Page 94 of Hockey Player Seeking Fan

“Just like that? No.”

I look over at the ice and see Coach looking around for me.

“I just want you to know that this”—I point at her, then at me—“is something real. This is something special. And I’m glad that you’re here. I want you to stay until the end of practice. And then maybe we can grab a bite to eat.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“Oh my gosh, Erica—I—stop being so self-deprecating. I really care about you. This is not when or how I wanted to say this, but… I don’t want to win the bet.”

“What?”

“I said, I don’t want to win the bet.”

“Because you don’t have anything you want to win?”

“I don’t want to win the bet because I want you to win the bet. I want you to find your soulmate. I want you to have found your soulmate.”

“You want me to have found my soulmate… while I’m sleeping with you?” Her eyes narrow. “What sort of twisted sick comment is that?”

"Oh my gosh, Erica. For someone so smart and so beautiful, you can be awfully dumb sometimes. I want to be your soulmate. I want to be the one you think is the one for you—because I think you are the one for me.”

“You're just saying that,” she says. “You don't have to do that. I know you're a good guy. I know you're nice. And maybe you're feeling guilty because you took my virginity, and now mybrothers are here and my best friend knows about us, and maybe you just don’t…”

“Erica, grab your phone.”

“Okay… why?”

“Because I need to see it.”

She hands me her phone and frowns. “There are no more dick pics on it, if that's what you're wondering.”

“No. I need to log into my email.”

“Your email?” She wrinkles her nose. “Why?”

“Because there's something I need to show you.”

“Okay.”

“Hey Tyler, Coach wants you on the ice now!” Henderson calls.

“I’m coming,” I say, as I log into my email account quickly.

“Now, Kane!” Coach calls.

“Coming, Coach.”

I stare at Erica, and she looks nervous.

“You should go. Whatever you?—”

“No, I need to show you this.”

I scroll down until I find the email from the gallery. I click on it, open it, and hand the phone to her.

“Read the title.”

“It says ‘Heart Painting.’”