Page 59 of Troublemaker
But did he? He’d called me his, but never said he was mine.
“Blake,” the professor said with a happy trill to her voice, her earlier low, suspicious tone forgotten.
Coach glanced at her. “No interviews tonight,” he said shortly. “Lucy?—”
Ha.Satisfaction filled me at his response. He didn’t know who she was.
Trey pushed his way out. “Hey, sis,” he said.
He gave her a warm hug, then, holding her arm, turned to Coach. “Remember my sister Alison? And your date?”
“My—” Blake’s eyes looked blank, and then recognition snapped in them. “Oh, Alison. Right! Our…date. Tonight.”
The confirmation was a slap in the face, the kind that left a mark.
The professor—Alison—straightened her shoulders, tossing her hair. It was a poor imitation of my own hair toss, but then I doubted she’d practiced in the mirror for days until she got it right.
“Yes, our date. It’s late, you must be starving. Good game, by the way. You really pulled it off in the second half.”
Secondhalf? Did she even know anything about hockey? I mean, for the daughter of an NHL team owner, I didn’t know as much as I should, but even I understood hockey had three periods. How the hell could Blake even consider going on a date with someone who, sure, was brilliant when she taught animal behavior, but was an idiot otherwise?
Blake looked at me over her head, and for a moment I thought he was going to refuse, to tell her he had plans.
Please refuse.
But then Trey said, almost sharply, “Coach, you don’t want to miss your reservation. It’s not like you to bow out on commitments.”
There was a deeper meaning to his words, and Coach forced a smile to his face that didn’t reach his eyes. Still, he didn’t speak.
“I was just talking to Lucy here,” Alison added. “She’s welcome to join us. After all, she’s one of my students…did she tell you?”
Coach nodded slowly. “Yes, she told me.”
“Oh, good.” Alison looked lost for a moment but quickly recovered. “In fact, she’s up for a special intercollegiate pre-vet program, and as long as her grades, activities, reputation, andrecommendation lettersare up to par, she’s a shoo-in.” Alison stressed recommendation letters, and her point was clear.
Don’t fall for it, don’t fall for it,I begged Coach with my eyes. But I could tell she’d caught him with “recommendation letter.” He knew what she was implying, and he wasn’t going to risk messing with my future—even if it meant he wouldn’t be in it, because he was a fucking martyr and a jackass.
“Yeah, we shouldn’t miss our reservation,” he said. “And I’d rather spend some alone time with you, if that’s alright.”
That was all I needed to hear.
I turned to go, even though I could feel his eyes burning a hole in my straight, stiff back.
I didn’t need this shit.
Didn’t need any of it.
Especially when I had his car keys.
I had no interest in being overlooked, forgotten, and uncared for ever again. Clearly Blake had just wanted some young virgin pussy and had no deeper interest in me. The photos made no sense, but…neither did him going on a date with someone elseright afterhe’d fucked me. I didn’t care if we had to keep thingssecret, or that he was protecting me—he could have canceled, made up an excuse,something.
Still, as I reached the end of the hallway, I turned to look, just to see if he really was watching, but his eyes were on Alison…
…and her hand was on his chest as she laughed at something he said.
This time, I didn’t even try to swallow down the tears, letting them blur my vision as I headed out of the arena, out of their sight…and out of his life.
Time to make my own.
