Page 29 of The Pucks We Freeze
The clock was ticking down on us, and I didn’t know how to stop it.
So I did the only thing I could. I climbed into my truck and headed toward her.
Ten minutes later, I pull up out front of our parents’ house. The air bit against my skin as I pulled my hoodie tighter and kept to the shadows. The walk to Willow’s cabin was short, but every step felt loaded. Almost like I was crossing into something I wouldn’t be able to walk away from.
Her porch light was off, but the soft flicker of her bedroom lamp pulsed behind the curtain, casting a faint glow onto the frost-laced window. The boards creaked beneath me when I stepped onto the porch and knocked twice, heart already kicking into gear.
When the door slowly opened, she stood there in an oversized T-shirt, her legs bare, her hair tousled from sleep. Those sleepy eyes blinked up at me, hazy and warm.
“Took you long enough,” she murmured.
I stepped inside without a word, shutting the door quietly and flipping the lock behind me. The cabin was dim and still, the silence lingered like a secret.
“Had to be careful,” I said, voice low. “Didn’t want your dad catching me sneaking in.”
Her lips curved, soft and crooked. “You’re not subtle.”
“Not when it comes to you.”
I closed the space between us and kissed her like I’d been holding my breath all day. Her hands curled in my shirt, pulling me closer. The heat between us sparked instantly—charged, electric, familiar. We moved together like we’d been doing this for years instead of days.
Then she stilled.
Willow’s palms pressed lightly against my chest, not pushing me away completely but enough to make me stop.
“Wait,” she breathed.
I froze, our foreheads brushing, our breath tangled in the space between us.
She looked up at me, a crease forming between her brows. “Do you have any updates? On… everything?”
That one question took the air right out of the room.
I stepped back, just enough to put space between us, dragging a hand over my face.
“Willow…”
“I need to know,” she said, more firmly this time. “I get that you’re trying to protect me, but I’m already in it now. You don’t have to pretend I’m not.”
I let out a breath and ran both hands through my hair before settling them at my hips.
“I didn’t mean to drag you into this,” I said, truth tightening in my throat. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you’re here. I didn’t realize how much I needed someone who’d actually see it too. To confirm I’m not going crazy.”
She didn’t say anything, just watched me quietly, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of the shirt.
“Talon’s been digging,” I told her. “He’s trying to find a crack. Something solid we can bring to light. We have to be careful, though. We don’t know who to trust.”
She took a step closer, her voice quieter now. “You should go to your coach.”
“I know. Believe me, I’ve thought about it. Last year, someone reported me for illegally betting. Big ones, and it nearly cost me everything. My scholarship. My future. Coach Dawson helped clear my name, but the feeling didn’t go away. I can’t help but think whoever did it is waiting to finish what they started.”
Willow’s lips parted, but she didn’t interrupt.
“I think Gavin’s involved,” I added. “Maybe not willingly, but something’s off. He’s acting weird. Nervous, like he’s hiding something.”
“So you’ve been tracking things ever since?”
I nodded. “Watching games. Taking notes. Looking for patterns—who’s off their game, who’s too on. Talon mentioned the other night he was going to reach out to a friend of his. You said you knew him from Braysen. Reed? I guess he’s good with tech. Talon has him trying to trace some of the digital pieces.”
