Page 19 of Love on the Ice

Sniffling, I use the back of my hand to wipe the tears away. I am seriously standing in the middle of my bedroom, feeling sorry for myself. I take a deep breath and shake it all off. I’ve had a trying day, an emotional one.

I need to stop overthinking.

Changing into a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, I take off my bra, tossing it into my laundry basket before throwing my hair up into a messy bun. I head toward the bathroom, where I wash my face off and hope that nobody will be able to tell that I cried.

I hear the girls talking when I move downstairs. As soon as they see me, a hush descends over the kitchen bar, where they’re all huddled together. Rolling my eyes to the ceiling, I snort. I already know that Brooklynn has told them everything.

“I’m okay,” I state.

Karlie arches a brow. She’s the no-bullshit one of the group. She will not allow us to lie to ourselves or one another. She sees straight through my words and knows they’re a lie—which, to be fair, they are.

I am not okay, but not for the reason she’s thinking.

It's purely about Reid and not school.

But I’m not going to say that because it’s stupid. I shouldn’t say a single word. I already knew how this was going to play out, even if I had secretly hoped I would be surprised in some way.

I’m not, and that’s okay.

Kind of.

I just need to get over it.

Which I will, eventually.

They’re gorgeous together. I’ll be happy for them. I just need a little time to feel sorry for myself first.

“No, you’re really not,” Brooklynn whispers. “What that man did wasn’t right. I think you should go to the dean or someone.”

Shaking my head, I lift my hand to my forehead. “No way,” I whisper. “I don’t want to start anything. I’m just going to take my F, then take the class again when I can afford it.”

All the girls wordlessly stare at me.

I can tell they either don’t believe me, or they’re trying to figure out how to react. Lifting my hands, I shake my head a couple of times.

“I’m serious. It’s all good. I’m going to try and get a receptionist job at an accountant’s office, and then, hopefully, I can move up as I finish my testing.”

It’s the plan I decided on when Reid was telling me I should retake the class when I was ready. Not immediately. It’s a great plan. I am in love with the idea, really. Maybe I’m a little burned out, too. I went from high school to college classes with zero breaks in between.

“Well, you are our girl. Please know that you can depend on all of us for support,” June says.

She usually stays fairly quiet, so I know her words are completely genuine and heartfelt. Smiling, I reach out and wrap my fingers around her wrist, squeezing it gently. “I’m okay.”

“You will be,” Brooklynn exhales.

I will be okay, not that I need anyone to remind me of that, but if I said that, it would be rude. And mean. I’m not that person. My gaze flicks from one woman to the next, and I realize they are my family.

We really have the best girl group ever. I’ve been around mean girls before, and I don’t know how we all ended up finding each other, but I would never jeopardize anything with any of them.

The topic is dropped and switched to the hockey game coming up and what we’re all going to wear. Sky holds up her hand and runs out of the room toward the hall. A few moments later, she appears with two big shopping bags.

The topic of me and school is completely closed. Blinking, I stare at the bags and watch as she pulls out six hockey jerseys. “Happy birthday to everyone this year,” she says with a laugh as she hands us jerseys with the North Carolina Fury logo plastered all over them.

“I figure we can all style them differently to suit each of us. That way, we all look different but awesome,” she explains.

I can’t think of any way to wear a hockey jersey other than with a pair of jeans. The girls all talk excitedly about how they’re going to wear theirs. I hear someone mention a short skirt and tights and tie it in the back to make it appear smaller.

But I don’t think about clothes. My mind drifts to Reid. I think about his blue eyes, easy smile, and the way his hand feels on mine. I love it when he touches me in any way, and I can’t help but imagine him touching every part of my body.

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