“I know that. You know that. But Grayson’s spinning it like you two were laughing at everyone behind their backs.” Zayden’s expression softens with sympathy. “It looks bad, Banks, especially since you two just had that blowup at Logan’s place. People are connecting dots.”
“What dots?”
“The fight. The fact that she left crying. The fact that you’ve been a ghost for three days.” He shrugs. “They’re saying you got caught, and that’s why she bailed—that the whole thing was an act,and when it fell apart, she couldn’t keep pretending.”
“That’s not what happened.”
“I know. But that’s the story circulating.”
I sink onto the bench, my head in my hands. This is a nightmare—an actual nightmare that I can’t wake up from.
“What do I do?”
“First, you might want to talk to Dana before she hears it from someone else.” Zayden puts a hand on my shoulder. “And maybe figure out what’s actually going on with you and Winnie. Because right now, even the people who want to defend you don’t know what’s true.”
Dana’s office feels smaller than usual.
Maybe it’s because I’m sitting in the chair across from her desk like a kid called to the principal’s office. Or because she’s looking at me with an expression that’s equal parts disappointment and exasperation. Or it’s because I know what’s coming, and I have no defense.
“Close the door.”
I close the door.
“Sit.”
I sit.
She lets the silence stretch—a power move designed to make me squirm. It works.
“You want to tell me what the hell is happening?” she finally asks. “Because I’ve got half the team whispering about fake relationships, the otherhalf looking at our yoga instructor like she’s some kind of con artist, and you walking around like someone died.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Well then, uncomplicate it,” she snaps.
I don’t know how. I don’t know where to start. The whole situation is a tangled mess of good intentions gone wrong, and every thread I pull just makes it worse.
“The relationship with Winnie,” I say slowly, “started as… an arrangement. A way to get the guys to back off her.”
Dana’s expression doesn’t change. She’s listening. Waiting.
“And it worked,” I continue. “The guys stopped harassing her. Everything was fine.” I pause. “Until it wasn’t fake anymore.”
“When did that happen?”
“I don’t know. Somewhere along the way, the lines got blurry. Feelings got involved.” I stare at my hands. “I messed it up. I was dealing with the contract stuff, the trade rumors, and I didn’t tell her. She found out from someone else, and we had a fight. A bad one.”
“At Logan’s place. Yeah, I heard.” Dana leans back in her chair. “So the fake relationship became real, then imploded because you couldn’t communicate like an adult. Is that the summary?”
“That’s… accurate.”
“And now Grayson is spreading rumors that you played the whole team for fools, your maybe-girlfriend isn’t speaking to you, and you’re skating like you’ve never seen ice before.” She pinches thebridge of her nose. “This is a mess, Banks. A complete and total mess.”
“I know. I’m sorry, okay? When you approved it…”
“I didn’t approve whatever the hell this became.” She waves a hand. “Feelings. Drama. Public blowups at teammates’ houses.”
I sit rigidly while Dana sighs again. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to get your head on straight, whatever that takes. You’re going to focus on hockey because we’re in a playoff push, and I need you functional. And you’re going to sort out this mess with Winnie one way or another because I can’t have my yoga instructor and my defenseman circling each other like wounded animals for the rest of the season.”
