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June 5 - June 6, 2025
“I’m here,” he said, catching me off guard.
“You said you’ve got no one here to turn to.” He shrugged, held out his arms, and looked himself up and down. “Well, I’m here.”
“And, lucky for you, I am,” he continued. “I think I can help.”
“Violet,” I replied. “But all my friends call me Vi.” “Am I your friend, Violet?”
“Only when my damsel-in-distress radar goes off.” “Oh, and I suppose that makes you Prince Charming?”
“Sorry, princess, but I’m definitely no prince.”
“You know, if I was your boyfriend, I’d answer your calls and I’d drive you to parties.”
“I’ll walk you.”
“Like I said, my damsel-in-distress radar was pinging.”
He was like a good puzzle, and I didn’t want to put it aside until I’d figured it out.
“But you have a good night, Sunshine. I hope I proved to you not all hockey players are pigs.”
Maybe she thought I hadn’t heard her at the ice rink. Or that I didn’t recognize her. Impossible. Violet wasn’t the kind of girl you forgot.
I saw her in the stands, and she’d stopped me in my tracks.
but I wanted to get a better look at her.
In this case, I thought it was something far simpler. I couldn’t feel the cold because my heart had been racing ever since I’d leaned close to Violet and whispered in her ear.
But she still had me buzzing with more nervous excitement than I experienced before a big game.
I shrugged. If it meant I got to see Violet again, I didn’t really care.
If you were going to be a bitch, I figured you might as well embrace it.
his mouth twitched as though he was fighting off a smile.
“I know that. But you chose to be friendly with the scariest guy in a hundred-mile radius. It’s like trying to comprehend a bunny cuddling a rattlesnake.”
“You okay there, Sunshine?”
which revealed the barest hint of a dimple.
“Besides, it looks better on you than it ever has on me,” he added.
“Seriously though,” he continued. “Regardless of what my brothers and I think of Hoffman, he shouldn’t have done that to you. You deserve better. Much better.”
“Just kiss her already,”
Realllll
There were a few things I was certain of though. I was right; hockey players were pigs. My mom was right; jocks couldn’t be trusted. And Reed was right; I deserved better.
My decision to go to the garage had awoken one lone butterfly in my stomach, and it was gently fluttering about because there was a chance I might see Reed again.
But then again, she probably looked good in anything.
The truth was, right now, I just wanted to be wherever she was.
Violet made me care.
“But perhaps an even better revenge would be for you to move on with someone else . . .”
I wondered if I should volunteer as tribute.
I was really hoping she just meant Sunshine Prep hockey players.
It was hard not to flinch, and I seriously began to wonder whether my dreams of playing in the NHL were worth it.
I wasn’t. In fact, I quite liked the idea of her keeping it.
Just this once though, it had been worth it.
but knowing what he did to Violet made the hatred flooding my veins burn even hotter.
“Pretty sure the only time growling is allowed is in one of those dirty books Mom likes to read,” he replied. “Back me up here, Gray.”
I might not have made Hoffman regret cheating on Violet tonight, but I was certainly going to make him pay for it at our game. I just wished I didn’t have to wait so long to teach him a lesson.
“My name is Violet. And I’m quite sure I’ll never regret it.”
Yesss
There was at least one thing I liked about that place now. Violet.
I caught a flash of the blue eyes and red hair I’d been longing to see. Violet was smiling brightly as she talked with another girl, and when my eyes settled on her, my heart rate skyrocketed, and my hands went clammy like I was standing too close to the flames.
She looked beautiful tonight, especially with the soft glow of the firelight dancing across her features.
As I looked back at Violet, I wasn’t sure I could.
As our eyes met, Reed appeared to fight back a smile, and I quickly glanced away.
“I hope you’re talking about my big heart there, Sunshine.”
If this was what it felt like to kiss a devil, then send me straight to hell.
I would have done just about anything to help her.
I barely knew her, but already I wanted to do anything I could to make her smile. And anything to stop her feeling sad.
“Oh, I wasn’t complaining. The kiss was great. Maybe we should do it again.”
