Page 74 of Penalty Shots

"They did?"

Izzy pulls up an article from the Houston Pulse.

Well, shit. Looks like our little PR image rehab plan went to complete and total shit.

"What were you guys doing out with Redmond anyways?" Izzy plops onto the couch and stretches her hands out to steal Stella back from her husband.

"Yeah," Ryker says, relinquishing the baby. "I thought we hated him."

"We do hate him. In fact, we hate him even more now."

I catch them up on all the latest happenings while they were away. And Izzy just shakes her head, a scowl now on her face.

Ryker mutters obscenities.

"Well, you know what we have to do," Izzy says.

"Yeah," I say. "Fuck him up" At the same time, Izzy says, "Go get Rina."

"I mean, go get Rina. That," I say, pointing to her.

Ryker huffs from behind the couch where Izzy and I are seated. "What is it, grumpy cat?"

"If she left, it's probably because she needs space—from everything and everyone. She's done this before. Things get hard on a personal level… Rina disappears for a decade."

"Don't you think that's exactly the reason why we should go after her?" Izzy insists.

"She is with her parents. It's not like she's alone," Ryker adds.

"Rina thinks that she can just leave because nobody has ever chased her. Nobody's ever come looking for her. They let her leave," Izzy says sternly, looking at me.

"Wait… what's that supposed to mean?"

She stays blinking at me for a few seconds.

"You let her go, you idiot. In college… you let her go."

"I let Rina go? That's the story she's telling?" I scoff. "She left me—without even a second glance. We were friends… or whatever, and then she just left. No real reason."

"Are you sure that's what happened?" Izzy asks. "Think about it even for one second, Keelan. She was willing to lose her friendship with the only girl she considered a friend over you. And she would just leave?"

"That's what happened, yes. Ryker knows. He was there?"

We both turn to him.

"Oh… I was there."

Chapter 21

Ryker

19 years old

"That's the goalie for the hockey team," one of the not-so-subtle cheer girls says as she walks by with a group of friends. They take a seat at the end of the long picnic table out on the quad. "He's friends with the team captain," she hardly whispers.

"Landry? God, that guy is so hot. Wasn't he dating—"

"Shh," one of the other girls says. "She's coming. Hey, Jen!"

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