Page 78 of Pucking Sweet

“It’s gonna be a smash,” says John One.

“What’s Saturday?” asks Violet, sipping her iced coffee.

“A fundraiser,”I reply.

“If anything else comes up this week, we’ll talk,” Jenni says in parting. “Otherwise, we’ll see you all over at the art museum!”

I walk them to the door, leaving Violet in the middle of the atrium. As soon as they’re beyond the wall of glass, I slowly turn to face her. Most of the players are still mingling by the coffee cart, Colton and Lukas chief among them. They’re watching me like a pair of hawks. What are they waiting for, some kind of signal to swoop in and shove my sister in the fountain?

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Striding forward in my Jimmy Choo pink patent leather pumps, I loop my arm back in with Violet’s. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“Away.” I lead her into the main practice rink where the temperature drops a cool fifteen degrees. Out on the ice, a mix of skating lessons are happening. A few parents sit clustered in the middle of the stands, distracted by their own conversations.

“Ooh, it’s chilly in here,” Violet whines.

“It’s figure skating. They do that on ice.” I stomp up the metal stairs, pulling her behind me. I plop down on an empty stretch of bench and tug her down next to me. “What do you want, Violet? Why are you here?”

Her pink lips part as she searches my face. For a moment, she almost looks nervous. “I just…wanted to see you.”

“Then look at a picture of me. I’m sure you have some on your phone.”

She flicks her silky hair off her shoulder. “Fine. I wanted totalkto you.”

“Well, clearly, if I wanted to talk toyou, I would’ve answered one of your many calls or texts this last week.”

Her icy blue eyes narrow. “Are we seriously gonna do it like this? Can’t we just talk like sisters? Poppy, we used to be so close.”

False. Christina and I were close. Violet was three years younger and Mom’s spoiled favorite. I clutch my cup of tea, glaring at her. “You had the last two years to talk to me, Vi. You could have told me the truth atanypoint.”

“And risk breaking your heart all over again? I was protecting you, Popcorn.”

Not her using my childhood nickname to twist the freaking knife.Rowan made it up. They’re the only two people who still call me that. I brush past the nostalgia with a wave of my hand. “Look, I’m not some delicate flower that can’t handle the world, okay? You want to wear the crown and scale Olympus with Anderson? Fine. I can’t stop you. I canwarnyou,” I add with a firm look. “But I can’t stop you.”

“He’s not all bad, Pop.”

“He’s worse. You’re just delusional.” I set my tea aside. I’m too frazzled to drink it.

“You know, he has some not-so-nice opinions about you too.”

“I’m sure he does.”

“And it takestwopeople to end a relationship.”

“I think in our case it was more like five,” I clap back. “Those are just the other women I knew about, including the stripper at his bachelor party.”

“God, Poppy. That wasthreeyears ago.”

“And yet, here we are,” I say gesturing between us.

Her cheeks glow pink with a mix of the cold and her rising frustration. “Can’t you at leasttryto be just a little bit happy for me? I’m getting married, Poppy. And I’m doing this for us, you know. For the family—”

“Seriously? We’re not the freaking Medicis, Vi. We’re not the Vanderbilts or even the Kennedys. Mom’s world is fading fast. The rules are changing. We don’t have to play those awful social-climbing games anymore.”

She shakes her head. “You’re not around anymore. You don’t know what it’s like—”

“I know you should marry who you want. Or heck, don’t get married at all!”

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