More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
“You do know that she and Logan have sat together at our home games for weeks now, right? They’re friends. And Zee, I hate to break it to you, but lately, Ella talks about Stevie more than she talks about you.”
“Ella asks Stevie to do her hair at every game, and your girlfriend lets my daughter scroll through her pictures of all the dogs at SDOC. So, good luck beating that, my friend.”
“Have you told Stevie you’re in love with her yet?” He tries to hold back his knowing chuckle but fails miserably as his chest begins to vibrate with laughter.
They’re blue. I stare at them for a second, and I’m not going to lie, they look good next to her light brown skin and gold rings, but she picked this color to test me. I know it.
“You following me?”
“And ‘good to see you, man’? What the hell was that bromance?” “We share the same arena and locker room. We see each other around. Don’t make a thing out of it.” “Are you guys...friends?” My eyes are wide, a smile overtaking my face. “Don’t be weird about it.”
“Oh, come on, Indiana,” my brother chimes in. “You can teach him how to belt ‘My Heart Will Go On’ at three AM and keep everyone in an entire apartment building awake.”
“And excuse me for having feelings, Mr. I-Had-To-Hide-In-My-Room-All-Night-Because-There-Was-A-Hot-Girl-In-My-Apartment-And-I’m-Afraid-Of-Them.”
“Trust me. I am not afraid of girls.”
“I said hot ...
This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
“Like...
This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
“I have a fucking girlfriend, okay? And she’s right there.” He motions towards me, completely fed up and frustrated. “So please, for the love of God, shut the fuck up.”
he takes off with lightning-quick strides. “Oh no, no, no,”
In a blink of an eye, Ryan charges past us, elbow cocking as he swings one heavy fist into my ex’s face.
“That’s for my sister, you fucking piece of shit. And if you come around again when I tell you not to, the next hit you take will be for me.”
“Get him out of here.”
As Ryan passes by my boyfriend and me, Zanders holds his fist out, to which my brother proudly pounds.
Indy stops him in his path, halfway from the entrance to the table. “That was hot,”
“You are. You know that, right? You’re what I needed most in life.”
“Scared. I don’t want to be alone.” “Would you be alone?” “Yeah. The Maddisons are all in Chicago. He’s locked in and not going anywhere, maybe ever. Maddison will probably end up retiring a Raptor. I’d be alone.” That one is a punch to the gut. I was referring to me when I asked if he’d be alone. Because the truth is, I think I’d follow him anywhere if he asked me to. But clearly, that wasn’t his thought process.
That’s right. That’s my guy.
“Oh, really?” Rich lets out an evil laugh. “Then why haven’t I heard a single word about a new contract from Chicago when the season is almost over?”
“We should go,” he quickly says. “You should get back to your room before we get caught. This was reckless, being out here in public.”
After a season full of my friends encouraging me that Chicago would re-sign me regardless of all the added bullshit I bring to the table, I started to believe it. And that was a mistake.
“I like my hair.”
“I love your hair. What else?”
“I like my eyes.”
“I love your eyes.”
“I don’t like my thighs.”
“I love your thighs.”
hands. “I especially like when they’re warming my cheeks as I’m going down on you.”
“I don’t like my stomach. I wish it were flatter.”
“I love your stomach.”
“I love that it’s soft and that I have something to hold when we’re c...
This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
“You don’t have to love your body every single day. That’s unrealistic to expect, but I’ll be here loving it for the days you can’t.”
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Zee.”
Oh, fuck. My heart. The words. The girl. It all makes my heart race and for my lungs to be short of oxygen. “Same here, sweetheart.”
The puck makes it back to Zanders as he quickly looks to pass it off but instead, he winds up, letting loose on a slap shot from the blue line in hopes it’ll find one of his teammates in front of the goal. But it doesn’t find one of his teammates. Instead, it flies past the goalie, finding the back of the net and pulling out the overtime victory. “Oh my God!”
Right now, my biggest worry isn’t about my future with Chicago hockey. It’s not about losing my image.
“I think I’m ready to go.” My heart drops. “You want to leave?”
but it isn’t until I see her back begin to vibrate that I take a few quick strides and pull her into my chest.
Her desperate cry is the most painful thing I’ve ever heard, knowing I’m the one who caused this. She’s hurting because she’s with me. People think they have the right to say hateful things about her because she’s with me.
“I warned you this was going to happen. I told you all season long,” Rich continues. Those words ring an alarm in my mind. Too many connections. Too many coincidences. “Rich, how did the reporters know where I live?” He hesitates for a moment.
But no one wants the real me. No one is paying to support the real me.
Finally, his hazel eyes give way, finding mine and allowing me to see the endless world of guilt within them as his brows crease with regret. My throat is tight, and my stomach seems hollow. It hurts already. “Don’t,” I warn. “Please don’t.” He inhales a deep breath. “Vee—”
“Look at me!” I desperately yell from across the room. “If you’re going to break my heart, at least watch while you do it.”
“Are you embarrassed by me?” my voice cracks on the last word, making it almost inaudible. Finally, Zanders’ stoic expression melts as he takes a quick stride towards me, his tone frantic. “Stevie, absolutely not—” I hold my hands up in front of me, wanting to maintain my distance and keep him from coming any closer.
“You’re a coward, EZ.”
His eyes dart to me. “Do not call me EZ. That’s not me.” “Is it not? Because that’s the role you seem hell-bent on playing. Easy to manipulate. Easy to control.”
“Stevie, I’ll be alone if I have to move teams.” His powerful voice breaks. “My family is here, and I’ve lost my family before. I’ve been alone, and I can’t go through it again.” “You never would’ve been alone. I would’ve followed you anywhere.” Confusion colors Zanders’ face. “No, you wouldn’t have. Ryan is here. The shelter is here. There’s no way you’d leave.” “I would’ve followed you anywhere, but you never asked.”
