Page 33 of Grumpy Darling

I gave her a pointed look. It was a little hard to feel reassured when Damien had had girls flocking around him all week, and we’d exchanged only a few words. My stomach swirled with a mixture of anticipation and worry as I considered what I hoped to accomplish tonight.

I glanced at the scoreboard, briefly hoping it might have changed while I wasn’t looking. Maybe the Devils were losing and their victory party would have to be called off. But I had no such luck. As if to rub salt in the wound, Reed scored a goal just a moment later, putting the Devils ahead by three points. The game was almost over, so there was no chance for the other team now.

The crowd exploded into cheers and whistles as they celebrated the goal. For once, I was struggling to match their enthusiasm. There was no way tonight’s party would be cancelled now, which meant my plans with Damien would be going ahead too. I knew I needed to get my first kiss over with, but it all felt like it was happening way too fast.

“Now, make sure you remember to bring mints tonight,” Bonnie said.

“Okay.”

“And are you sure you don’t want me to watch you kissing your hand first so I can give you some pointers?”

“Bonnie!” She’d said it quite loudly, just as the cheers from the crowd were dying down, and the girl in front of us turned to shoot us a curious look.

“I’m kidding, obviously,” Bonnie clarified, although I wasn’t too sure. My embarrassment only worsened when the guy next to the girl turned around too. He was pretty good-looking, and Bonnie must have agreed because she threw an arm around my shoulder. “My girl Paige is looking for someone to kiss tonight. Want to volunteer?”

The guy started to smile, like he might be interested, but the girl beside him threw me a furious look and then forcefully turned his face back toward the ice. I sank into my seat.

“I think that’s his girlfriend, Bon.”

“Yes, well, she should be willing to sacrifice him for just one night. This is practically a medical emergency. You could die with untouched lips if we don’t sort this situation out soon.”

She was being far too dramatic. “I’m not going to die withuntouched lips.”

The siren rang, sounding the end of the game, and the crowd cheered again. As usual, the Devils had won. I smiled down at Grayson as he made his way from the rink. He was always so strong and powerful. But lately, when each game ended, it was as if I could see how heavily his exhaustion was weighing him down. I hoped he was okay.

His eyes lifted to mine as he stepped off the ice. No matter where I sat in the crowd during his games, he somehow always managed to know exactly where I was. I lifted my hands and clapped just for him. His lips curved just a fraction before he continued to the locker room.

I sighed as I lowered my hands. He’d been a little distant this week and it seemed like something was bothering him. I wondered if I’d upset him by asking him to back off, or if perhaps having me live with his family was just too much. I could be a lot to handle 24/7, though given how much time he spent training, we honestly hadn’t seen that much of each other.

He might just be worrying about hockey and his knee. He spent a lot of time icing it each night, and signing day was only a week away. I knew his future coach from Ryker University was coming to the game that day too. He was probably pretty nervous about it. My boy problems were likely the least of his worries.

I realized Bonnie was still talking and I turned to her. “What did you say?” I’d completely tuned out while watching Grayson. Thankfully, the crowd had been quite loud, so I hoped Bonnie would assume that was the reason I hadn’t heard her.

She smirked as if she knew exactly who’d distracted me. “I said I need to go find Abby. I want to check on her game notes before she writes it up. She’s sitting somewhere up the back, so it’s probably easier if I just meet you by the exit.”

“Okay. Well, make sure she includes that great block Grayson made at the end of the first period when we were only winning by one. And the time he saved Elliot’s ass. Oh, and did you know that last goal was Reed’s twentieth for the season?”

Bonnie raised an eyebrow at me. “Anything else?”

“Uh, yeah, the coaches need to make better use of their line changes in the third period, and that penalty against Parker in the second was an awful call by the referee. But I don’t know if you’re allowed to say that, are you?”

She laughed. “I swear, Paige, you should be the one writing about these games for me.”

“Uh, no. I’m a terrible writer.” I shook my head. “Probably best I leave that to the experts. I’ll see you soon.”

I started making my way down the bleachers before she could pursue the idea any further. She must have been joking anyway. I’d never been very good at writing anything longer than a text message. Every essay I turned in came back covered in red marks. I just struggled to organize my thoughts and could never seem to get them down in a way that made sense. It was so frustrating, and the thought of doing it voluntarily, particularly when there would be a strict deadline and other students might actually read it, was pretty much my worst nightmare.

The crowd was still making their way from the building as I waited for Bonnie. She didn’t normally catch a ride with me, but we were planning to get ready for tonight’s party together. She was desperate to avoid her house right now, so I’d suggested she come to the Darlings’.

She usually used her baby sister as her excuse for escaping her house, but in this instance, I was wondering if it was more her own curiosity than the newborn’s colic that had her jumping at the chance to come over. She was probably hoping to prove or disprove one of the many rumors that circulated about Gray and his brothers.

My theory was only confirmed when we eventually arrived at the Darlings’ house, and she immediately started asking questions.

“Can you give me a tour?”

“Is this where they eat?”

“Mind if I take a look in the bathroom?”

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