Page 16 of Hockey Heart

As dumb as it sounds, those fantasies were enough to keep me going. They helped me forget about the reality of my sad, lonely, and loveless life. Now, all of it was ruined. I fuckinghateHayden Raynor!

Just as I was stepping out of the shower, the doorbellechoed through the hallway and I grabbed a towel before padding through the kitchen to answer it.

“Hi Kensy.” Her face looked back at me, bright with excitement.

“Well!?” she said, unable to contain herself.

“It was… Oh, Kensy, it was awful!” I said, before my lip wobbled and the tears came.

“Oh God! Sarah, it’s okay,” her arms wrapping around me.

“No, no, it’s not!” I wailed into her dress.

When I finally stopped sobbing so hard, Kensy took my hand and led me into my bedroom.

“Let’s get you together, okay?”

I nodded, feeling like a child. As I got dressed and brushed the tears off my cheeks, Kensy asked delicately, “Did he… Do anything to you?”

I would’ve wondered the same, seeing the state I was in.

“God, no! Nothing happened. He was just the rudest, most awful person I’ve ever met. Then he left me at dinner with the bill and no way home.”

“Oh God. That’s terrible.”

All I could do was nod as I went to re-apply the makeup that now looked like an artist’s palette smeared across my face.

Kensy put her hands on my shoulders and looked at me intensely. “Okay,fuckHayden ‘dipshit’ Raynor. You are an amazing woman, an incredible teacher, and you took a risk, and it didn’t work out. I’m so proud of you. And you’llneverhave to see that man again.”

10

EVER AGAIN

Hayden

“Is the new school going to be bigger than the old one?” Maiden asked from the backseat.

“Actually, it’s gonna be smaller, champ. But you’ll make lots of new friends. It’s gonna be so much fun.”

“Okay,” Maiden said quietly, a stressed look spreading across his face. “Daddy? I feel weird in my tummy.”

“Aw, you know what? That’s how I feel before every hockey game.”

“Really?”

“Yup! But then I just remember my name and that I’m strong and awesome and I don’t need to be scared of anything. Now, what’s your name?”

“Maiden.”

“Maiden what?”

“Maiden Raynor!”

“Yeah! And who’s strong and awesome?”

“Maiden Raynor!”

“That’s right! We don’t need to be scared, because we’re 100% awesome!”

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