Page 21 of Pucking High School

Pointing to the camera crew, she said, “Yeah, sorry about that. They came over asking for your family, and I didn’t want them thinking you had no one here.” She tucked a piece of hair behindher ear and looked to the floor. “I also kind of wanted to be on TV too,” She said in what felt like an after thought.

“What’s Kyle going to think when he sees it?”

Yeah, I wasn’t through mentioning that idiot because I was butt hurt about the entire situation, but I was okay with it. Mainly because in between talking to my new manager and Madison, I’d already sent him a message, warning him to back off.

She waved a hand in front of me. “Ah, Kyle won’t mind. He’s nothing serious. Just a little someone to get my mind off my loneliness.”

A low growl emanated from my chest, but thankfully, the noise in the stadium was so loud, there was no way she could hear it.

Get her mind off her loneliness?

Fuck me.

She was trying to kill me.

“Nice jersey you got there.” She brought her hand forward to lift my new jersey before letting it fall. “You’re officially an Atlanta Anglerfish now.”

“Technically, I have another three years until that’s going to happen. “

Her nose crinkled and she looked around the room. “Wait, are you telling me your place on the team isn’t guaranteed?”

“Technically, it’s a contract to state that they have first dibs on me after they think I’ve developed enough.”

She looked me up and down and let out a snort. “I think you’ve developed just fine.”

My fingers gripped my jersey tighter, and I held back from saying anything, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about this new ‘flirty’ Madison. It was like she suddenly had no filter, and I wondered if she was talking to other guys like that too.

“Thank you.”

“For?” She raised a brow in question.

I pointed at the camera crew “For doing that for me. I appreciate it.”

Her smile grew and she slapped me on the shoulder. “Anything for you, Big Man.”

Her eyes connected with mine, and I did something completely unexpected. I hauled her into my arms, and squeezed her tightly to show just how much I appreciated her.

“Geez, Dash, are you trying to break my back, or something?” She joked, patting me on the back.

Coming out of the tight hold, I didn’t let her get very far. Still close enough that our breath was mingling, I wanted to kiss her. To do what I should have done at that stupid party, and let her know just how beautiful and perfect I thought she was.

But as her eyes flicked between my lips and eyes, I knew I couldn’t.

She was my best friend's little sister, and not only had I not talked to her brother about this crush, but I was leaving. Covey U was only a few weeks away and what was I going to do? Have a long distance relationship with Madison?

No. I couldn’t. She deserved better than that. Better than me. Better than anyone here.

“Dash.” Cades voice broke through the tension and I immediately stepped back, looking at my best friend. “We did it, bro.”

He pulled me into a hug, and I reciprocated, watching Madison from over Cade’s shoulder. She was playing with her hair, looking anywhere but us.

“We are going to be Anglerfish together.”

As I pulled out of the hug, I gave him a scowl. “Don’t say that. It sounds weird.”

“I know. I know. Atlanta have the worst sports names. I mean, seriously, at least we aren’t on the baseball team. The Atlanta Armadillos is definitely worse.”

Cade was talking and I was nodding along, pretending to listen, but I was just watching Madison.

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