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“Oh, that’s so sweet. He’ll appreciate you showing up to support him.”
Sawyer shrugs before pointing toward the bottles and boxes. “Looks like you could use a hand.”
“That would be great.” I pass him the three water bottles as we enter the arena.
My roomie’s brows rise when she gets a look at the handsome, dark-haired guy trailing behind me.
“Carina, have you met Sawyer? He’s an old family friend.”
Stella waves before Mom rises and pulls him in for a warm embrace. She’s always liked him. When I first started at Western, she made a couple of comments about how fun it would be if the two of us got together since our families have always been close. We grabbed lunch at the Union a couple times, but nothing more transpired.
“It’s so good to see you again,” Mom says. “Are your parents planning to make it? I didn’t get a chance to touch base with your mom during the week.”
Regret flashes across his face as he shakes his head. “No, sorry. They’re having dinner tonight with one of Dad’s associates.”
“That’s too bad. Maybe next time.”
Sawyer’s green eyes flicker to mine. “Definitely.”
I settle next to Carina before passing over two of the drinks and both boxes of popcorn.
“Thanks.” She immediately pops open the lid and digs in. After munching a few pieces, she leans closer and whispers, “Damn, he’s hot. I totally approve.”
With a laugh, I shake my head. “It’s not like that. We’re just friends.”
She glances past me to the handsome guy who has settled on the seat next to mine. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”
Carina doesn’t know what she’s talking about. He’s more like a cousin than anything else. Wanting to shut down the conversation, I refocus my attention on Sawyer as the puck is dropped and the game gets underway.
My gaze stays fastened on Ryder every time he’s out for a shift. Because I’m paying close attention, I notice when he gets passed over in the lineup and another player takes his place. Even from here, I can feel the pent-up agitation rolling off him in heavy, suffocating waves.
Sawyer leans close in order to be heard over the rock music blasting through the speakers. “I spoke to Ryder for a little bit at your mom’s party. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve seen him.”
I rip my attention away from the ice long enough to meet his eyes and force a smile. “Oh, yeah?”
He nods, his gaze flicking to the action in the arena before slicing back to me. “Is there anything going on between you two?”
“Of course not,” I lie. “He’s always been more Mav’s friend than mine.”
With an easy smile, he drapes a muscular arm around the back of my chair. “Yeah, that’s what I thought but wanted to make sure.”
We continue to chat, talking about stuff from our childhood and then his job, until the first period ends. It’s almost a surprise to realize how quickly time is flying by. In all honesty, I was dreading tonight’s game. Dreading having to sit here and watch Ryder on the ice. Sawyer has been the perfect distraction.
I glance at the scoreboard and realize that the Wildcats are in the lead by a solitary goal. It’ll be a nailbiter. Already the crowd is going crazy, jeering at the refs for bad calls.
“Your mom mentioned that you’re in the process of applying to med school.”
I drag my attention away from the Zamboni as it resurfaces the ice to meet Sawyer’s inquisitive stare. “So far, I’ve applied to three colleges. Hopefully, I’ll get accepted to at least one.” Even thinking about it makes the muscles in my belly spasm with nerves. It’s what I’ve spent all these years working toward. Until I know the outcome, I’m in limbo, and that’s a difficult place to be.
“Oh, yeah? Which ones?”
“John Hopkins, Duke, and the University of Chicago.”
He whistles. “That’s a pretty impressive list.”
I force out a laugh. If there’s one thing I hate talking about, it’s my accomplishments. “I haven’t been accepted yet. So, it might not be that impressive at all. We’ll see.”
He nudges my shoulder with his larger one. “Please, your mom was telling me that you have a near four point oh and that you’ll graduate Magna Cum Laude. That’s a real achievement. You should be proud. I only made Summa Cum Laude.” He flashes a lopsided smile. “So, you beat me out. My parents always said you’d do amazing things, and here you are.”
