
Flames tickle my cheeks. It抯 a lot to process. Jordan and Violet were talking about me? Vi felt guilty for something as ridiculous as my insecurity to attend an event without a friendly face?
She tilts her head to the side and smiles at me as if she can read the thoughts spiraling in my head. 揑 should have offered before. And it isn抰？that bad.?
I can抰 think of what to say, so I hug her. 揟hank you.?
We grab sodas, and Violet gets popcorn, then we go back to our seats. The Valley players are near our end of the arena. Jordan skates behind the net to retrieve a puck, spotting us as he does. He juts his chin in acknowledgment and smiles.
I wave and then feel silly because he抯 around the net so fast, facing the other direction, that he doesn抰 even see it. But Liam does and waves back. Then I wave again. A few people look my way to see who is getting attention from the players. So I wave again like I抦 just a waving kind of gal. Oh my gosh. I抦 going to duct tape my hands to my legs.
Violet offers me some popcorn. I take it to keep my hands busy. Thankfully the third period starts, and I no longer have to worry about Jordan or Liam noticing me.
They抮e both on the ice, and they play so differently, like everything else about them. Even the way they skate. Liam has this slower, unassuming way he moves from one end to the other. He抯 fast, don抰 get me wrong, but he doesn抰 really look like it. In contrast, Jordan seems to be everywhere at once. He抯 quick and aggressive, darting one way and then the next. I抦 exhausted just watching him.
I would have sworn I preferred Liam抯 style of play better before seeing it in person, but it抯 Jordan I can抰 stop watching.
His dark hair curls around his helmet and the wet strands stick to his skin. His dark eyes blaze with an intensity that makes my stomach flip. He never seems to let up or relax. Even when he抯 on the bench, he tracks the action on the ice with complete focus.
I抦 so enthralled that it catches me by surprise when the game is over.
揑t抯 over already??I ask, pulse racing with excitement.
Violet laughs, then stands and stretches. 揂lready? We抳e been here for almost three hours.?
I take one last glimpse at the Valley bench where the guys disappear down the tunnel. I don抰 see Jordan, but Liam stands where he can fist bump each guy as they go.
揟hank you again for coming,?I say to Violet as we push outside.