Page 62 of Ice Me Out
I have no doubt Carissa is one of those women.
“They’re going to be waiting forever, then.” Jamie says, still without looking at Carissa. “Bex and I are end game. I’ve never felt like this before.”
We aren’t the only ones who watch Carissa walking back to the table where her Zeta sisters have been following our entire exchange.
The noise levels in the cafe return to normal. But it isn’t the casual chatter of a few moments ago. Everyone is talking about us, and I even notice a few people pointing their phones at us without even trying to hide it.
“You ok, baby?” Jamie asks, oblivious to all the whispers around us.
His tone is caring, attentive.
I like it way too much.
Jamie’s tone isn’t different from how it was the night I arrived, after he beat up the guy who had grabbed me. This is what makes this situation so confusing. If I let myself believe in Jamie’s act, I could get seriously hurt. It’s imperative to remember that this is fake.
It doesn’t matter if Jamie likes me enough to kiss me and to pretend that we’re together. I have to remember that he isn’t smitten with me.
If I can do that, Luke is right that this whole thing could be fun. And after what I’ve been through with my dad and my ex, God knows this is what I need. I need to feel like a normal, carefree twenty-one-year-old woman. So I smile at my boyfriend and accept the bite of bagel he’s offering me.
Chapter14
Fucked Up
Keene
I’m not in a good mood.
I usually stay away from social media unless I have to post a new video of my stunts. I have Coach’s permission to come to the arena before or after practice to film them on actual ice, as long as I don’t cause any damage.
Moving my obstacle courses with the puck in the ice rink has tripled my following. Connor offered to help me the other night, and I gratefully accepted. Having someone help me put together and take apart the obstacle courses will help me save time.
And I like the kid. We bonded over how our relationships ended in betrayal. I guess it’s true what they say, that misery loves company.
“Dude, you ok?” Connor asks as I miss the shot for the third time, sending the puck to the side of the target I need to hit for it to ricochet into a mini gong and then land into a narrow path bordered by motion activated lights. From there, a frozen slide should help the puck gain enough momentum to careen under a colorful tunnel made of plastic and sail right into the goal.
I shake my head. “No. And I better get my head back in gear. Coach will kick my ass if he thinks I’m slacking during practice.”
I owe Coach Harrison for the huge chance to play with the Cove Knights this year. I haven’t played competitively for the four years I was in the army, so my chances at a pro career would have been next to zero.
Twenty-three is way too old for the draft, but being a Cove Knight will help me get the attention of the NHL scouts who attend our games.
Making it into a pro team as an unrestricted free agent is hard, but not impossible. And Coach believes in me, so I can’t let him down.
“Yeah,” Connor agrees. “There’s no coasting and flying under the radar with Coach Harrison. He sees everything. But can I ask you what’s wrong?”
The word “nothing” is on the tip of my tongue. If someone would understand how I feel, though, that would be Connor. So I force myself to share what’s been bothering me since I went online to upload and schedule the videos I filmed after our last practice.
“I use social media just to post my videos. My profiles are monetized and I haven’t logged into my old personal accounts since I got divorced.”
Connor immediately understands. “Yeah. I get it. I avoid logging into mine as much as I can. Whenever I do, I see Fiona with her new man. That makes me feel like shit all over again.”
I take off my helmet, tilting my head in question. “You didn’t block her?”
He sighs. “No. I could give you a ton of excuses why not, like that we’re both in the Greek Council and the president uses a chat on social media to communicate with us. The truth is that I see her everywhere anyway, so there’s no point.”
“Bro,” I clasp his shoulder. “Are you not over her?”
“I am.” Connor frowns. “But that doesn’t mean her betrayal doesn’t still sting. I stalk all her profiles whenever I feel like I miss her. And every time I see them together, it’s a reminder that I miss my idea of her. Not the woman who was fucking another guy behind my back for months.”
