Page 4 of The Only Goal

Jolie’s been hanging out here a lot since school started. She’s obviously struggling to fit in at Nolan U. Caroline’s helping her out. They’re cousins or something, and Casey’s cherry girl has gone full-blown mother hen looking after her. Like Caroline, Jolie’s in the dorms, but I don’t think they’re in the same building. I’m not sure of all the details, but the snippets of conversation I’ve heard make it clear that Jolie’s not sure if this is the right place for her.

Caroline’s desperate for her to stay and throwing out suggestions whenever she can.

“Why don’t you join the school paper? You love writing, and that’d be a chance to meet some new people.”

Jolie nodded at that one, but she seems to nod at everything, so I wonder if she’ll go for it. I hope so. I think Caroline would be a little heartbroken if her cousin bailed after only a month or so here. She was so excited to have her join us.

Jolie’s lucky, you know. When I started at Nolan, I knew exactly zero people. That kind of thing didn’t bother me too much, I guess. People are tiring, and it’s easier to stick to myself. I don’t mind my own company, and it’s better than navigating a minefield of conversations and social mixers. That’s why the second Asher showed up in my sophomore year and started talking about this place his uncle had hooked up for him, I had to get in. Thankfully, he agreed, and I finally got my own room. Living in the dorms my freshman year was a nightmare. As soon as I moved to Hockey House, I found my mojo and never looked back.

Space. Quiet. A place where I can hide away.

That’s all I’ll ever need.

The sound of sweet laughter echoes in the back of mind. It doesn’t belong to any of the girls here. That melody is a memory from my past. It hurts, and it soothes, and it makes me ache and pine in ways I’ll never recover from.

I miss my girl.

Even though she belongs to someone else, she’ll always be mine. Well, she’ll have my heart anyway. Not a day goes by when I don’t think about her. It’s an undeniable torment.

Tammy Tan.

I wonder what she’s doing right now.

She’ll have a kid. I’m guessing around four, if my calculations are correct. I try not to ask Dad for deets. I know he’ll have them. Gossip and Gladstone are synonymous. He knows everything… he’s just wise enough not to tell me.

I don’t want to hear that she’s happily married, living in the city (he let that one slip) and being mother of the year.

She would be.

Damn, she’d be an amazing mom—fun-loving, kind, playful, organized, invested. She’d love that kid with everything she has, because that’s Tammy.

I just wish she could have loved me.

Chosen me instead of him.

Maybe if I hadn’t shut down so quickly after?—

I snap my eyes closed, not wanting to think about it.

Pushing back my chair with a loud scrape, I wince and jerk up straight when everyone glances at me.

“I’m just gonna…” I point over my shoulder and feel my muscles tighten at Lani’s astute gaze. “Take Fezz for a walk.”

His ears perk up at the word walk, and he trots around to my feet, his tail going a mile a minute.

“You’re not going to watch the game with us?” Caroline’s bright eyes fill with disappointment.

Shit. Why did I say I would?

Because you want to watch the game, dumbass!

I clear my throat, my pulse quickening at that gnawing in my chest, which I can’t seem to shake. I just need to walk for a second, get her out of my head… then I can focus on the game.

Rachel eyes me up with her soft, green gaze, her lips twitching before she quietly murmurs, “I’m sure Fezz would love that. You’ll be back in time, right?”

Her wink does me in, and I agree before I can stop myself.

“Sure,” I mutter, walking out through the kitchen and grabbing the lead from the mudroom. Fezz is prancing at my feet, his excited bark cute and adorable. “Calm down.” I grin at him. “Now sit.”

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