Page 48 of When Alec Met Evie
Alec
Do YOU watch?
Evie
Of course I watch! I mean, it’s hard to watch the Appies because of how few games are televised. But I watch all the highlights on Instagram.
Alec
There’s an upgrade I can add to my streaming package that will let you watch the Appies games. If you want. Not that you have to watch. I’m just saying if you do, I don’t mind adding it.
Evie
I would love that. If it’s not too much trouble.
I like the idea of Evie watching me play. Though there’s an undercurrent of uncertainty attached to the feeling.
Last night, I spent a few minutes studying my stats compared to last season. My minutes played are a lot lower than they should be. Nathan and I have always played so well together, we’re usually on and off the ice at the same time, but lately, Coach has been shuffling defensive pairings. Last game, Nathan played quite a bit with Carter and Dumbo while I played with Theo and Tucker—something I didn’t love because it required me to play offside since we’re both left-handed. Overall, I still played with Nathan more. But I have to wonder what Coach is trying to do. Or what he’s trying tosay.
Dr. Samuelson has repeatedly made it clear the injections are a short-term solution. If Coach thinks I can’t pull my weight, where does that leave me?
My phone buzzes in my hand, and I look to see another message from Evie.
Evie
Alec! Oh my gosh! Juno just rolled over!
Alec
Is that a big deal?
Evie
It’s a HUGE deal. She’s never done it before!
A minute later, she sends a video. I pull it up and smile through a twelve-second clip of Juno flopping over from her belly onto her back, then start it over and watch again. At the end of the video, Evie turns the camera and smiles into the frame, eyes sparkling. Her face is perfectly centered on my phone when a hand drops onto my shoulder.
“Okay, time to talk,” Felix says, his brown eyes serious as he sits down beside me.
Camden, Eli, and Van file into the row in front of us, standing so they can face me, and Nathan pops up behind me so I’m fully surrounded by my teammates.
I look at Felix, then shift my gaze from one guy to the next. They’re all looking at me with matching expectant looks. Like this was some kind of planned ambush. “About what?”
“We think you know what,” Van says.
I look over at Nathan, my jaw ticking. “Dude, I swear, if you said something about my knee…”
“What’s going on with your knee?” Felix asks, and I frown.Oops.
Nathan rolls his eyes. “Evie,” he says, like it should have been obvious. “We’ve all noticed. You’re texting her all the freaking time.”
“I’m not,” I lie. “And it’s not like any of you have room to talk. Van calls Amelia at least twelve times a day.”
“And she answers every single time,” Van says with a smirk.
“Youaretexting her all the time. Evie’s face was on your phone not five seconds ago,” Felix says to me.
“We’re not saying it’s a bad thing,” Camden adds. “We’re just curious where your head is.”
