Page 37 of Falling for the Pucking Bad Boy

“I’m feeling a headache comin’ on,” he claims with a smile. “I might not make it.”

I roll my eyes; he can’t miss it. Practice is just as important as a real game. “You need to go.”

“I don’t need to go,” he retorts lightly. “Have you seen me play?”

I laugh.

“You expect me to be a Wolverines fan now?”

“I expect you to be my fan now.” He reaches out again and cups my face. “And I can’t wait to see you in my jersey.”

11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

RORY

The morning light filters another day through the blinds, casting a warm glow on the living room floor at home. I groan in exhaustion and think about hitting snooze. I smile, recalling Chicago and Wells. It had been a few days, but I was still riding on the high, and it helped me get out of bed.

I cradle a steaming mug of coffee with too much vanilla creamer and my half-eaten donut and stare at my laptop.

My frenemy.

While the device makes my cash flow continuously swim into my bank account, I’m tired of being with her all the damn time. It’s a portal to the outside world, and mornings are not particularly my favorite time of the day.

This is where most of the shit-talking happens, and the world likes to fight, making everyone feel like they are just not good enough.

I perch on the edge of the couch, sipping carefully, the ceramic warmth seeping into my palms. The to-do list for the day hovers in the back of my mind—a manageable swarm of tasks and reminders, but I pick up my donut anyway and take a giant bite.

I’m not ready.

I need a few more moments of peace without engaging in weird stories or the latest trends on how to get rid of ankle fat.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

I exhale into acceptance that I need to get the show on the road when my phone vibrates along my thigh.

Chloe.

CHLOE: DID YOU SEE THIS ABOUT WELLS?

Next, underneath her text, a link shows up, followed by a thumbprint of what looks to be a video. Mindlessly, I click on it, thinking it was yet another TikTok video of a bunny eating a strawberry, but she mentioned Wells.

Did he make an amazing play last night?

Did he get into a fight?

CHLOE: Girl, you dodged a bullet!

Wait, what?

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