There’s an amused glint in his dark blue eyes, but it’s fleeting. “There was no way for you to know. And to be honest, you’re the only good thing that’s happened to me this summer.”
“Are you sure? Remember that I shot you in the leg the night we met.”
This time my attempt at a joke earns me a small twitch at the corner of his lips. “That was an accident. But I’m serious, Taryn. Maybe the problems with my grades and my pro-team wanting to hold me off for one more season were necessary obstacles so that we could meet. I’m falling for you, Taryn. I hope you know that.”
“I’m falling for you too.” I whisper back.
Tucker sighs, his smile still a little sad. “My mom made us dinner, but with the news my parents had, my appetite had vanished. Now I’m hungry again. What do you say we order something? Anything you want, my treat.”
“I feel like I should pay for dinner.” I argue. “I’m the one who ruined your lucky charm.”
“That’s water under the bridge, I promise,” Tucker insists. “I’d love to take you out on a date, but we can’t really be seen driving off to town together.”
Tucker is right. “To be honest, even staying in right now is a bit of a risk. I should probably be back in my apartment by the time your teammates are back from that meeting. Just in case someone sees me coming out of your apartment.”
“Do you think my teammates would rat you out to Carole?”
“No, but I can’t say the same about my teammates. Now that we have to use the dining hall in shifts so we don’t fraternize, our dinner hours end when yours begin. So while the Cove Knights will be headed to dinner, the cheerleaders will be coming home. I told Jodie that I had a headache to avoid an extra rehearsal during the free time we got this afternoon. Since you weren’t back yet, when she texted me to ask if I wanted to meet her for dinner I told her I was still feeling rough. She wasn’t rehearsing alone, so just in case she went to dinner with some of the other girls, I’d rather not be caught sneaking out from here.”
There’s also the fact that Jodie is convinced that I need to stay away from the hockey players until we figure out who’s behind the threats that I’ve been getting. That’s why I lied to her. If she knew that I was here, she’d freak out even if it was just to do duck-sit for Tucker.
“Ok.” Tucker doesn’t look happy. “This clause totally blows.”
I agree with him, and between the no fraternization clause and my secret stalker, I’ve started to wonder if my dream to be a dancer is even worth it.
My phone pings a text message right as I leave the warmth of Tucker’s arms.
The way my heart stops and my hands tremble as I unlock the screen confirms that this is no way to live.
“Baby, you ok?” Tucker’s blond brows are knitted together. “You look worried.”
“I’m ok. It’s just Jo-Jo.” I exhale, relieved that it isn’t another threat. “I need to go just in case Gen trails her back to our apartment.”
Our goodnight kiss is rushed and leaves me longing for more.
Hiding from our coaches and from the rest of the team is one thing, but hiding from my best friend is ridiculous.
As I wait for the elevator in the lobby, I make a decision. I need to be careful so I don’t get reported to Carole. But Jo-Jo will have to accept that I can’t pretend the guys don’t exist. I know she’s just doing her best to keep me safe, but I can’t stop living my life to avoid the malicious scrutiny of my stalker. After all, there’s no guarantee that whoever has been messing with me won’t make even more requests in exchange for their silence or even decide to go to the cops, anyway.
An idea makes its way into my mind. It isn’t perfect, but sometimes in life, we have to make hard choices to get to our happily ever after. I guess it all depends on what makes me truly happy.
CHAPTER TWENTY
OPERATION LUCKY CHARM
TUCKER
It’s game day.
Ok, maybe this preseason tournament isn’t as important as the regular season, but Coach has made it clear that he expects to see us perform to the best of our abilities. I don’t blame him. Our job this summer goes beyond getting in peak physical condition to slay it from the first official game all the way to the Frozen Four final. With the town bidding for an expansion team and the spotlight that the reality show has put on the Cove Knights, every game counts.
And this tournament might not be anything official, but the games are televised, and that makes losing not an option we even want to entertain.
We all want to look good on TV for different reasons. The players who have been drafted or have signed NHL contracts want to confirm to their teams that they’re worth a chance at a rookie season on NHL ice.
But even the ones who aren’t planning to go pro after college want to end on a high note. Some of my teammates have dreams to make it big in show biz, some are hoping togrow their social media presence no matter what career they decide to pursue.
Winning will make us all look good, and now, thanks to me, we might be fucked before the season even started.
