Page 57 of Cheap Shot

His eyes dropped to the table. “What do you mean?”

“You’re letting fear of disappointing our parents control you. If you’re really so miserable that you have to run away, then it’s time to talk to them.”

“You know they won’t listen,” he grumbled.

I sighed. “I know they aren’t the most open-minded. They have ideas of what they want for each of us, but in a few months, you’ll be on a full-ride somewhere. They won’t have control over your life anymore. You can make the choices you need to get to where you want to be. So you can either keep your head down and suffer in silence, or let them know that the pressure they’re putting on you is damaging. Maybe ask your coach to come over and talk to them. That’s something I never did, and I wonder if it would have made a difference. Hearing from someone else, someone that’s an expert in the field, explaining how talented you are and the potential you have to play professionally, might change their minds.”

He didn’t speak for a moment but finally met my eyes and nodded. “Fine. I’ll do it.” He paused and a smirk tugged on his lips. “If you talk to Ethan.”

Before I could reply, a voice spoke behind us. “Talk to me about what?”

I glared at Jake, and he smiled at the guys. “Hey, guys, feel free to join us.”

Matt and Ethan sat down, and I fought against every instinct in my body to pummel my irritating little brother to the ground like I did when we were kids.

“What’s going on?” Ethan asked while opening a ketchup packet.

Jake widened his eyes, but Matt was oblivious to the tension at the table. Yeah, I was going to kill my brother later.

Chapter 19

Haley

The girls and I took a study break to get dinner on Wednesday night. We’d been doing homework in Ella’s room for three straight hours before Krystal complained that her stomach was growling.

Sadie linked her arm around mine as we crossed the courtyard toward the dining hall. “Should we go to the football game on Saturday?”

I shrugged, but Cassie let out a dramatic sigh. “We can. I’m not really into football players though.”

“We wouldn’t be going for them, Cass. They’re on the field, not mingling with the crowd.” Sadie laughed.

“I know, they’re just not as much fun to watch,” she defended herself.

“We’ll go to every basketball game when the season starts, don’t worry.” Ella nudged her and winked at me. “She has a thing for freakishly tall men.”

Cassie rolled her eyes. “No, I just like looking at their arms. All the other sports cover up the goods.”

I laughed with them.

“What about the hockey game tomorrow night?” Ella pointed to a life-size poster of the team next to the pathway. “I heard they’re doing really well this year.”

I tightened my jaw. I hadn’t been to a game and wasn’t planning on attending, no matter how tempted I was to see Reid play. Besides, if Cassie liked seeing skin, hockey was the last thing she would be into. You could barely even see the player’s faces, let alone their physique.

“Ethan Clarkson.” Sadie read the name at the bottom of my brother’s action shot. His helmet was off, and his face was clearly posed with his brooding expression that he probably thought girls would find sexy. I rolled my eyes.

“Are you guys related?” she asked.

I swallowed. I really didn’t want to lie to them, but I didn’t want things to change between all of us either. Maybe it wouldn’t. They weren’t really the puck bunny type. They probably wouldn’t care.

“Yeah, that’s my brother,” I admitted.

Ella’s brows shot up. “You never told us your brother went here.”

I shrugged. “I didn’t really want to be known as his little sister. That’s been my entire life, and I wanted to be my own person here.”

Sadie narrowed her eyes. “If you wanted to be your own person, why did you transfer to his school?”

Krystal elbowed her in the ribs. “Stop,” she whispered.