Page 75 of Mine to Take

Any humor brimming in her expression or voice falls away. “After Dad died, Brayden felt like he needed to step up and into that role. It was only after he found out about Carson that we got into a massive fight and stopped talking for a bit. That’s when he finally agreed to back off. Sooner or later, River’s going to have to accept that you have your own life to live. And that you won’t be doing it in a convent.”

“He’d be thrilled if I did,” I reluctantly admit.

“That’s too bad. He needs to get with the program.”

Every time I try to tell him that, he refuses to listen. I can’t imagine anything I say having a big enough effect to change his behavior.

My shoulders wilt as those thoughts buzz around in my brain. “Like I said before, I’m not sure if it’ll go anywhere with this guy.”

She waggles her brows. “Well, I certainly hope you enjoy finding out.”

“Hey, Elle!” a curvy girl with bouncy brown hair calls out with a wave as she makes her way in our direction. The girl she’s with has long, straight hair that’s the color of mahogany.

“Hi, Brooke!” Elle glances at the other girl before smiling at her. “Juliette! I haven’t seen you for a while.” Elle turns to me before making introductions. “This is Willow. She transferred to Western last fall. Willow, this is Brooke and Juliette.”

“Hi, it’s really nice to meet you.” My gaze bounces between the two.

They both seem friendly and approachable.

Although, if they’re close with Elle, I can’t imagine anything else being true. She surrounds herself with good people.

My gaze resettles on Juliette.

There’s something strangely familiar about her. I don’t know if I’ve seen her around campus or if we’ve had a class together. Is it possible that she’s popped into the tutoring center for help?

The little tickle at the back of my brain refuses to be dismissed.

With a tilt of my head, my eyes stay locked on Juliette. “You look really familiar. Have we met before? Maybe had a class together?”

Brooke pats her friend on the shoulder. “Unless you’re pre-med, probably not. Little miss smarty pants here is heavy on the sciences, which is exactly why you won’t see her around at a lot of the parties.”

Guess I can cross tutoring center off the list.

She could probably work there if she had the time.

I can’t help but chuckle. “Then, no. We definitely don’t have any classes together. I’m in the education program.”

Emotion flashes across Juliette’s face as she nods. “I thought about teaching as well, but then decided in high school that pre-med was a better fit.”

That’s all it takes for my mind to tumble back to all the doctors and nurses who helped take care of me. They all have a special place in my heart. Without them and the marvels of medicine, I might not be here right now. I give credit to anyone who wants to pursue a career in the medical field.

“Juliette’s boyfriend plays hockey for the Wildcats,” Elle adds when silence descends.

Grateful for the change in topic, I say, “My brother plays for the East Town Rattlers.”

“We just played that team the other week!”

I nod and say lightly, “Yeah, I was there. It was a hard-fought game.” The last thing I want to do is rub the loss in their faces.

“Juliette’s brother also plays for the Wildcats,” Elle adds conversationally. “His name is Maverick.” There’s a pause. “Maverick McKinnon. Maybe you’ve heard of him?”

My eyes widen, and for a heartbeat, it feels like the air gets knocked from my lungs. “Yeah. I think so.”

Juliette shrugs. “My brother was pretty upset after that game. Actually, the entire team was. They took the loss hard.”

Apprehension skates down my spine.

She leans closer before lowering her voice. “There’s a player on that team that he’s always had issues with. It goes back to high school when the guy stole his girlfriend. Even after all these years, it still gets chippy when they play each other.”

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