Page 24 of Tempting the Goalie
“She’s everything to me,” I say the words I know have been true my whole life. However, saying them out loud and having someone else hear it makes them feel real, and it both elates me and scares the shit out of me all at once.
“Then keep her out of the public eye,” he warns. “You have some admirers, or more like haters, who are following you around and posting your escapades. If you care about this girl, then keep the private stuff behind closed doors. It’s your future, Chabot. I’d hate to see you throw it away after all your hard work,” Coach Heaton warns, his jaw pulsing. He’s a tough coach but we all know he cares and wants us to succeed. He puts a lot ofeffort into making us great athletes, and he doesn’t want his hard work to be for nothing. I get it, because I feel the same right now.
“Me too,” I murmur.
“Okay, get going and watch yourself. You played well this morning. It’d be a shame for all that talent to go down the drain. You got a real shot to head straight to the NHL, which is rare for a goalie.”
“Thanks, Coach. Your warning has been heeded. Have a good rest of your day.”
“Don’t screw it up with your girl. She sounds perfect for you,” he calls out.
I nod and head out. Izzy is perfect, but I’m not good enough for her. That isn’t going to stop me from agreeing to her little plan. My image needs saving, but in this moment, all I can do is savor the taste of the forbidden fruit I was never meant to touch.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Isabelle
I woke up early and went for a jog. Now I’m back at my house to shower and get ready for a day of classes and volunteering in the wellness center. After my shower, I slip into a baggy pair of jeans and put on a cropped long-sleeve waffle shirt. I brush out my hair and since I don’t have time to dry it, I tie it up into a lose bun. I apply some lip gloss and head down to the kitchen. Norah is blending a smoothie in the blender. She turns to me. “Sounds like someone had fun last night.”
I wince. “Sorry if we were too loud.”
“Um. . .that’s okay. You really had a good time.” She smirks.
“It was nice.” I blush.
“You brought home a hockey player. Those guys are always a good time,” she shares. Her words feel like ice water has been poured over me, and I wince.
“How do you know who it was?” I ask. None of the girls were around when Luc came to my room, and no one saw him leave.
She opens her phone and shows me a blurry video of Luc and me making out in his car. “How did you get that?” I ask, feeling my stomach churn. This isn’t good.
“Some of the bunnies on campus run an anonymous account. They post hookups of different athletes on campus,” Norah explains.
“Shit! This isn’t good.” My panic is rising because the last thing I need is to be seen as a hockey player floozy. “I better get going. I have to be on campus.”
“Aren’t you going to have breakfast?” Norah frowns. “Bet you burned a lot of calories last night.”
I hate that the very personal experience I had with Luc has now become public knowledge. I fell asleep grinning and woke up with a spring in my step, feeling confident and good about my experience. My head was also spinning with our off-the-charts chemistry but I wanted our experience to stay private, which seems impossible now. With a racing heart, I grab my backpack and throw everything I need inside. I stumble toward the door, telling Norah to have a good day as I slip on my sneakers and head out. As I’m walking down the street, tears sting my eyes. I don’t like being on public display. I search for the post Norah showed me, and I start reading the comments.
Who’s Chabot’s new flavor?
Chabot sure does move fast.
Who is the mystery girl?
My head is spinning as I make my way to campus. My cell rings the moment I get on the grounds. It’s Luc.
“Hello.”
“Mon coeur.”
“Don’t Mon coeur me, Luc,” I demand.
“Shit. You saw the video.” He sighs.
“My roommate Norah just enlightened me that I’m now officially one of your floozies,” I spit.
I hear him hiss and mutter something. “You could never be that to me,” he assures, his voice soft and caring like it always is.
