Page 5 of On the Edge of Scandal

When I turn around, there she is; her equipment bag slung across her shoulder, and with the world’s most defeated look on her face. Her hair’s in long plaits that fall down the front of her parka out from under her close-fitting hat, and she’s so frigging adorable I want to die. That or hug her until she doesn’t look so sad. One of those things is impossible, and dying isn’t an option.

Bronwyn looks at Brody, curiosity wrinkling her brow and her chin. “Hmm, what?”

“Nothing for you to worry about.”

After Bronwyn tosses her bag under the bus, Brody hauls her under his arm and plants a possessive kiss on top of her head. It’s not even loving. In fact, it looked kind of uncomfortable. Not a gesture of affection, but of possessiveness. It’s a pissing match masquerading as a kiss. Add that as reason number 2,075 that I hate this guy.

“’Kay. What are you guys doing out here, anyway?”

“Waiting for you.” Well, that was an embarrassing chorus if there ever was one. And Brody beats me to being next to speak. “Just wanted to congratulate you on your win again before I headed back to village. I’ll see you there?”

He kisses her on the cheek while he watches me, and the steamworks have started again. But I hold my tongue.

“Yeah. See you there. I should get on the bus, though. Team’s waiting for me, I’m sure they want to get back, too.”

They’d probably chat more if I weren’t standing there, but I am. Brody forces an awkward peck on the lips and I feel like kind of a dick for standing there and making it so goddamn uncomfortable, but I can’t find it in myself to care right now. I want her away from him as soon as possible, and this is the only way to do it. So, fine, I look like a jackass. I don’t need her to like me, I just want to keep her safe.

Which is why I grumble along with my let’s-go gesture. “On the bus, Perry. Now.”

Chapter Four

Bronwyn

I don’t know exactly what Coach’s problem is. No, wait, that’s a lie. I totally know what his problem is. He’s still pissed with me. Is this what the rest of the SIGs are going to be like? I hope not, because it hurts. I hate the grinding edge to his voice, hate the death stare. Blergh, I hate it all.

The bus ride seems interminable, even though we get to zip right by the rest of the traffic in the dedicated lanes. Except when we’re behind a slow-ass Swedish bus. I use the time to do some of my reading.

My professors have all been super cool about me missing class for the SIGs, and they’ve been really accommodating about making up work, but that doesn’t mean I want to fall so far behind I can’t graduate this spring. If dropping classes meant I could play another year of hockey at BC I’d be tempted, but that’s not an option. So out into the real world I go. Not something I need to think about right now, though.

At this second, I’ll focus on this textbook on user interfaces, and then I’ll go back to focusing on the SIGs. Our next game is against China in three days, and no matter what, I’m not taking someone out again. We’ll have to study tape and figure out a better way to win.

When we pull up to the village entrance, we all file out of the bus, picking up our gear bags as we go. When I’ve shouldered mine, I see Brody waiting for me, leaning up against the fence that lines the entire village.

“Hey, how’d you beat us?”

He smiles before he leans down to plant a kiss on my lips. “Traffic wasn’t so bad, and you guys got stuck behind some curling buses. Curling, like that’s a real sport.”

If I were the bitchy and vindictive type, I could point out that while they may not be bruisers like he is, the people on those buses actuallymadetheir SIG teams, so maybe he should shut up. But I’ll be good, be nice.

He slings an arm around me and we head to the entrance, but we’re stopped by security. I’ve got my village ID, but Brody doesn’t have one, for obvious reasons. The rest of my team gets waved through while we stand there.

“I’m sorry, sir, you can’t go into the village without the proper identification.”

“I got a guest pass before. Can’t I have another one?” Brody’s dancing on the edge of civilized, and I can hear the irritation in his voice.

“I’m sorry, today’s passes have all been given out. If you’d like to try again tomorrow, you can, but I’d advise you to get here earlier. Passes are usually gone by elevenA.M.”

Which is when Brody turns to me. “Why didn’t you get me one already?”

“I . . .” To be honest, I hadn’t even thought about it. I had a few other things on my mind, like the game tonight.

“Never mind. This is bullshit. Let’s go.” He starts to tug me toward the street where I guess he’s planning to try to hail a cab or maybe order an Uber or something, but I can’t just leave.

“But—”

“But what, Winnie? If I can’t go into the village, you’re coming back to the hotel with me. Right?”

That look on his face. When we were first-years at boarding school and we’d first started dating, Brody had been so smitten with me. Used to leave me notes, send me texts and emails that made me smile. He was so . . . sweet. Yeah, he’d become less attentive over those high school years, but that’s what happens when you’re together for years, right? Although it couldn’t have helped when it became apparent in our junior year that I was getting courted by top women’s hockey schools and he was being approached by . . . top tier schools, yeah, but notthebest.

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