Page 141 of Need You to Choose Me

When the buzzer goes off, we’re 1-0.

And despite my teammates surrounding me, I look at the stands and search for the only pair of eyes I want on me.

But she’s not there.

I feel nothing.

Not even when I score a second goal.

Or when Clarkson scores a third.

As the last quarter ends, it’s a shutout.

4-0.

As we skate off the ice, I glance up at the friends and family section.

Olive never showed up.

Clarkson finds me staring at the crowd, skating over to me with a serious look cutting into his face. “Belle called. She’s with Olive.”

My eyes snap from him to the friends and family section where theyshouldbe.

“Hey.” He grabs my arm, regaining my attention. “Belle said there was a car accident…”

Everything goes silent, save the hard and heavythump, thump, thumpbeating in my chest. My heart echoes in my eardrums as I watch Clarkson’s mouth move without hearing whatever words are coming out.

Suddenly, Moskins is in front of me.

Not only in front of me, shaking me.

“He’s in shock,” someone says.

“O’Conner.” That’s Moskins, but for someone standing so close to me, he sounds far away. “Don’t take this personally or hold it against me.”

I barely have time to blink before he’s slapping me across the face, causing the drumming in my ears to become ringing.

Red hot anger boils under my skin as I snap out of the panic holding my body down.

“Whoa,” Clarkson says as I lunge at Moskins.

Moskins is holding his hands up. “You weren’t moving or answering us. You can hit me back later. In the meantime, let’s get you to the locker room and washed up.”

“But Olive—”

“Is okay,” Clarkson reassures. “Belle is with her.”

She’s okay.

She’s okay.

Something inside me cracks.

Because the last time there was a car accident, not everybody was fine. My father never came home, and neither did his wife. I saw them only one more time after that, and it was during their funerals. It was closed casket, but their wedding photo was on a stand between the two oak pieces of wood in the front of the room.

She’s okay.

I take a deep breath, easing the tightness in my chest that has slowly been suffocating me.

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