Page 70 of From Now On

“No. I play hockey.”

“I don’t know anything about sports,” Eve says, almost apologetically.

“I don’t know anything about theology,” I reply. “I only knew about Eve and the apple from a Christmas pageant in middle school.”

She frowns. “What does the Garden of Eden have to do with Christmas?”

“Nothing, I’m pretty sure. I think it was an interpretive adaptation. Creative liberties were taken.”

Eve laughs and shakes her head. “Does Holt have a good hockey team?”

“We’re Division III.”

She points to herself. “Knows nothing, remember?”

“Right. Well, there are three divisions in college sports. Division I is the best; Division III is last. And Holt…Holt isn’t exactly at the top of the bottom. So no, Holt doesn’t have a good hockey team. That’ll hopefully change this season.” I try to project the same confidence Aidan was radiating on the porch.

There’s a mental component to every athletic activity. Mindset matters. Also, I kind of want to impress Eve.

“Because you’ll be on the team?”

I grin at her teasing tone. “Nah. I’m not that player. Wasn’t even sure I’d play in college. There’s another freshman on the team who has some serious hype. Assuming he lives up to it, things could turn around. We’ll see. It’s been a while since I joined a new team, and it’s hard to judge how everyone will gel before we start playing together. Honestly, I’m nervous about it. But it would be pretty cool to be part of the team that wins when everyone expects them to lose.”

“Prove people wrong instead of right.”

There’s a flash of understanding between us that makes me think Eve might be speaking from personal experience. That she has been underestimated or underappreciated before. “Exactly.”

“Well, good luck.”

“Thanks.”

She smiles again, but this one looks more unsure. Her teeth sink into her bottom lip, then suck it inside her mouth. All I can think about is doing the same.

I want to kiss Eve—badly. I also want to keep talking with her. Learn her last name. Find out what the stain on her hand is. Ask if she wants to meet in the dining hall for an actual meal sometime.

There’s an open table in the opposite corner of the room.

Before I can suggest we go sit, my phone buzzes in my pocket. It keeps buzzing, so someone is calling me.

I pull it out, expecting Clayton. ButSeanis flashing on the screen instead.

My appetite disappears, squashed by a ball of dread. He’s supposed to be at work.

“Sorry,” I say to Eve. “I’ve got to take this. I’ll be right back.”

“Oh. Okay.” She tucks one of her curls behind her ear. “No problem.”

I give her one last apologetic smile before turning and heading for the nearest door. I answer Sean’s call halfway across the room, but it’s too loud to hear anything.

Although, when I get outside, I realize it’s not just loud on my end. It’s as noisy on his.

“Sean? What’s going on?”

“I didn’t mean for it to happen, okay? You’ll tell them I didn’t mean for it to happen?”

I take a seat on one of the metal benches, dropping the chips and Jell-O down beside me. The Jell-O promptly rolls right off the edge, landing on the brick walkway with asplat.

He’s high. And he’s definitely not at work.

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