Page 24 of Puck You
“Do you have enough information from us?”I asked.
“Yeah, we have enough here.”She paused to do a sweep of her screen.“I’d love to get a comment from the men’s team, but I reached out and they weren’t interested.If there’s some way to convince them, or at least record a conversation where you ask for a comment, that would be great.”
Caroline and I glanced at each other, and I nodded my head, silently agreeing to do what I could to get a statement from the men’s team.Given Sebastian’s notoriety, he was the best person to ask.And if he wasn’t willing to go on record with an official statement, I’d just have to get a reaction out of him that was worthy of theDallard Spectator.
Chapter 8
Sebastian
Something big was about to happen; I could feel it in my bones.If the video of Grace’s speech circulating around campus wasn’t warning enough, being contacted by theDallardSpectatorwas all the confirmation I needed—the gala was just the beginning.I had my suspicions that the girls were gunning for a share of our training facility, and I couldn’t allow that to happen.Not when my entire future relied on my hockey performance over the next seven months, and not when Grace was already distracting enough from a distance.
“I want to make this clear.”My voice echoed over the low hum of chatter in the locker room, silencing my teammates as they prepared for morning classes.“Not a single person on this team is to speak to anyone from the student newspaper.Not a single comment.”
The crowd of familiar faces nodded in agreement.No one dared speak against my order.As the room cleared out, Bryce stayed behind to talk with me.
“Do you think Coach should know about the social mediastuff?”he asked.
I shook my head.“It’s not out of hand yet.I don’t want to worry him over nothing.”
“Have you heard from Kate?”
Bryce was the only person I had told about our fight.He was the only person to notice that something had been off with me since the gala.Kate and I hadn’t spoken in almost four days, and I was feeling more and more confused about the situation the longer we went without talking.Sometimes I reached for my phone out of instinct, ready to text Kate about something that had happened during my day.But it was also impossible to ignore the relief of not having to explain myself after practice ran long or homework got in the way of our plans to hang out.
“She hasn’t contacted me.”I hesitated, then said, “Do you think I should reach out?She said she needed time, but now I’m wondering if giving her so much space was the wrong move.”
“Sometimes girls say the opposite of what they want.Maybe just send her a text to check in,” he suggested.
I secured my schoolbag over my shoulders and followed Bryce’s hulking form out of the locker room.He was probably right.Maybe Kate had said she needed time to think because she wanted to see me take the initiative with our relationship.
“Do you think—”
We’d just stepped outside the arena when Bryce came to a sudden halt.I managed to stop myself before running directly into his back.One glance around his shoulder confirmed the holdup.Grace was hovering a few feet away, her brows set in a determined line.She was waiting for me, I realized, drowning in a sweatshirt that was three sizes too large for her body, eyes wide as they connected with mine.
“I’ll meet you in the dining hall later,” I said to Bryce.
He glanced between the two of us with one brow quirked before nodding in agreement and sauntering off to get breakfast.Grace tensed as I approached her, and I couldn’t help but notice that her phone was hanging halfway out of the front of her pocket.I resisted the urge to reach over and slide it back in place.
“I suppose this means you weren’t expelled,” I said.
“Did you get your hopes up?”She was sporting a devious grin, something halfway between playful and calculated, and that made me wonder what she was up to.Graceneversought me out.
“What do you want?”I asked calmly, feeling anything but.
“Honesty.”
I waited for her to continue, unwilling to play along with her little game.
“Don’t you think, as captain of the men’s hockey team, you’re responsible for commenting on the lack of equality between the men’s and women’s hockey programs?TheDallardSpectatoris going to publish an article about the issue either way.I’m giving you the chance to get ahead of things,” she said, and I could smell the bullshit from a mile away.
“Leave me out of your little crusade, Grace.I’m not interested.”
“You’re against gender equality?”
My nostrils flared as I tried to keep my composure.“Of course not.”
“Then you just don’t care enough to advocate for your female counterparts, is that it?Or maybe you think we don’t deserve the same resources as you,” she continued, the fire behind her eyes burning a little brighter with every word.
There was a heat burning in my stomach, flames inching up my throat.Control, Sebastian.Find your control.“I don’t have any say in where you practice.Talk to the administration if you have a problem.”
