Page 109 of Overtime
“Because Edwards’s friends in high places won’t get him to actually catch a puck tonight. We need you, captain.”
I rub my head. “I don’t know if I can.”
“What’s that you said in an interview once?” He makes air quotes with his fingers and says, “‘When I’m in the net, I don’t think; I just am.’ Some real philosophical crap that we’re now banking on.”
“Have I always been such a clown?” I mumble.
“C’mon, Rodriguez. Time to stop moping. Take care of your team first, and once we win this game, you can take care of whatever this mess is.”
A plan.
Maybe that’s what I need. A new plan. After all, I’m a numbers guy. And that sounds like a good one to me.
New Step One: win this game.
New Step Two: avoid Coach, deal with him later. Or never. Whichever one’s easier.
New Step Three: …
That one stays blank for a moment. I drove an hour to some barn wedding in the middle of freaking nowhere so I could explain myself to Maddie, and she shut me down basically on sight. She’s determined to get over me, and probably more so after this whole video leak.
But she needs to not see me so she can forget me, which is exactly what I don’t want. Something hot explodes in my chest and imbues my limbs with renewed energy.
New Step Three: set up camp at the library until Madeline Berkley acknowledges my existence.
I jump to my feet and grab my mask and stick. To make it to Three, I first have to make it through One.
“Let’s go,” I say.
CHAPTER 32
MADDIE
Ifeel like I’m going to die for real this time.
Every time my period’s early, it feels worse. As if my uterus thinks it’s my freaking fault thatitis bleeding ahead of schedule.
“Just because you’re graduating soon doesn’t mean your conduct should deteriorate. Do you understand me?” Melinda says, tapping her finger at the phone screen where she just played a video of Aran and me making out that I know was leaked by Lori; she said so herself at the infamous party. Or maybe she sent it to Aran’s ex. I don’t know.
Slowly, I nod. “Yes, ma’am.”
She leans back in her chair and folds her arms. For a good moment, all she does is regard me like she’s intending to paint my portrait. Finally, she smirks a little.
“Now, not as your boss or as a staff member of this illustrious institution… you go, girl. Get it.”
“Huh?” My head’s spinning, vacillating between confusion and sheer, self-destructive pain.
“I thought you were a goodie two-shoes, but va-va-voom.”
I can’t believe I have the capacity to blush in these circumstances, but here I am. My face is so hot I could melt an iceberg.
Well, apparently not “the Iceberg.” That one doesn’t see me as va-va-voom enough, I guess.
Whatever.
“So, um. Am I going to get reprimanded or… or fired?” I ask in a shaky voice.
She snorts. “Of course not. Your private life is your business. Just, next time, keep it behind closed doors.”
