Page 83 of Puck You
“Yeah, well, it beats being a killjoy, which was your excuse before Grace came along.”Bryce smirked at me as he stood up and pulled on his winter coat.“Tell her I say hi, will you?”
His parting words were a reminder that I was planning to meet Grace tonight, and that she was bound to be back on campus by now.The women’s home-game arena was about forty miles south, which meant their matches started earlier in the evening to make up for travel time.Maybe if the game had gone well and Grace was in a good mood, she’d be willing to talk about whatever was going on with her sister.I wanted her to feel like she could open up to me, and focusing on Grace helped me forget about how abysmal my future was looking.With that thought in mind, I packed up the rest of my things and set off to find her.Most likely, she’d be waiting for me near the main entrance of the arena.
As I stepped outside, I was assaulted by a brutal blast of freezing air.Just another lovely day in the Midwest.Over the howl of the wind, someone shouted Grace’s name.My eyes landed on her as a genuine smile broke out across her face—the first one I’d seen in days.The sight lifted my spirits, but the feeling of warmth in my chest didn’t last, not as she was enveloped by a much larger male form.My heart stalled at the blatant show of affection, only thumping back to life once he slowly set her back on the ground.
I recognized him immediately as number twenty-four from Boston College, the star of their team.He reached up to cup her face, but Grace stepped away from his touch, putting a bit of distance between them.It was a reassuring sight, but that didn’t stopthe blood from rushing to my head as I stalked toward them, my feet moving faster than my brain.
“It’s so good to see you,” I heard him say, but before she could respond, I was wrapping my arms around her from behind.I planted a kiss on her cheek, making sure to stare directly into the hockey player’s eyes as I did.Grace glanced over her shoulder at me, cheeks flushed and mouth slightly parted.
“You smell good,” I said, pressing my face into her neck and taking a deep breath.
There was a long, awkward silence.Grace’s mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out.The player from Boston College stared at me with a furrowed brow and stony eyes.
“Sebastian, this is Matt,” she said, finally managing to speak.
My body went rigid at the sound of her ex’s name, and then a moment later, the dots connected.Boston College.It hadn’t even occurred to me that we were playing against Grace’s old school.The school her hockey-playing ex-boyfriend still attended.
Apparently Grace had a type, though I was objectively more handsome than the meathead standing in front of me.
“Hi, Matt, nice to meet you,” I said, knowing damn well we both knew that was far from the truth.“Tough loss, but you guys put up a good fight.”
Matt didn’t say anything.Instead, he glanced at Grace with a pained expression.
“I take it you two are together,” he said.
Grace’s smile turned into a grimace.I wanted nothing more than to enlighten him about our situation.I almost did, but she beat me to it.
“It’s complicated.”
Oh, I absolutelyhatedthat answer.But I wasn’t going to say that in front of her ex-boyfriend.
“I meant to tell you,” she said, cringing at her own words.“I just ...”
“Forgot?”he finished for her.
Matt was shifting back and forth on his feet.He looked miserable, one hand clasped across the back of his neck, the other hanging at his side, his fingers curled into a fist.
“I’m sorry.I’ve been caught up in family stuff and—”
“Don’t sweat it,” he interrupted, and the half-assed smile he offered did little to mask the pain etched into his face.“I should probably go.”
I realized with a sudden rush of dread that he was still in love with her.When Grace and I had talked about our exes, she’d assured me that they were just friends.Either he was in denial or she hadn’t been honest with me.
“Matt, can we talk in private?”
The plea in her tone made my stomach lurch, but it wasn’t enough to convince Matt.He shook his head, pivoted, and set off in the other direction.
“What the hell is going on?”I questioned, my earlier frustration at being benched swiftly rising back to the surface.Grace stared at the spot where Matt had stood moments before, tears in her eyes.It made me feel sick.
“I’m sorry,” she said, turning to face me.“I know that looked bad, but you have nothing to be worried about.”She was breathing heavily, her face twisted with guilt.I wanted to believe her, but something wasn’t right.
“I thought you two werejustfriends.”
“There is nothing going on between us.I broke up with himin May, and I haven’t seen him since I moved home.”
“He clearly still has feelings for you.”
Her silence told me everything I needed to know.Grace was well aware that Matt still loved her.
