Page 73 of Cross-Check

“Thanks, Peyton. I’m glad you noticed,” I deadpan.

Peyton winks. “Anytime. Are you going to sit down and join us or not?”

I look over at Grace. “As long as it’s okay with you.”

“Sit down, Kellan,” Grace says softly.

Cora pulls away and grabs my hand, pulling me down into the chair next to her.

“I’m sorry you guys had to see that,” I tell them.

“You have no reason to apologize. Monica’s actions are on her alone and not you,” Grace tells me.

“I know that.” I look over at Cora. “But she took her anger at me out on you, and I feel awful about it.”

“You shouldn’t. Like Grace said, all of that was on Monica. Not you, but I am proud,” Cora tells me.

“Proud of me?”

“Yeah, you knew you made mistakes and apologized for them when you could have just told her to fuck off. You didn’t have to do that,” Cora says.

“It was really emotionally mature of you,” Grace adds.

“Thanks,” I say softly.

“Anyway…can we get back to what we were doing before the she-devil interrupted?” Peyton asks.

“What were you girls doing?”

“Picking out hockey games we want to go to. Do you have any recommendations?” Cora asks.

All of them. I want you at all of them.

“The Springfield game should be good again,” I say instead.

Grace nods. “We plan on catching that home game. Well, all the home games. We’re trying to decide which games we want to travel for, though.”

Grace and Peyton start discussing the trips, and I look over at Cora and see that she’s already staring at me.

“You know, I can’t wait for you to see me play,” I tell her quietly.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I can’t get the idea of you wearing my jersey while in the stands out of my head.”

Cora smirks. “Who said I would wear yours?”

I shake my head, caught off guard and slightly offended. “Why wouldn’t you wear mine?”

“Why would I wear your last name when I can wear mine?”

James. She means she would wear her brother’s name.

I open my mouth to tell her that it’s a shit idea, but I don’t have a legit reason for her not to. It is her last name, and she can wear whatever she wants to even if I hate it.

Cora squeezes my hand. “Hey, you know I’m teasing, right?”

“Are you though?” I ask softly.

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