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A girl can’t bejustfriends with a boy,they said.
I’d lost my best friend Todd first. He started going steady with a girl in our class, and she didn’t like that he was friends with me. Then slowly, over time, the rest of our group found their own girlfriends or realized that having me hanging around all the time ruined their chances of scoring.
I didn’t get it.
I didn’t want to date, kiss, or be with any of them. I just found it easier to relate to them. I liked sports. Ilovedhockey. And I felt more at home talking about the latest NHL scores than hair and makeup and boys.
Somewhere over the last three years, my confidence, my smiles, and my flirtation became my armor. But I knew the deal. I was the girl other girls saw as a threat, and the girl guys liked to have some fun with before moving on to the girl that they might one day take home to meet their parents.
And it was all James Dixon’s fault.
With a weary sigh, I climbed the rest of the stairs, ignoring Natalie’s heavy stare as I went.
By the time I reached my room, my mood had plummeted—first, Dad, now Natalie.
Checking my cell phone, part of me—the little girl still desperate for her father’s approval—hoped to see his name on the screen.
But it wasn’t.
He wouldn’t reach out. Not unless it concerned Mom. And even then, I wasn’t sure he’d pick up the phone and call.
Because I was the daughter he never wanted.
The son he never got.
And I’d spent my life trying to win his approval and acceptance…
Only to know he’d never give it to me.
CHAPTER5
MASON
I glideddown the left wing, ready to receive the pass from Aiden. The toe of my blade cradled the puck as I pushed off my inside leg to deke around one of the D-men.
“Nicely done, Mase,” Assistant Coach Walsh yelled as I visualized the back of the net. “Take the shot. Take the—”
The puck soared right past Austin’s glove, and the buzzer went off.
“Hell, yeah.” Noah was on me in a second, clapping me on the shoulder. “That was as smooth as fuck. Think you can do that again this weekend?”
We had back-to-back away games in Houghton, Michigan. It meant I had to try and get home to see Scottie before we left. But between class and practice, it didn’t leave much time to make the trip.
“Only if you promise not to hog the puck.” I smirked, and Noah shook his head, his eyes crinkling with amusement, even though we both knew he’d be the one lighting up the buzzer come game day.
“Where do you think Coach is?” he asked, glancing over to where Assistant Coach Walsh stood with the team’s physio.
“Who knows. But maybe he—”
Coach Tucker appeared, and he wasn’t alone.
A ripple of awareness went around the rink as a couple of the guys glanced my way as if they couldn’t believe their eyes.
“Okay, ladies. Bring it in,” Coach beckoned us over to the benches. “I’m sure some of you know who this is. James is a legend on campus, and I expect you to treat him as such.”
“Now, now, Joe. There’s no need for special treatment. I’m here for one thing and one thing only. To make this team the best it can possibly be.”
“Holy shit,” Noah hissed under his breath. “Does he mean—”
